Trysil is rebranded with the Sustainable Destination Award for the third time

In Trysil, work has been done on a more sustainable development of the destination since 2010. They were among the first four destinations in Norway to be qualified for the Sustainable Destination Award in 2013. Now Trysil is rebranded for the third time, and is also the very first destination to deliver on the latest version of the standard, version 3.0, with updated measurements and plans for increased sustainability in tourism.

"The transformation from Norway's largest winter destination to an increasingly year-round destination has been positive both in terms of value creation and employment. The destination also refers to a broad interaction locally in this development work. The work and results should be an inspiration for other seasonal destinations," says Jan Erik Dietrichson, external controller for the labelling scheme.

Sustainability integrated into the tourism strategy

In Trysil, they see relabelling as "a pat on the back" for trying to address the key and important sustainability topics that companies, the municipality and the business community in general must address.

• Everyone in Trysil is concerned that we should have a sustainable development in tourism. Guests will not return to Trysil if they feel that we are compromising on the environment, nature or social values. And the companies will not survive if they are not financially viable, says Ida Dyreng, general manager of Destination Trysil. "In the new tourism strategy for 2030 , sustainability is well integrated and the measures in the plan are linked to the UN's sustainability goals.
  
  

Good cooperation is key

In a survey conducted by Trysil in May 2022, 75 percent of Trysil's population say that they are positive about the tourism development in the municipality. And as many as 94 percent believe that tourism is important in terms of jobs, business development and offers to the local community.

- It is good to see that 3 out of 4 people in Trysling are positive about the development of tourism. It gives us even more motivation to continue with a sustainable development of the destination," says Dyreng. "To succeed, we must continue with the good cooperation that we have at the destination, with involving processes and plans.

>> See also Trysil's sustainability report

"Pushing us in the right direction"

The companies in Trysil have also seen the value of a greater focus on sustainability. Today, 24 companies in Trysil are environmentally certified with the Eco-Lighthouse label, and 11 new ones are in the process of this certification.

- The sustainable destination label is not a prize for completed work. But it pushes us in the right direction and our sustainability work must always be in motion. Waste sorting in holiday homes is one of the points that Trysil has not been good enough at, but now there is fortunately a process for this as well. By Christmas, there will be source sorting from holiday homes throughout Trysilfjellet, says Dyreng.

Tourism is the largest industry in Trysil

The tourism industry in Trysil is particularly labour-intensive, where over 50 per cent of value creation and employment in Trysil municipality can be related to the tourism industry (report from Menon 2019). In order to succeed with sustainable development of the destination, it is important that the largest players also take responsibility. SkiStar's summer investment provides additional momentum in relation to year-round development, with important consequences such as increased value creation, year-round jobs and relocation.

"SkiStar has an ambitious sustainability strategy, where one of our goals is to halve our emissions by 2030. Over the past year, SkiStar Trysil has reduced its climate footprint by 492 tonnes of CO2, or 62 per cent. We have managed this, among other things, by investing in using biofuel in our vehicles. We will work to promote health and an active lifestyle, both for our guests and employees," says Gudrun Sanaker Lohne, Destination Manager at SkiStar Trysil.

SkiStar is also concerned with securing and safeguarding Trysil's carrying capacity, and ensuring a good balance between the capacity of lifts, restaurants and services and the number of guests visiting the destination. This is done in close collaboration with Trysil's other players, who are mainly responsible for the development of new beds.

- We have updated our master plan for development in the ski resort and are ready to take new steps in the development of memorable mountain experiences in Norway's largest ski resort, says Sanaker Lohne.

See also SkiStar's plans and visions until 2030

Read more about the Sustainable Destination label (Visit Norway's website)