Tackling guest behaviour and waste in tourism (DK)

While many tourism businesses on Funen are making sustainability efforts behind the scenes, guests often don’t notice them. As a result, they don’t change their behaviour. At hotels, attractions and campsites, waste sorting is often inconsistent or unclear, and well-intended sustainability choices go unnoticed.

This creates a disconnect: visitors say they want to travel sustainably, but their actions don’t always reflect that. Destination Fyn wants to close this gap by making sustainability visible, intuitive and part of the guest experience. The goal is to lead by example in responsible tourism in Denmark.

This pilot focuses on turning sustainability from something internal into something that guests see and act on. It aims to:

• Influence guest behaviour through simple design and nudging
• Improve how waste is handled in tourism businesses
• Make sustainable choices visible, accessible and easy
• Support small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, even if they do not have formal sustainability labels

The challenge is urgent. As long as sustainable practices remain invisible, their impact will remain limited. If guests are not guided to act sustainably, even the best systems will fall short.

Important steps have already been taken:

• A shared sustainability vision was developed through a regional Theory of Change process
• A Sustainability Barometer mapped out key issues and opportunities
• Workshops in behavioural design helped tourism businesses rethink how guests engage with sustainability
• A business development programme was launched, including:
  • Field visits and baseline/effect measurements
  • Contribution to a barrier-mapping framework and a national sustainability toolbox coordinated by project partners
  • Collaboration with expert consultants in behaviour, circular economy and guest experience

The next phase is focused on testing real-world interventions and learning from them.

The pilot is led by Destination Fyn, in collaboration with:

• The ten municipalities on the island
• Aalborg University (Theory of Change and evaluation)
• Transition, Behave Green and TripDoodler (expert advisors)
• Local NGOs including the UNESCO Geopark The South Funen Archipelago and Little Belt Nature Park
• A wide range of tourism SMEs and Visit organisations

Using the 3ST Theory of Change method, partners connect strategic planning, guest-focused interventions and continuous learning. The emphasis is on letting guests see and experience sustainability in action.

• Guest-focused pilot projects on waste and behaviour
• A regional climate action plan for tourism, supported by a data dashboard
• A toolbox, idea catalogue and guidebook for tourism actors
• Insights into which behaviour design methods are most effective
• A stronger and more visible sustainability identity for Funen

This pilot shows how even small changes in the guest experience can lead to bigger change across the sector.

Destination Fyn is leading this pilot. Please contact their organisation for more information or if you have any questions.