West Sweden, whose city of Gothenburg has been named the world’s most sustainable destination six consecutive times as well as the ‘World’s Best Sustainable City Stay’ by Lonely Planet in 2021, is now introducing "Climate-Smart Holidays," a concept to offer sustainable vacation experiences with minimal CO2 emissions. Together with five hospitality companies, West Sweden's Tourist Board wants to show that it is possible to travel sustainably and have an activity-filled and enriching vacation.
With our new concept "Climate-Smart Holiday,” we want to show that it is possible to travel locally, live luxuriously and at the same time be climate-smart. We want to offer a sustainable and memorable holiday, full of experiences that visitors can enjoy with a clear conscience, says Marie Linde, Vice President of the West Sweden Tourist Board.
The five accommodations in West Sweden participating in the concept include Erikson Cottage, Lugnåsberget Ekohotell, Swedish Country Living, Inforest , and Dalslands Aktiviteter. All are small-scale family businesses where everything is sustainable: from accommodation, food and activities to transportation.
The carbon dioxide emissions of each guest have been calculated using the climate calculator on travelandclimate.org. All five participating properties' emissions per guest night are between 0.4 and 3 lbs. of carbon dioxide equivalents – compared to 15 lbs. for an average Swedish hotel. It is recommended that visitors arrive by train and will then be picked up at the train station for transfer by electric car for the last leg.
The climate-friendly properties that form a part of the five packages use solar panels and green electricity, recycled building materials and timber from their own forest, use water from their own wells, compost waste, sort and recycle waste and use environmentally friendly cleaning products. Furthermore, locally grown organic vegetables and meat from nearby farms are used.
Travelers can benefit both themselves and the environment by occasionally utilizing their own resources during their vacation. Combined with eco-friendly stays, Sweden’s natural environment makes it an ideal place for outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and kayaking – and with so much open space and Sweden’s Right of Public Access (Allemansrätt´), visitors can enjoy the activities while in close harmony with nature, creating lasting memories.
Other general tips for a climate-friendly holiday:
- It is preferable to use public transport locally, rather than taxi or Uber for instance.
- Consider traveling in the off-season. By avoiding peak season, congestion and environmental impact can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to benefit from lower prices and experience the destination in a quieter, more relaxed atmosphere.
- Avoid single-use plastic and bring reusable water bottles, cloth bags, and food containers. In Sweden, you can drink tap water everywhere without any hesitation.
- Support the local economy by choosing sustainable accommodation, eating at local restaurants, purchasing local products and souvenirs such to support the work of local artists and handicrafts.
- Choose environmentally friendly activities, such as hiking, biking, kayaking, forest bathing or bird watching. Avoid activities that pollute the natural environment, such as jet skiing or off-road driving.
- And finally: encourage travelers to make climate-friendly decisions too.
Learn more about the initiative other sustainable experiences in and around Gothenburg.
Make a Sustainable Choice Through All Parts of the Journey
Passengers can reduce the carbon footprint of the flight and at the same time contribute to the transition to net zero aviation by purchasing biofuel for the entire journey or part of it, directly from the airline or through Swedavia partner Fly Green Fund. Regardless the amount, it will be an important contribution to help tackle climate change since the renewable fuel used will replace the equivalent amount of fossil fuel.
By purchasing renewable jet fuel for the flight, passengers can reduce the impact of the flight on the climate by up to 80 per cent. This also drives demand for bio jet fuel, which supports large-scale climate change adaptation.
Leading Sustainable Airports
Göteborg Landvetter and Stockholm Arlanda are among the world’s most sustainable airports. As the first airport group in the world, since 2020, Swedish airport operator Swedavia, has been fossil-free in their own operations at all ten airports. See here for more information about Swedavia’s sustainability work and the initiatives from the industry towards fossil-free aviation.