One of the achievements I am most proud of is the cross-departmental collaboration we established in Falköping, particularly regarding the municipality’s work with hiking trails. We developed a clear structure that defines responsibilities—both within the municipality and in relation to external stakeholders. This included setting up agreements that ensure long-term maintenance and management of the trails, whether by the municipality itself or by external partners. These efforts resulted in a more strategic and sustainable approach that is now embedded in the municipality’s routines. I am also proud to have contributed to the work around Lake Hornborga, which was selected as a national model area for sustainable place-based development through tourism. We succeeded in broadening the understanding of what sustainable tourism development requires from the public sector. However, sustaining this progress over time requires continuous efforts—especially in passing on knowledge to new politicians and civil servants. Recognizing this helps municipalities approach their own efforts with patience, openness, and a willingness to evolve. MUNICIPALITY OF TIDAHOLM ANNA-KLARA BÖRJESSON Director of the Culture and Leisure Administration, Municipality of Tidaholm, former Director of tourism, Falköping Municipality What are the main challenges you face in your municipality when working with sustainable tourism planning? One of the main challenges we face in our municipality when working with sustainable tourism planning is integrating tourism-related issues into long-term spatial and societal planning processes. This challenge persists regardless of changes in political leadership or among municipal officials. Sustainable tourism requires a cross-sectoral approach, yet working across administrative boundaries within the municipality can be difficult. To ensure consistent support from the public sector, it's crucial that the municipality has a clear mandate and shared understanding of how tourism should be addressed strategically. Without this, tourism risks being treated as a separate or secondary issue, rather than as an integrated part of sustainable community development. What achievement are you most proud of? 1 2 Why are these issues important? These issues are important because sustainable tourism development requires clear public responsibility. The public sector must ensure that tourism evolves in a way that respects the carrying capacity of the place—its nature, wildlife, and the people who live and work there. We should not promote tourism if it negatively impacts the environment or local communities, or if the public sector is not prepared to take long-term responsibility for the consequences of that development. We need to shift the perspective from focusing solely on marketing and product development to integrating tourism into broader spatial and community planning. 3 FINAL HANDBOOK 11
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