Sustainability development in Ticino tourism

Strategy, projects and partnerships

Sustainability is no longer a niche issue. Politicians, the economy and consumers have realised that in the future everyone will be called upon to use resources responsibly. To this end, the United Nations has outlined the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 overarching goals for the development of sustainability. In turn, the Swiss Federal Council has committed itself to making Switzerland climate-neutral by 2050, assigning sustainability a central role in the new tourism strategy

Discover the strategy, projects and collaborations through which Ticino Turismo integrates environmental, social and economic aspects into its organisational management and tourism development.

Strategy destination Ticino

Ticino Turismo's awards

Partner Compass

Sustainability Reports

From the Sustainability Roadmap to the Destination Strategy

The sustainability strategy for the Ticino destination was developed through the Sustainability Roadmap, a regional economic development project promoted by Ticino Turismo and the four Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs), with the support of the Office for Economic Development of the Department of Finance and Economy (DFE) and in collaboration with Quantis. Based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the strategy is structured around five pillars: Climate and Nature, Mobility, Territory and Identity, People and Governance. For each pillar, objectives and actions with a 2030 horizon have been defined to guide the activities of Ticino Turismo and the RTOs in support of the destination’s tourism development.

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A regional economic policy project with the support of the Economic Development Office

In collaboration with




The Ticino Sustainability House

The five pillars and objectives of Ticino’s sustainability strategy towards 2030

  • Pillar: Climate and Nature

    • Recycling and waste management
      Reducing waste and ensuring its appropriate management are key issues for Ticino’s tourism sector. In cooperation with partners and tourism operators, Ticino Turismo promotes measures aimed at limiting single-use materials, supporting separate waste collection and improving resource management in tourism establishments. The progressive digitalisation of services and information tools also helps reduce the use of paper and printed materials, while making travel information easier for guests to access.

      Best practice: For several years, Ticino Turismo has prioritised local products in its Welcome Kit for journalists and tourism professionals, replacing disposable promotional items. The selection includes, for example, honey produced by Ticino beekeepers, biscuits and sweet specialities bearing the Slow Food Ticino label, as well as other products made by local businesses and artisans. The promotional items retained in the selection are made from recycled materials.

  • Pillar: Mobility

    • Encouraging public transport
      Ticino has a public transport network that makes it possible to reach the entire canton. More than 10 public transport companies operate across a network extending over 1,500 kilometres, allowing guests to travel between towns, valleys, lakes and mountains and to plan their journeys during their stay using public transport.

      Best practice: Ticino Ticket

      Guests staying at one of more than 500 partner accommodation establishments, including hotels, hostels and campsites in the Canton of Ticino, can use public transport free of charge throughout their stay and benefit from discounts at more than 170 tourist attractions. Ticino Ticket is also available digitally and can be activated directly on a smartphone.

  • Pillar: territory and identity

    • Promoting local products and traditions
      Ticino’s culinary, agricultural and cultural heritage is an integral part of the region’s identity. Through collaboration with producers, farms, wineries, dairies and tourism operators, experiences are developed that enable guests to discover the region through its traditions, flavours and the expertise of the people who work there.

      Best practice: The Ticino a Tavola initiative, coordinated by GastroTicino, brings together almost 100 restaurants that feature Ticino ingredients and products in their culinary offerings, helping to promote the canton’s agri-food supply chain.

      Another example is Agriesperienze: guided visits to authentic local farms, wineries and dairies, developed to showcase Ticino’s rural heritage. Developed in collaboration with the Centro di Competenze Agroalimentari Ticino (CCCAT) and the Guide della Svizzera Italiana (Guide SI), the project received the Global Best of Wine Tourism 2025 award.

  • Pillar: people

    • Accessibility and inclusion
      An accessible tourism offering depends on the availability of clear information and services that take different needs into account. Ticino promotes initiatives that help guests prepare for their stay by providing detailed information on the accessibility of accommodation, attractions, routes and tourism services.

      Best practice: Ticino Turismo works with the OK:GO project and the Claire & George Foundation to improve the availability of information on the accessibility of Ticino’s tourism offering. By participating in the Accessible Tour of Switzerland project with the tour Palms & Panoramas, Ticino helps promote a more accessible tourism offering and facilitates travel planning and exploration of the region for people with specific mobility and assistance needs.

  • Pillar: Governance

    • Stakeholder engagement
      Tourism development requires cooperation between tourism organisations, accommodation establishments, restaurants, attractions and trade associations. Ticino Turismo therefore provides practical tools, information activities and supporting materials for tourism operators wishing to explore sustainability topics and identify measures applicable to their own activities.

      Best practice: Ticino Turismo has developed a sustainability portal that brings together practical resources for tourism operators. These include sector-specific guides for Accommodation, Gastronomy and Attractions, as well as a list of good practices (available in Italian only) intended to help partners identify concrete measures and prepare for participation in the Swisstainable programme.

Our local partners' commitment

Ticino Turismo's awards

Swisstainable Level II - engaged


Swisstainable is the Swiss tourism sustainability programme and is structured into three levels that support businesses and organisations in integrating environmental, social and economic aspects into their activities.

Since 2021, Ticino Turismo has been part of the programme and is classified at Level II – engaged. The renewal of the classification is based on initiatives developed in the social sphere through collaboration with the Claire & George Foundation, and in the climate sphere through the annual monitoring of the organisation's carbon footprint with ClimatePartner according to the GHG Protocol and the five-step Climate Action process. Activities and results are also reported annually in the Simplified Sustainability Report, published to ensure transparency and accountability.



Declaration of conformity


The Chamber of Commerce of the Canton of Ticino (CC-Ti), in collaboration with SUPSI and the Department of Finance and Economy (DFE), has developed a simplified sustainability reporting model that evaluates an organisation’s environmental, social and economic performance.

Ticino Turismo’s 2024 simplified sustainability report was declared compliant by the CC-Ti, achieving 29 out of 30 points, equivalent to the highest rating provided for by the methodology. This result confirms the almost complete fulfilment of the environmental, social and economic indicators assessed by the model.



ClimatePartner


ClimatePartner is an international company specializing in climate protection. It supports companies and individuals in calculating, reducing, and offsetting CO₂ emissions, integrating sustainability into business strategies. Through certified projects such as reforestation, renewable energy, and clean technologies, it contributes to environmental protection.

Since 2019, Ticino Turismo has been actively committed to climate protection by calculating its corporate carbon footprint annually. For 2024, the footprint analysis was conducted in collaboration with ClimatePartner and revealed a total of 92.91 tonnes of CO₂ generated by the organization’s activities. The five-step climate action approach is explained on the dedicated website.



Claire & George


Claire & George is a key reference point in Switzerland for accessible holidays and supports guests in planning stays tailored to specific needs related to mobility, assistance or support.

Since 2022, Ticino Turismo has been collaborating with the Claire & George Foundation to promote more accessible and barrier-free tourism in Ticino. The partnership, initially launched together with the regional tourism organisations Ascona-Locarno and Lugano Region, has been renewed for the period 2026-2029 and expanded with the participation of Mendrisiotto Turismo. This collaboration strengthens the joint commitment to making Ticino’s tourism offer more inclusive, more visible and easier to access.

In the dedicated section of its website, Ticino Turismo promotes the initiative and gathers information on the accessibility of accommodation, transport and services, as well as on local partners committed to accessibility.



Accessible Tour of Switzerland


Ticino Turismo participates in the Accessible Tour of Switzerland, a national project developed with the support of Innotour and promoted by the Claire & George Foundation together with Switzerland Tourism and other Swiss tourism destinations, including Ascona-Locarno and Lugano Region. The initiative makes it possible to discover Switzerland without barriers, thanks to accessible itineraries, suitable transport, selected accommodation and personalised support services.

With the tour “Palms & Panorama”, Ticino contributes to promoting a more inclusive and welcoming tourism offer, making it easier to plan trips designed for people with specific mobility and assistance needs.

Discover “Palms & Panorama” and the full tour.



OK:GO


The OK GO initiative helps tourism operators in Switzerland to register and publish information on the accessibility of their offers and services. This is intended to facilitate travel planning for people with disabilities, the elderly and parents with prams.

Through the Ginto APP, OK:GO allows users to view all the necessary information.