The European Travel Commission launches a sustainable tourism marketing campaign for the Nordic countries

The European Travel Commission (ETC) and the Nordic Council of Ministers have presented a new sustainable tourism marketing campaign for the Nordic countries.

The Commission announced that the coalition consists of seven Nordic tourist boards from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.

According to the Commission, this campaign has been created to revive travel in the region as COVID-19 related restrictions are already relaxed and will also include B2B and B2C initiatives by working with consortium partners, tour operators and the media.

Besides, it will also appeal to all people who love to travel to expand their minds and gain new insights into local culture, eat local food and learn about local traditions.

“From mountains, volcanoes and glaciers to fjords, lakes, forests and black sand beaches, to progressive and environmentally conscious cities, the Nordic countries offer extraordinary landscapes and experiences to travelers”, Christina Koontz, US Project Manager for the Nordics, pointed out.

She also added that they would provide sustainable tourism solutions and educate visitors to ensure that future generations of residents and visitors can enjoy the destinations.

ETC announced that a multitude of activities illustrating sustainability await visitors from the Nordic countries.

Additionally, Finland, known for being home to 41 national parks, three million saunas and outdoor activities such as mountain biking and ice skating, plans to become carbon neutral by 2035.

According to the Happiness Report 2022, Finland also ranks first in the list of the ten happiest countries in the world.

On the other hand, Sweden is gaining a reputation for being eco-friendly in some areas, including Gothenburg, which has been named one of the world’s most sustainable destinations in the Global Destination Index for almost five years.

In Stockholm, for example, nearly 80% of hotels are accredited for sustainability by a third-party certification body.

On the other hand, many visitors can choose Norway as a destination to travel and discover the coastal route by sailing in hybrid electric boats.

ETC also reveals that the Faroe Islands are best known for attracting more climbers and birds, but farm trips and heimablídni experiences are growing in popularity. Meanwhile, Heimablídni allows locals to share their local culture and cuisine.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Denmark is also the Wadden Sea, where participants are responsible for knowing where the tide conditions are and being able to recognize good oysters as this is the location from the oyster bed to the sea. It is also recommended that each traveler take part in one of the many oyster farming trips organized during the season.

There are many culinary experiences, but nothing more than consuming a freshly opened pearl beneath the landscape of the Wadden Sea.

In addition, ambitious sustainable energy policies have also been adopted by ærø and Bornholm, allowing them to produce more sustainable energy than they consume.

Greenland is a little visited destination. However, despite being an exclusive and undiscovered place, it still offers a wide range of sustainable activities, including the midnight sun, icebergs, kayaking in the summer, and the northern lights. Greenland also claims that in 2024 there will be a short flight nearly 4.5 hours from New York.

Iceland is another destination that offers an array of activities for all travelers who wish to visit it. For example, it provides geothermal and wildlife pools and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and two UNESCO Global Geoparks.

The country has taken a strong stance in the fight against climate change, aiming to cut carbon emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 at the latest.

Amongst others, visitors can travel to Iceland more regularly if they take the Icelandic oath to be responsible tourists, calculating and offsetting their carbon footprint.