We Support Local Businesses and Responsible Tourism

Everyone has a responsibility to be the best traveller they can be and by acting collectively we all win. We would like to give you an insight into how we work with sustainability, and how we aim to take responsibility to create a more sustainable travel industry.

Mission Statement_Copyright_Raimond Klavins_Unsplash

Authentic Scandinavia

It’s up to us to protect the destinations we care about. That’s why we advocate for sustainable tourism by equipping our travellers with responsible choices. 

Looking for your next responsible vacation?

Have a look at our recommended tours

Towards a more sustainable travel industry
 

  • Local and responsible partners

  • Year-round tourism

  • Public transportation

  • Digital transformation

  • 13 tips for travelling more responsibly

 

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Photo: Snowshoe walk in Muonio in Finnish Lapland. Harriniva Resorts

 

Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the world economy, and one of the fastest-growing. We understand this development puts pressure on the destinations and believe that responsible travel is about demonstrating respect for the people, culture and environment you are visiting. Below you can read more about how we work to achieve a more sustainable tourism industry.
 

Local and responsible partners

We support local guides, independent accommodation and responsible partners who share our principle of sustainable development. We work in partnerships across the public and private sectors to provide strong returns for our partners and grow the value of tourism to Scandinavia. Quality and sustainability are important to us in our choice of partners, and by buying services from smaller, local players we want to contribute to reducing monopoly situations. 

 

Year-round tourism

Year-round tourism reduces overtourism and contributes to profitability and sustainable development at the destination. Traveling in the low season puts less pressure on local communities, and that’s why we have a strong focus on travel in autumn, winter, and spring too. Scandinavia is just as spectacular!

By choosing to travel in other months than peak season, you are providing accommodations, activity providers, attractions, and restaurants with opportunities for year-round employment, which also contributes to professionalism in travel.
 

Public transportation

By offering tours including public transport such as train, bus, and boats to individual travellers from all over the world, Authentic Scandinavia focuses on a more sustainable way of travelling. Not only does travelling by public transport reduce your carbon footprint, but you can also more easily stop for snacks or a cup of coffee when walking to the station or bus stop. This means that small businesses also benefit.
 

Digital transformation

With an increasing digitalization demand from customers, we are striving to become more digital and paperless. We are working on shifting our existing paper travel documents into digital documents. 

 

13 Simple tips for travelling more responsibly

How do you travel responsibly when travelling in another country? Becoming a responsible traveller is actually quite easy.  Find out how you can make responsible travel choices and have a positive impact on your next tour to Scandinavia. 

Read our tips on how to travel more responsibly.

 

 

Our Impact Model

 

With a conscientious and sustainable focus, we aspire to be Scandinavia’s most reliable and innovative travel provider. We will achieve this by simultaneously working on the three P principles:

 

People. To ensure that our operations benefit the company's employees as well as the community in which it conducts business. 

Planet. To select and create travel experiences that do not have any negative impact on our ecosystem.

Profit. To create employment, generating innovation, paying taxes, wealth creation, and support local travel enterprises by developing a stable year-round revenue stream.

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Sustainability Certification

With a unique position between customers and partners, we are aware of our responsibility to advocate for sustainable development and support experiences that benefit the destinations.

That is why we in 2021 have started on Travelife’s three-stage sustainability certification programme to become Travelife Certified. This is your insurance that we take our responsibility seriously. In June 2022 we reached stage two and are now a Travelife for Tour Operators Partner 🌿 This means we are one step closer to becoming certified.

 

A sustainable work environment

We have formed a sustainability team to become a more sustainable office. Upon leaving the office we always turn off lights, computers, printers, and other electronic devices. A year of home office has proven it is possible to work, more or less, paperless, and we have reduced the amount of printing significantly.

We have set up recycling bins for everything from aluminum cans and plastic bottles to paper products and compost, and we have exchanged the paper coffee filters for reusable coffee filters.

We are embracing renewable energy and have upgraded our energy tariff to include energy from renewable sources. We have also brought in plants to improve the indoor air quality and to bring some nature into the office environment.

 

Protecting nature

We support the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), a non-profit environmental organization, working to spread knowledge, chart environmental threats, propose solutions and influence politicians and authorities, both nationally and internationally.

Read more about their work here.

 

Sustainability Policy & Annual report

Our Policy calls to action to guide our sustainable development work and gives details as to what we intend to achieve.

Read our Sustainability Policy here

Download our 2023 Annual Sustainability Report

 

By the Authentic Scandinavia Team / Jan 21 2022

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