On September 3rd, local stakeholders involved in the Tourism4SDG project, including representatives from Tartu County’s local municipalities, the Tartu County Association of Municipalities, and Tartu County Tourism, met. The project was introduced, and discussions were held regarding the sustainable tourism development directions and future actions for Tartu County.
Co-financed by the Interreg Europe 2021–2027 program, the Tourism4SDG project focuses on improving tourism policy instruments in participating regions, with the goal of achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the field of sustainable tourism. In the case of Tartu County, a key policy document is the Tartu County Development Strategy 2040. During the local-level kick-off meeting, the discussion was led by Ragnar Siil, who, together with the project manager, presented the project and the expectations and future visions of both local and international partners.
Throughout the day, several key topics were addressed, including mapping the current state of sustainable tourism in the county and the goals set in the development strategy. One of the challenges identified was the uneven inclusion of tourism in local government strategies. It was considered especially important for all Tartu County municipalities to set clear tourism goals. In monitoring the activities and objectives of the Tartu County development strategy, it was deemed important to consider the Green Destinations program, with a view to potentially extending these practices throughout the entire county. The Tourism4SDG project aims to identify good practices and tools that will help assess and promote sustainable tourism in Tartu County and more broadly in Southern Estonia. As a result of the discussions, it was agreed that achieving results requires clear roles and task allocation between Tartu County Tourism, the Tartu County Association of Municipalities, and the local municipalities.
Additionally, discussions included the activities and outcomes of previous Interreg projects, such as Impactour and Smart Tourism Destinations, which provided valuable examples of how sustainable cultural tourism and destination tourism goals can be implemented. At the end of the meeting, it was noted that participation in the project has offered a great opportunity for stakeholders to come together and collectively contribute to the development of a sustainable county.
For more information, contact Mare-Liis Kanarik, Marketing Project Manager, mareliis.kanarik@visittartu.com.