Ticino becomes more and more sustainable

Our commitment


Sustainability is no longer a niche issue. Politicians, the economy and consumers have realised that in the future everyone will be called upon to use resources responsibly. To this end, the United Nations has outlined the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 overarching goals for the development of sustainability. In turn, the Swiss Federal Council has committed itself to making Switzerland climate-neutral by 2050, assigning sustainability a central role in the new tourism strategy

Find out how Ticino Turismo is committed to being a more sustainable company and to promoting more responsible tourism.

Strategy destination Ticino


The Sustainability Roadmap project, promoted by Ticino Turismo and the four Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs) with the financial support of the Economic Division of the Department of Finance and Economy (DFE) and in collaboration with the company Quantis, has led to significant results that have helped strengthen Ticino's position as a sustainable and innovative destination. The alignment of the strategy with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) further strengthened the project's coherence with international standards and provided a framework for future action. The concrete action plan, which we have named ‘Sustainability House’, has at its foundation the SDGs and the five pillars of the macro-categories on which we will base future work: Climate and Nature, Mobility, Territory and Identity, People and Governance. Each pillar has been associated with a series of practical actions aimed at transforming Ticino into a reference destination for sustainable tourism on a national and international level.

DOWNLOAD THE STRATEGY

A regional economic policy project with the support of the Economic Development Office


In collaboration with





Ticino as a sustainable destination


  • Pillar: Climate and Nature
    • Recycling and waste management

      Switzerland pays a lot of attention to recycling and waste management. In our canton too, sustainable waste management systems are being implemented in hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. In addition, we want to promote environmentally friendly tourism by protecting lakes and mountains through environmentally sustainable practices.

      Good practice: For several years, Ticino Turismo has included gifts with local products in the Welcome Kit for journalists and operators, replacing plastic gadgets.

  • Pillar: Mobility
    • Encouraging public transport

      Thanks to the highly effective railway network, we encourage the use of public transport and the use of environmentally friendly means of transport such as bicycles and propose shared mobility solutions (such as car sharing or bike sharing.

      Good practice:
      Ticino Ticket: guests staying in a hotel, campsite or youth hostel can use all public transport free of charge for the duration of their stay and benefit from exclusive discounts on ski lifts, boats on Swiss lakes and the Canton's main tourist attractions. Also available in a digital version, the Ticino Ticket makes check-in even quicker and can be obtained directly on your smartphone, enabling autonomous activation and reducing the use of paper and ink.

  • Pillar: territory and identity
    • Sustainability in accommodation and restaurants

      Ticino's eco-friendly accommodations are committed to offering tourism experiences that respect the environment. Many hotels and B&Bs adopt sustainable practices such as using renewable energy, optimizing energy consumption and using local products. Some of these establishments are part of the ‘Swisstainable’ network and support conscious tourism that values nature and local resources.

      Good practice: the Ticino a Tavola initiative, managed and coordinated by GastroTicino, is the key to enhancing the treasures offered by the Canton of Ticino's agricultural heritage. It is an initiative that recognizes and promotes restaurants (as many as 93 are taking part) that are committed to using Ticino products (considering their characteristics and philosophy).

  • Pillar: people
    • Accessibility and inclusiveness

      The tourist experience cannot be said to be sustainable if it is not designed to welcome and provide a high level of service to people with different needs. In Ticino there are accommodation facilities, means of transport, hotels and restaurants that are easily accessible thanks to a range of services that are increasingly attentive to every need.

      Best practice: In Ticino, we collaborate with projects such as OK:GO and Claire & George to make tourism accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities or reduced mobility. The OK:GO project provides clear information on the accessibility of tourist facilities, enabling visitors to plan their trips more easily. Claire & George, on the other hand, supports people with special needs by offering personalized assistance and services during their stay, thus ensuring a comfortable and inclusive tourism experience for all visitors.

  • Pillar: Governance
    • Sustainability best practices in governance are strategic actions to integrate environmental, social and economic responsibility into the corporate core: through communication and awareness-raising, companies can educate and motivate internal and external stakeholders on the importance of sustainable and socially responsible behaviour.

      Best practice: We have created a dedicated digital portal to raise our partners' awareness of the importance of sustainability, providing them with concrete tools. We have also developed practical guides by sector, designed to support our partners in joining the Swisstainable program, enriched with a list of best practices to promote more sustainable development in tourism:

      • Practical guides to prepare for Swisstainable divided by sectors: AccomodationGastronomyAttractions (available only in italian).

         
      • To identify the 3 measures required by Swisstainable, good practices have been collected that can be easily applied by tour operators: List of good practices  (available only in italian).

Our local partners' commitment


Ticino Turismo's awards


Swisstainable level II - engaged


Swisstainable is the initiative that promotes sustainable tourism in Switzerland, with a balanced approach between respect for the environment, economic development and social well-being. The program is divided into three levels, which recognize the growing commitment of tourism operators: Ticino Turismo is proud to be certified at level 2, demonstrating our concrete commitment to sustainable practices. This means that we are constantly working to improve our environmental performance and promote authentic and respectful tourism experiences.



Declaration of conformity


The Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Services of the Canton of Ticino (CC-Ti) has developed a simplified CSR report model in collaboration with SUPSI and the Department of Finance and Economic Affairs (DFE).

The CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) report is a document that encompasses the good practices of a company, making it possible to draw up a report that includes economic information and the social and environmental impact of its activities.

By elaborating this report, it is also possible to obtain a valid document for the LCPubb. If a declaration of conformity is available and the report has been published (i.e. at least 15 points have been achieved), this proof can be used to achieve Level II Swisstainable (in combination with another certificate).



Claire & George


The Claire&George foundation supports visitors with special needs from the selection of the hotel to the booking of the trip. Depending on the needs, it also organises services requested by guests, such as the hire of special mobility aids and transport or nursing care in the hotel.

Ticino Turismo promotes the initiative through the section of its website dedicated to accessible tourism.



OK:GO


The OK GO initiative helps tourism operators in Switzerland to register and publish information on the accessibility of their offers and services. This is intended to facilitate travel planning for people with disabilities, the elderly and parents with prams.

Through the Ginto APP, OK:GO allows users to view all the necessary information.



MyClimate – Impact label


MyClimate is a leading climate protection organisation that supports companies and individuals in calculating, reducing and offsetting their CO2 emissions. Through globally certified climate projects, MyClimate offers the possibility to offset the environmental impact of tourism by supporting initiatives such as reforestation, renewable energy and the development of clean technologies.

Since 2019, Ticino Turismo has been calculating its corporate carbon footprint and, thanks to its collaboration with Myclimate, is offsetting its CO2 emissions by financing sustainable projects.