The Integrated Strategy of Territorial Development of Coimbra Region is a regional development strategy that includes tourism as a key development axis. Within this priority axis, the main objective is to transform the traditional tourism model, making the region a more sustainable destination by promoting the reduction of the carbon footprint in the regional tourism value chain.

To achieve this goal, this policy instrument (PI) establishes as a domain of intervention the “promotion of innovation projects within the field of tourism that favour the emergence of new business models, solutions and products that are sustainable, intelligent and that connect resources and people”.

For the Tourism4SDG project, the strategic actions defined in the tourism strategic axis particularly relevant are:

• The strategic planning for sustainable tourism.
• The monitoring and evaluating tourism activity in the Coimbra Region in a strategic and sustainable way.

Furthermore, the PI as a whole promotes the alignment of the actions to be taken with the achievement of the SDGs, highlighting SDG 12 and SDG 8 as the core concerns of Tourism4SDG project.

Because tourism is a major sector of cross-border cooperation between Castilla y Leon (CyL) and Portugal, the policy instrument (PI) aims to foster this sector by enhancing cross-border tourism and leveraging the synergies between these 2 regions.

Under priority P4.B (Culture and Tourism), the PI will address Specific Objective 4.VI (SO4) through interregional, cross-border, and transnational actions. The PI emphasises that the cross-border area of CyL “has a great wealth of cultural, ethnographic, landscape, and environmental heritage, and enhancing and maintaining it is essential for the economic development of the border villages, that’s why the new programme will be oriented towards the type of actions aimed at protection, development and promotion of cultural and natural heritage, and other tourism resources in the cross-border area from a sustainable perspective”.

Moreover, the PI includes the possibility of funding sustainable cross-border cooperation in tourism projects. SDG 12 is identified as a key objective for the PI, alongside SDG 8.

Additionally, the PI previews a specific follow-up committee to ensure the accomplishment of the anticipated results, including the tourism sustainability achieved through the PI funding.

The programme of Tourism Development in Lubelskie Voivodship, adopted in 2016, addresses one of the main challenges identified in the Lubelskie Regional Development Strategy: the need to develop competitive edges by leveraging the region’s innovation, social, and intellectual capital.

The policy instrument (PI) considers the impact of dynamic cultural, social, and political changes on the tourism sector. It lays down the operational framework for tourism in the Lubelskie Region and defines the main marketing idea and its exploitation strategies. This strategy is a dynamic document committed to building a strong and evolving tourism sector with a perspective towards 2030.

The PI aims to inspire tourism development through cooperation and innovation, with a special focus on preserving regional nature, cultural heritage, and the lifestyle of residents, thereby promoting sustainability. The programme also includes a monitoring system based on performance indicators, including the Regional Territorial Observatory.

Three specific objectives of the PI relevant for achieving and measuring tourism sustainability are:

1. To assure an efficient and effective ecosystem of development of the tourism activity/tourism sector.
2. To develop an accessible tourist space.
3. To position Lubelskie as a “low-travel” region.

The Sustainable Urban Development Strategy (SUDS) and its annexes serve as the main policy instrument, defining the framework for the use of financial resources allocated to the City of Nyíregyháza from the Territorial and Settlement Development Operational Programme Plus. This framework aligns with Article 11 of the Regulations on the ERDF (1301/2013/EU), which addresses sustainable urban development. A central element of Article 11 is the integration of sustainable urban development strategies to tackle economic, environmental, climatic, demographic, and social challenges. The strategies outline development directions and necessary interventions.

Following Government decision 1658/2021, a budget of EUR 130 million was allocated to Nyíregyháza. To use these funds efficiently, developing a SUDS is mandatory. The methodology requires several innovative approaches (resilience and adaptability of cities as a key aspect of long-term development; green and digital transition; participation through surveys among the population and institutions), all focused on achieving local sustainability.

These approaches should also be applied to tourism, specifically addressing thematic objective S5 (out of 7): “Vibrant cultural life, recreational opportunities, developed tourism”.

The Plan "Destination Marketing This is Parkstad" was developed as a tool to implement the shared vision for tourism development among the municipalities in the City Region of Parkstad. This vision aims to steer the sector towards a regenerative and GREEN tourist destination.

The vision is to “positively influence the development of tourism towards a regenerative and GREEN destination, where rural and urban qualities are in balance, where all actors related to tourism cooperate, and where the local residents are involved in both the planning of the vision and its execution”. In alignment with this vision, the policy instrument (PI) focus on the following central objectives related to tourism sustainability:

• Assisting the neighbouring Hill Country by directing day-tourists from the Hill Country to Parkstad to decrease over-tourism in the Hill Country
• Enhancing the awareness and image of the Parkstad region based on its authentic identity
• Increasing tourist-recreational spending to promote the local economy
• Transforming residents into ambassadors for the region
• Improving the quality of life for residents by connecting them with and informing them about the recreational opportunities in Parkstad. This makes the "living area" of residents larger, helping them better appreciate their surroundings.

Regional agreements related to the PI implementation include monitoring mechanisms that serve as tools for assessing tourism sustainability.

In the context of renewed tourism activity and profound sector transformations—marked by new expectations from tourists and a greater focus on sustainable development—the La Rochelle Urban Community has adopted its sustainable tourism strategy, titled ‘Strategy for Balanced Tourism 2023-2030’, supported by the La Rochelle Zero Carbon Territory project. The overarching ambition is to establish La Rochelle as a sustainable and responsible coastal tourism destination at the European level, grounded in the region’s values: tourism that is intentional, meaningful, beneficial to all, and resource-friendly (considering water and biodiversity issues and the living environment).

Achieving this ambition requires the development of observation tools and sustainable performance indicators that are no longer only quantitative but qualitative, including the environmental and carbon impacts of the sector as well as the quality and satisfaction of visitors and residents. This aspect was particularly emphasised by the citizen consultation conducted for 2 months in early 2022, as part of the update of the 'La Rochelle Agglo 2040' territory project. The objective is to continue benefiting from the economic dynamism generated by the attractiveness of the region's tourist industry while better balancing it to mitigate the effects of mass tourism. To achieve this objective, an efficient observatory is needed to enhance the management of tourism policies.

The National Industrial Policy Guidelines 2021-2027 (NIP) is a medium-term policy planning document covering all sectors of the economy and setting goals and courses of action to promote economic growth for the next seven years, both domestically and internationally. Adopted on February 16, 2021, the responsible authority for the implementation of these Guidelines is the Ministry of the Economy, in cooperation with all line ministries that share the responsibility for ensuring the implementation of the tasks set out in the Guidelines. The objective of the NIP is to increase the volume of exports to €22 billion in 2023 and to €27 billion in 2027.

Continuing the path started in the last programming period, tourism remains one of Latvia’s economic and environmental priorities. Tourism is also addressed by the policy instrument (PI) as one of the dimensions of urban-rural interaction.

Sustainability is a transversal factor introduced in the PI and guided by the Latvian Sustainable Development Strategy until 2030. It is part of the vision established by the PI, which presents an “integrated view of the country's balanced and sustainable development”.

The development strategy is an agreement among the 8 local governments of the county and partner organisations, drawn up under the coordination of the Association of Municipalities of Tartu County. The basic principles of the strategy are co-creation, innovation, and a sustainable way of thinking.

Desired state: Tartu County aims to be smart and adaptive, moving towards climate neutrality while ensuring good living conditions for people and valuing biodiversity for all wildlife, considering both climate change and social development.
Sustainable tourism development is an important part of the policy instrument (PI). Its relevance is outlined in its various areas of action, including:

• Encouraging cultural tourism based on local heritage and distinctive stories, as well as cluster-based development of cultural journeys.
• Development of sustainable tourism and marketing Tartu County as a sustainable tourist destination, including participation in international Green Destinations competitions.
• Development of recreation areas that integrate tourism business and a good living environment.

The PI includes a monitoring system to follow up on its implementation, as well as an analysis of its contribution to the SDG.