Writer: Helena Bergström
This week we went to two events, both with a focus on Southern Europe and sustainability. First there was an evening at the Spanish embassy in Stockholm, and the next day there was breakfast at the Portuguese embassy. So what did they really have to say on the subject?
Sustainable inspiration for Spain
The Spanish Embassy is located on Djurgården in Stockholm, in a building with an incredibly beautiful interior. We were invited here to “celebrate sustainable stories about Spain”.
The Spanish Tourist Board today has a clear focus: instead of investing in greater tourist volume, it prioritizes more conscious and responsible travel, with three goals: disperse visitors to more destinations, encourage longer stays and increase the number of trips during the low season. As part of this, prizes will be awarded to sustainable stories about Spain.
The Swedish winner was Susanne Ytterskog, who received the prize for the report “Life in the country”published in Connoisseur on May 23, 2025. Two of the other nominated writers, our friend Christian Muda, are coming out Matochreseblogging and the writer Jörgen Ulvsgård, took part in a panel debate, professionally moderated by Linda Vismer.
So what was said then? They discussed, among other things, the possibilities of traveling in the low season and choosing local hotels and restaurants. There was also talk about the responsibility of writers and how it can sometimes be easier to talk about sustainable alternatives without using the word ‘sustainability’, as that word can sometimes be perceived as annoying.
At the same time, it was emphasized that it can become a dilemma if you consistently avoid the word, because it is easy to overlook how big and broad the topic of sustainability really is.
Sustainable inspiration for Portugal
The evening at the Spanish embassy ended with a chat and snacks, and the next morning it was time again… for breakfast at the Portuguese embassy on Drottninggatan in Stockholm. Representatives from Cascais, located on the coast outside Lisbon, were on site in Stockholm.
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Here too, sustainability was on the agenda, as tourist agency Visit Cascais focused on developing a digital tool that allows visitors to calculate the climate impact of their trip to Cascais while giving them the opportunity to contribute to local sustainable projects.
Personally, I might prefer the tool to feed back with tips on what choices I can make to travel more sustainably, but that may evolve over time. Either way, it’s clear that Europe’s southern destinations are now focusing on sustainability, and that feels promising.
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What do you think about (social, economic and environmental) sustainability and travel?
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