Switzerland/Geneva unveils new strategy for sustainable tourism

With the objective of being recognized as one of the 10 most sustainable urban destinations in Europe by 2025, the Geneva Tourism & Convention Foundation announced this year its new strategy for sustainable tourism in Geneva. This action plan, based on the United Nations' sustainable development objectives and the results of collaborative work at the regional and international levels, is structured around 5 pillars and defines 12 concrete objectives.

#1 Accelerate the transition to a circular economy

In a first strategic axis, Geneva highlights the need to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy in its tourism sector. Indeed, the city wishes to reduce by 30% the waste produced by its tourism activities by 2025. It also hopes to eliminate up to 70% of single-use waste for which sustainable alternatives exist. To achieve this, Geneva Tourism has made certain commitments. From now on, it will raise awareness among all tourism actors and visitors about sorting techniques and food waste, while developing, with the actors concerned, concrete solutions to reduce the waste generated by tourism.

#2 Accentuate the transition to a post-carbon economy

While the impact of tourism on the production of greenhouse gases (GHG) is no longer in question, emissions can be controlled and even greatly reduced. Geneva has understood this and is now making it a priority. Geneva Tourism has announced that it plans to reduce emissions from its tourism activities by 60% by 2030 compared to 1990. To put this agreement into practice, Geneva is committed to supporting carbon-neutral mobility and local and sustainable food for the various tourism stakeholders and visitors. At the same time, it will encourage the development of renewable energies and the reduction of the dependence of buildings on fossil fuels in the tourism sector.

#3 Promote local initiatives

The city wishes to place local initiatives in the international spotlight so that they are better promoted. Made in Geneva thus becomes a central strategic element of the destination. In this sense, Geneva Tourism will support local events, crafts, local products and Geneva's know-how, in particular by ensuring a strong presence and high visibility in its promotional activities on social networks. In this way, it hopes to achieve a double objective: on the one hand, the satisfaction of visitors thanks to the unique and authentic experiences offered, and on the other hand, the development of the local economy.

#4 Promote a social and solidarity-based impact on the destination

The^4th pillar of this action plan is the increase of social and solidarity actions in the city. Geneva has defined several objectives that support a global and inclusive vision. By 2025, it wants to reach 85% of visitors satisfied with their experience in the destination and 90% of favourable opinions about tourism among the city's inhabitants. To achieve this, the territory has indicated that it will create, among other things, content for the inclusion of all in its communication media. In addition, the metropolis has made accessibility one of its priority objectives. People with reduced mobility who visit the destination will now receive specific information useful for their journey.

#5 Strengthen collaboration between the destination's players

Finally, in a^5th strategic axis, Geneva Tourism stresses the decisive character of a federation of all the destination's tourism actors around sustainable tourism. Among the intentions set, we find in particular the increase by 50% of the number of players implementing a "Corporate Social Responsibility" (CSR) policy and the participation of the latter in three collective actions for the Lake Geneva region. More generally, the Foundation explained that it will bring partners together through sustainable actions and initiatives to achieve its ultimate goal of becoming an exemplary model in terms of sustainable tourism.

Source: www.tendancehotellerie.fr