UST Project If you are a representative of a municipality your organisation has probably already thought about the SDGs and what impact you would like to have on them through the work you do as a municipality. It is however possible that you have missed out on the opportunities to include tourism in your toolbox to improve the outcome of your efforts. This toolbox requires you to engage the tourism ecosystem, which is sometimes easier said than done. The selfassessment tool is a great way to start having the conversation about the SDGs. As you discover the potential to use large stakeholder groups for the greater good you will also start to form relationships and build trust within your tourism eco system. Start by gathering your internal stakeholders. These would be your colleagues within different parts of the municipal organisation. It is important not to limit your stakeholder group to the people you normally work with, like your closest colleagues, but try to keep a manageable group size for the first discussion. The section 1 General Question are aimed at you to get started and gain valuable understanding of where the municipality stands on the different governance approaches to sustainable tourism. Once you have completed the General Questions you should have a better understanding of you strong areas and areas with room for improvement from a governance perspective. In order to inform your decision making, strategic planning and inspire collaboration for the Sustainable Development Goals you can now invite a broader group of stakeholders into the conversation. Your tool now is Section 2 where you can approach the SDGs from a holistic perspective or narrow down your efforts to specific SDGs for discussion. As part of this process the UST project has provided an e-learning platform where you can get inspiration on both the basic and advanced level on four of the SDGs through the lenses of the project partners and their work with promoting sustainable tourism. The e-learning platform provides you with another self-assessment tool to highlight where your strong areas and areas for improvement lie. Most importantly, you need to understand and accept that sustainable tourism is a marathon not a sprint, but there are some low hanging fruits to enjoy along the way – some easy early wins. Some inspiration for these have been provided on the advanced level but your goal should be to highlight your own achievements and see where the next step can lead you. By combining the strengths of different parts of the tourism ecosystem you should be able to take steps towards a more sustainable tourism in your municipality no matter at what level you start. Here is some inspiration to get you thinking about your stakeholders. They could be hospitality businesses like a hotel and bed & breakfast. They could be event organisers like a music or food festival. They could be community leaders like the local football club or chamber of commerce. They could be local or incoming tour operators big and small. They could be your local rural development cluster. They could be agricultural actors, local producers of food and drink or artisanal products. They could be local safety actors like the police or rescue services. Try to think outside the box and invite your stakeholders to suggest other stakeholders to include! 16
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