There seems to be very little Scandinavian countries don’t do well. Best pension systems, happiest citizens, trendsetting graphic design and, of course, world famous furniture.
And, according to the Sustainable Travel Index, they’re also the world’s most sustainable tourism destinations.
Sweden topped the Euromonitor International Sustainable Travel Index, which ranks the world’s 99 most sustainable tourism destinations.
“A pioneer in lifecycle assessment research” and hailed for its efforts to preserve the Arctic permafrost, Sweden certainly turned the head of Euromonitor International’s head of travel, Caroline Bremner, who was also impressed by the nation’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Read more: Happiest countries in the world revealed
Finland, Austria, Estonia and Norway came in behind Sweden, and the top 10 consisted entirely of European countries.
Our cross-ditch neighbours New Zealand was the highest-ranked Australasian nation for sustainable tourism in 23rd position. Australia came in at 29th.
The world’s lowest-ranked destinations for sustainable tourism were Asian and African nations Morocco (95), Vietnam (96), Mauritius (97), India (98), and Pakistan (99).
Euromonitor rated nations on seven key factors of sustainable tourism: environmental sustainability, social sustainability, economic sustainability, risk, sustainable tourism demand, sustainable transport, and sustainable lodging.
Read more: Why tourism returning to the ‘old normal’ would be a disaster
The Sustainable Travel Index aims to provide guidance for travel businesses to transition “to a more sustainable and purpose-driven model”.
“As destinations around the world slowly begin to reopen, while protecting local communities and preserve livelihoods, there is a growing awareness among consumers, businesses and governments for the need to prioritise not only profit but people and the planet,” stated Euromonitor.
The top 20 most sustainable countries for tourism are:
Sweden
Finland
Austria
Estonia
Norway
Slovakia
Iceland
Latvia
France
Slovenia
Switzerland
Lithuania
Croatia
Czech Republic
Ireland
Germany
Belgium
Denmark
Netherlands
Portugal
Have you visited any of these countries? Are you surprised at any one of the top 20 nations?
If you enjoy our content, don’t keep it to yourself. Share our free eNews with your friends and encourage them to sign up.
