Turn sustainability into an experience! – The I-DEST game joins the European Sustainable Development Week programme

Tuesday, 25 August 2026 20:16

The European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) is a Europe-wide initiative aimed at showcasing, inspiring, and encouraging commitment to sustainable development. Centred around the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this series of events provides a unique platform each year for a diverse range of participants – from civil organisations and educational institutions to businesses and individual initiatives – to present their public events, green projects, and innovative ideas.

The week is not just about theoretical dialogue but also about active engagement: it highlights that there are practical, real solutions to the interconnected issues of economic growth, social justice, and environmental protection in everyday practice. Participants connect on an international level during this week to collectively reshape our consumption and travel habits, proving that solving global challenges begins with conscious steps taken locally.

What is the programme about?

The European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) was an initiative launched in 2015 by Austria, France, and Germany, supported by the European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN). The aim of the ESDW is to provide a platform and make exemplary commitments visible across Europe, raising public awareness about sustainable development, the UN's 2030 Agenda, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Everyone can contribute to making things better! The more people and organisations participate, the stronger the message we send together!

Since 2015, more than 50,000 events have been registered through the ESDW, involving tens of millions of participants!

Since 2016, events registered through the ESDW have been explicitly linked to the Sustainable Development Goals. This is a fantastic way to showcase what individual countries and Europe are doing to achieve these goals.

In this inspiring international environment, we are particularly proud to have officially joined this year's European Sustainable Development Week programme with our I-DEST Global Sustainability Challenges initiative. On the I-DEST blog, we regularly address responsible tourism, but now we are offering an interactive and entertaining opportunity where conscious decisions become real experiences.

The concept of the game is incredibly simple yet brilliant: during your travels and daily explorations, you can collect digital stamps and trophies for your environmentally conscious choices. Whether it's choosing restaurants that use local, seasonal ingredients, opting for plastic-free alternatives, staying at accommodations powered by renewable energy, or using community and micromobility options, every positive step is rewarded. The goal of the game is not about sacrifice but to help travellers make more sustainable decisions in a playful, fully digital way without unnecessary paper waste, while supporting local communities and responsible providers.

We warmly welcome all individual travellers, families, and explorers open to green solutions to join the challenge and collect digital stamps. Let's make sustainability an experience together and show that conscious travel is the most exciting adventure!

You can find the programme details on the European Sustainable Development Week website: I-DEST Global Sustainability Challenges Game – ESDN Details