Vakinn mentioned in the newly issued ETC handbook on sustainability

A handbook has been published by the European Tourism Council (ETC) on "Encouraging Sustainable Tourism Practices." The handbook guides and encourages the tourism industry to have sustainability as a guiding principle in its organization and operation. Authorities, policymakers, institutions, municipalities, associations, companies, and tourists have an important role in changing what is needed on the road to sustainable tourism.

Vakinn and Hidden Iceland

The handbook contains, amongst other things, 20 interesting examples of destinations and companies that have managed to adopt sustainability in planning and operations based on economic, social, and environmentally friendly factors.

We are proud to mention story no. 5 on page 66, which deals with Iceland. It explains how the tourism company Hidden Iceland, which received Vakan's certification in 2020 and gold certification in the environmental section in 2021, is developing its operations and environmental policy. The company used the checklist "Á leið til sjálfbærrar ferðaþjónustu" (Towards sustainable tourism), a necessary document that must be submitted to receive the Vakinn's certification.

You can read the handbook in its entirety and view the stories and examples, as well as a discussion and suggestions on responsible practices in the spirit of sustainability, on the European Tourism Council's website, by clicking here.