Our journey towards a more sustainable Basel
Strategy for sustainable tourism development
Basel Tourism sees sustainability as a core component of the tourism strategy. Sustainability plays a key role in tourism’s successful development and in positioning Basel as a city for leisure and congresses. A sustainability strategy has been developed to coordinate sustainable development, support the industry and position Basel as a sustainable, urban city.
Our strategy pursues the following goals:
- encompassing a reduction in our environmental footprint
- an uptick in sustainable experiences
- the promotion of local value creation within the Basel region
- the positioning of the tourism industry as an attractive employer
- the establishment of high-quality tourism as a source of added value
- the building of bridges between cultures
- the promotion of Basel’s image as a sustainable city
Sustainability-related fields of action
Better work
Our aim: Basel Tourism integrates sustainability into its daily operations, reduces its environmental footprint and takes a clear social stance. Basel Tourism is a fair and attractive employer, committed to well-being, collaboration and equal opportunities. In addition, the organisation promotes regional value creation through sustainable procurement and souvenir offerings.
Sustainable partnerships
Our aim: Basel Tourism promotes collaboration along the tourism service chain – for holistic and sustainable development. Together with its partners, it increases the positive effects of tourism while reducing negative impacts and emissions. This approach strengthens Basel’s sustainable image and makes the city even more appealing to leisure, congress and trade fair visitors.
Better travel
Our aim: All guests feel welcome and comfortable in Basel. The authentic, inclusive and innovative offerings repeatedly ensure exhilarating “wow” moments. We make sustainability a tangible experience, offer guidance and inspire guests to make sustainable choices – during their visit and beyond.
Our vision
Basel is an inspiring, welcoming city that takes the economic, environmental and social needs of today and tomorrow into account in equal measure. Basel says “no” to mass tourism and strives to be a global role model for sustainable experiences.
Factsheets on strategy (only in German):
Certifications, programmes and rankings
Basel combines short distances with well-developed infrastructure. Its compact city centre, extensive tram and bus network and three railway stations make it easy to explore on foot, by bike or by public transport. Overnight guests can use buses and trams free of charge with the BaselCard within its area of validity. Around 230 public fountains, numerous green spaces and the Rhine also contribute to the city’s appeal.
Basel is taking action in other areas too. The canton of Basel-Stadt aims to achieve net zero direct greenhouse gas emissions by 2037. IWB supplies electricity from 100% renewable sources, and Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe aims to operate its entire bus fleet with vehicles that produce no exhaust emissions by the end of 2027. Basel’s Energiestadt Gold and Grünstadt Schweiz Gold awards also recognise its work on energy policy and urban green spaces.
Basel Tourism works with the city and canton, tourism businesses and other partners to build on these strengths and support sustainable tourism development. Certifications, programmes and rankings, including TourCert, Swisstainable and the Global Destination Sustainability Index, help make this work visible.
TourCert
TourCert awards certification for sustainability and corporate responsibility in tourism. Basel was certified as a destination under the TourCert standard in December 2024, making it the second Swiss city to receive internationally recognised sustainability certification. Certification commits Basel to pursuing sustainable tourism development and continuous improvement. The destination certification is valid for three years.
tourcert.org
Swisstainable Destination Level III
Basel is classified as a Swisstainable Destination at Level III – leading, the highest level of Switzerland’s Swisstainable sustainability programme. By participating, Basel commits to embedding sustainability in its tourism strategy and taking concrete steps to develop it further. Basel Tourism works closely with the canton and local partner businesses.
stnet.ch
Global Destination Sustainability Index
The Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) assesses tourism destinations across four areas: environmental performance, social performance, tourism suppliers and destination management.Basel participates in the GDS-Index to support continuous improvement in its sustainability performance and benchmark its progress internationally. In the 2025 ranking, Basel placed 22nd, putting it among the top 25 participating destinations worldwide.
stnet.ch
Swisstainable Level III
Basel Tourism participates in the Swisstainable programme and is classified at Level III – leading. This classification was achieved through TourCert sustainability certification. It reflects Basel Tourism’s commitment to sustainable business management and continuous improvement.
stnet.chCertification (only in German):
OK:GO initiative
Basel Tourism is participating in OK:GO. This nationwide initiative aims to make information on the accessibility of tourist offers available to the public. By taking part, the Tourist Information provides details about its accessibility and helps guests plan their stay according to their needs.
ok-go.org
Wasser für Wasser (Water for Water)
Basel Tourism is working with WASSER FÜR WASSER (WfW) to encourage the sustainable use of water – a valuable resource. As an official WfW partner, we support the organisation’s work to improve access to water, sanitation and vocational training in Zambia and Mozambique, as well as its efforts to promote tap water consumption in Switzerland.
wfw.ch
Cause We Care
When booking online, guests can make a small voluntary contribution to climate protection and sustainability. As a member of «Cause We Care», Basel Tourism doubles every contribution. The funds support local climate protection measures and a climate protection project in Uganda.
causewecare.ch
Tips for our partners
Here, you can discover useful guides, handy tips and links, and important documents to help you make your business sustainable.
Food Save Basel-Stadt
With the “Food Save Basel-Stadt” programme, the canton of Basel-Stadt helps all manner of food-related businesses in the canton (e.g. restaurants, hotels and bakeries) to reduce their food waste.
Sustainability platform for tourism
The sustainability platform bundles together knowledge on sustainability for the tourism sector and gives businesses and experts opportunities to network with each other.
Here is a selection of local initiatives and projects that encourage tourism businesses to become even more sustainable. The list will be updated on an ongoing basis.
Tips (only in German):
Reports
Dashboard 2025.
More and more tourism businesses are joining the Swisstainable sustainability programme and working on sustainability topics and concrete measures. The dashboard shows the current number of participating tourism businesses classified at each of the programme’s three levels.
Sustainability Reports (only in German):
