What do the SDG icons mean on the I-DEST website?

What does an accommodation provider do to reduce water consumption? How does a restaurant support local producers? What opportunities does a tourism provider offer for staff training, or how does an attraction contribute to preserving cultural heritage?

I-DEST aims to help you consider these aspects when planning your travels. The SDG icons displayed on location and service profiles, along with the “Sustainability Topics (SDG)” filter, assist with this.

The UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals – abbreviated as SDGs – provide a shared international framework for addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. Achieving them requires collaboration between governments, communities, businesses, and individuals. A tourism business does not achieve these global goals independently but can contribute to them through its operations and specific actions. Sustainable Development

I-DEST uses the SDGs to organise information provided by service providers and to support topic-based searches. The icons indicate which Sustainable Development Goal a specific action relates to and how it can contribute in that area.

Destinations and service providers can share information about their operations, services, and practices via the I-DEST questionnaire. The questions cover topics such as energy and water use, procurement, employment, accessibility, nature conservation, and collaboration with local communities. The questionnaire links these topics to SDGs, partly based on GSTC recommendations.

The displayed information is primarily based on self-reporting. Recording a response and linking it to an SDG does not constitute independent verification or confirm the effectiveness or extent of the action.

The examples below illustrate the connection between practices examined in the I-DEST questionnaire and the content of the Sustainable Development Goals. They do not imply that all listed actions are implemented at every location. When selecting a specific service, it is always worth reviewing the information provided on its profile.

An example is ensuring a living wage for employees. This can contribute to reducing poverty by supporting the livelihoods of workers and their families. The conditions of employment, not just the number of jobs, are crucial in this regard.A0

A restaurant, for instance, could source ingredients from local small-scale farmers, providing them with market opportunities. The connection here lies in supporting the income opportunities of agricultural smallholders and food production – not merely in the fact that the business serves food.

This could involve supporting local health or hygiene initiatives and implementing measures to prevent physical and mental overburdening of employees. The questionnaire thus considers not only guests but also the well-being of staff and the local community.

Examples include regular staff training or offering internships for local students. These opportunities can support the acquisition of professional knowledge, skills, and work experience.

Relevant practices include providing equal employment and advancement opportunities for women and men, including in leadership roles. Measures to prevent gender-based discrimination and harassment may also be related to this topic.

An accommodation provider, for example, might use water-saving showerheads, taps, or toilet flush systems. These solutions relate to improving water use efficiency. However, the specific extent of savings can only be determined with appropriate consumption data. POI admin profile

An example is the use of renewable energy and demonstrating what proportion of annual energy consumption it covers. Partial use of renewable energy does not mean the location's entire operation is based on renewable energy.

Employing local residents, supporting staff professional development, and ensuring fair working conditions are all linked to this goal. To understand the local economic role of tourism, it is important to consider not just the quantity of employment but also its quality.A0

An example could be supporting a local infrastructure development initiative that benefits the community. The connection here lies in participating in or supporting the specific development, not merely in the existence of the provider's building or technical equipment.A0

This could involve providing access and information for guests with disabilities or other specific needs, as well as ensuring non-discriminatory hospitality. When planning a trip, it is important to understand the specific options available: a single accessibility solution does not mean the location is fully accessible for everyone.

Supporting the preservation of historic buildings, cultural sites, and local traditions can be linked to this goal. It is also important that tourism use does not hinder local residents' access to their own cultural values.A0

A hospitality venue, for example, could measure the amount of food waste it generates and implement procedures to reduce it. Preventing waste, reusing materials, and using resources more thoughtfully are key areas of this topic.A0

An example is assessing significant greenhouse gas emissions from operations and introducing measures to reduce them. Calculating emissions alone does not equate to reducing them, and linking to an SDG does not confirm the service's climate neutrality.

An example could be a hospitality venue not offering food sourced from endangered marine species. This procurement practice relates to protecting marine life. SDG 14 specifically addresses oceans, seas, and marine resources: not all water-related actions automatically fall under this goal.

Using native plant species in landscaping and implementing measures to prevent the spread of invasive species can be linked to this goal. In such cases, the profile provides information about specific practices for managing the natural environment.

Examples include introducing policies against exploitation and harassment and operating a system for handling employee complaints. These practices relate to protecting human dignity, enabling issues to be reported, and promoting responsible organisational behaviour.

A service provider might participate in destination tourism planning and joint sustainability initiatives. A museum could collaborate with other institutions or communities on related programmes. The key is cooperation for a shared goal, not merely listing organisational memberships.A0

Select the topics that matter to you during your travels. The filter helps you discover locations and services whose profiles include information related to those topics.

Among the results, it is worth reading exactly what actions the provider has reported and what details they have shared about them. An icon alone does not indicate the scope, timeframe, or outcomes of a specific practice.

The filter is not a sustainability ranking. More icons do not automatically mean a provider operates more sustainably than another. Similarly, the absence of an icon does not prove that no related actions exist at the location: the information may simply be incomplete.

The I-DEST SDG icons indicate the thematic connection of reported actions. They are not sustainability certifications, quality labels, or evaluations of the provider's overall operations.

The icons do not confirm the extent of contribution, the achievement of global goals, or that using the service has an overall positive environmental or social impact. Self-reported information and independent certification are different types of information; one does not replace the other.

Demonstrating compliance with legal obligations does not constitute special additional performance or recognition. The use of SDG icons does not imply UN endorsement, UN certification, or a recommendation by the UN.

Our aim is to help you consider more aspects in your travel decisions by learning about specific actions.