Part of the Sustainable EU Tourism – Shaping the Tourism of Tomorrow initiative, the toolkit supports destinations in their communication efforts as they lead the green and digital transition of tourism in Europe. With ready-made content and real-world success stories, it gives tourism actors the tools they need to align their outreach with the EU’s broader sustainability goals.
A timely resource for a changing sector
As the tourism sector works to recover and evolve after the COVID-19 pandemic, there is growing momentum to rethink how we travel, develop destinations and engage visitors. The European Commission’s initiative and its accompanying toolkit aim to empower destinations to lead this shift and communicate it effectively to both travellers and peers.
The launch follows the European Commission’s second stocktaking report on the Transition Pathway for Tourism. Three years after its launch, the report highlights real progress across all action areas, driven by the strong engagement of tourism stakeholders across Europe.
So far, 240 organisations have made over 500 pledges in support of sustainable, digital and resilient tourism. Many pledges focus on the green transition, such as the CopenPay initiative by Wonderful Copenhagen, which rewards sustainable tourist behaviour with cultural experiences. This momentum will feed into the upcoming EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy, set to be developed with citizen and stakeholder input. Citizens can give their feedback on the Commission’s public consultation until 12 September 2025. Stakeholders can also contribute to the Commission’s call for evidence.
What’s inside the toolkit?
The toolkit contains a suite of free, downloadable materials that can be adapted for local use and audiences: a project overview, the compilation of real-world examples from destinations leading on sustainability, an infographic with practical tips for responsible travel, social media posts and visual assets and four destination success stories with accompanying visuals.
These resources are designed for use by destination management organisations (DMOs), local authorities, tourism boards and other stakeholders promoting sustainable tourism, with content tailored for both professional and traveller-facing communications.
Tourism professionals are encouraged to download and integrate the content into their communication strategies, whether in newsletters, online campaigns, public presentations or stakeholder engagement.
The full communication toolkit is now available at: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/tourism/communication-toolkit_en
