An important step in the long-term work towards more sustainable tourism development
In 2025, Nordfjord received the Sustainable Destination label, a national certification scheme owned by Innovation Norway. The label is a mark of quality for destinations that work systematically and long-term with sustainable development. Receiving the label does not mean that Nordfjord is “fully sustainable”. It means that the destination has documented targeted efforts and committed to continuous development and improvement.
The work includes, among other things, reducing negative climate and environmental impacts, safeguarding biodiversity and cultural heritage, strengthening local value creation, and ensuring that tourism development takes place in a good balance with the needs of local communities. Since Nordfjord is a major cruise destination, dedicated criteria for cruise tourism are also included in the work, in addition to the other criteria and indicators in the certification scheme.
A joint effort
The certification scheme is a tool for planning, implementing, and measuring tourism development over time. Visit Nordfjord collaborates with the municipalities, the port companies, tourism businesses, and other stakeholders in the region on this work. Tourism creates jobs, activity, and local value creation in Nordfjord. At the same time, travel activity can lead to greenhouse gas emissions and pressure on nature, cultural environments, and local communities. Therefore, sustainable destination development is about finding a good balance between visitors, value creation, and consideration for the places we live and the nature around us.
Good visitor management is an important part of this work. The goal is not only more guests, but to create the greatest possible positive value for local communities, while ensuring that guests have great experiences.
The label is not the finish line
The work does not stop once the label is in place. Destinations in the certification scheme must be able to demonstrate further development and improvement when they are recertified every three years. For Nordfjord, this means that work on, among other things, climate and the environment, visitor management, local value creation, collaboration with the industry and residents will continue.
Sustainable destination development is long-term work. New challenges, technology, travel patterns, and needs in local communities will change over time. Therefore, the way we develop Nordfjord as a destination must also be in continuous development. Visit Nordfjord works closely with the municipalities, the port companies, the local community, and member businesses to ensure a long-term commitment to sustainable development, with the aim of certification early in 2025.
The goal is for Nordfjord to be a great place to live, visit, and run a business – also in the future.
The work to increase sustainability in tourism is an ongoing process where new challenges, dilemmas, and strategic choices will arise. Technology, the tourism industry, local communities, and guests are constantly changing. The tourism value chain consists of many actors who have a clear responsibility for their own operations, but there is also a need for a coordinated approach to the destination’s development, especially in areas that fall between the individual actors’ responsibilities. Joint development will both reduce tourism’s negative impact on the environment and local communities, and increase the destination’s attractiveness as a place to visit.
This is something we will achieve together, and it is crucial for our success and competitiveness. Work on sustainability in tourism is long-term and continuous, and the goal is to create real improvements over time.
Read more about the work on sustainable tourism in Nordfjord and how you can act considerately when you visit Nordfjord.
Annual action plans:
Action plan 2025
Annual briefings
Sustainability briefing 2025 Nordfjord municipalities
Annual Kick Off for member businesses
Contact Benedicte Willand Elsrud at Visit Nordfjord if you have questions or input on the work on sustainable destination and tourism development.