ETC Releases Handbook on Encouraging Sustainable Tourism Practices

The European Travel Commission (ETC), representing 33 national tourism organisations in Europe, has published its new Handbook on Encouraging Sustainable Tourism Practices.

The handbook is a guide that explains how national and local tourism organisations can encourage tourism stakeholders at every level to build sustainable tourism practices into their everyday operations.

With a renewed focus on adopting practices that reduce the negative impacts of tourism as a result of Covid-19, the handbook contains valuable case studies from worldwide entities and destinations that have successfully forged more economically, socially, and environmentally viable tourism practices over the past years.

The 20 case studies included in the handbook highlight the ways in which European and other worldwide destinations are embedding sustainable approaches into their travel and tourism sector, together with key takeaways for National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) and Destination Management Organisations (DMOs).

Photo source: ETC Handbook on Encouraging Sustainable Tourism Practices

“ETC expects this handbook to foster knowledge sharing and act as a vehicle for NTOs and DMOs to make their destinations more sustainable and resilient in the long-term… We believe that this handbook will support European destinations in their efforts to build a tourism sector that is more respectful of the environment and that will equally benefit local economies and communities in the years to come,” ETC President Luís Araújo said.

The handbook is freely available here.