Rauland wishes to become more sustainable and is now a sustainable destination.
Rauland and Vinje, together with the other Vest-Telemark municipalities, were awarded the "Mark for sustainable destination" by Innovation Norway on 13 September.
The labeling scheme is both a certification and a structured work process. Central to the scheme is a standard that must be met. The aim of the "Mark for sustainable destination" is to facilitate that destination companies, municipalities and others who make up the destination management of a destination, can together plan, implement, measure, improve and communicate the work they do for a more sustainable tourism.
The label is a tool for improving the climate and environment, but it in no way means that the destination is sustainable in all areas as of today, but that the destination must work to become more sustainable, by taking necessary and sustainable measures, to leave behind smaller footprint. An important part of sustainable development is that if business is to survive in the future, it must be economically viable. In parallel with the assessment process, we in Rauland, together with the other two destination companies in the municipality, have drawn up a new tourism strategy for Vinje.
Sustainability is well integrated into this strategy and the plan is linked to the UN's sustainability goals.
You can read the strategy here.
Tourism has been, is and will be a main industry in Vinje. The investment in the tourism industry has provided and continues to provide a basis for tourism businesses and jobs in other industries. A report on the ripple effects of tourism in Vinje from 2016 shows that the tourism-related turnover in Vinje contributed to a value creation of NOK 255 million in the municipality, or 32 per cent of total value creation. The same report showed that tourism formed the basis for around 410 jobs in the municipality (Source: Menon Economics).
