Regulations and project evaluation criteria for the Skal Europe Sustainable Tourism Awards

Eligibility to participation

1. Projects must have a clear sustainability setup that follows the lines of the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
2. Every Skal member from a Club that is within the Skal Europe Area Committee has the right to participate. If a non-Skal member wishes to participate, then he/she must enrol first in a Club.
3. Projects must be endorsed by at least one Skal Club. More, and higher (i.e.: national committee, area committee, official government tourism organizations) endorsements will assign extra points.
4. Previous awards to the project (i.e.: club, national committee) will automatically grant extra points.
5. Projects must relate to existing activities, already in operation or, at least, officially at the startup level.
6. Projects are presented by members and relate to any of their activities, not necessarily the one that is entered in the database of SI.
7. Projects must be submitted within the published deadline.

Subject of project

The submitted project must relate to one or more of the following topics:

Economy
Supported by a prosperous environment and society, the SDGs from an economic point of view focused on industry, innovation and infrastructure, the reduction of inequality, responsible consumption, and production; decent work and growth disassociated from environmental deterioration.

Society
Social development is impossible if the environment is harmed, and natural resources become scarce. Thus, the SDGs associated with clean energy, the eradication of poverty and hunger, peace and justice, sustainable cities, education, gender equality and health, serve as a foundation for goals that are financial in nature.

Environment
A healthy environment is an essential starting point for promoting social justice and economic development. If we fail to meet the targets regarding clean water and sanitation, marine life, life on land and climate action, we will never achieve the other higher objectives.

Structure of the project

1. Every project must be submitted using the format of SI sustainability awards. The model is published on the Skal Europe website at this link: https://www.skaleurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SI-sustainable-development-form.pdf
2. Every field should be filled in to demonstrate the proper sustainable approach of the participating project.
3. The final evaluation will assign points for each of the following fields of the form:
   1. ENVIRONMENT
      1. Nature preservation * (Maximum 700 words)
      1. Animal welfare and preservation (When applicable) (Maximum 700 words)
      1. Carbon offsetting and climate change mitigation * (Maximum 700 words)
      1. Energy, water saving, renewable energy, waste management * (Maximum 700 words)
   1. SOCIAL
      1. Culture preservation * (Maximum 700 words)
      1. Local community involvement * (Maximum 700 words)
      1. Human rights protection * (Maximum 700 words)
      1. Health and safety for employees and guests * (Maximum 700 words)
   1. ECONOMIC
      1. Local employment * (Maximum 700 words)
      1. Employee participation and training * (Maximum 700 words)
      1. The economic viability of the business * (Maximum 700 words)
      1. Marketing and brand enhancement * (Maximum 700 words)
   1. VIDEO
      Please provide a video link (preferably on Youtube) showing the sustainable initiatives.

Evaluation points

The evaluation fields can obtain the following points:

• 0: field not filled in
• 1: field filled in but not relating directly to any SDG
• 2: field filled in, relating to a specific SDG, but the company must abide due to local laws, rules, and regulations
• 3: field filled in, relating to a specific SDG, the company applies the initiative without any legal obligation
• 4: field filled in, relating to a specific SDG, the company applies the initiative without any legal obligation and with an outstanding result

The bonus points include:

• 1 point for each Club endorsement
• 1 point for each National or Area Committee endorsement
• 2 points for an official endorsement from an official National Tourism entity
• 3 points if the initiative, voluntarily, has an official sustainability certification (i.e.: EU EcoLabel, EU Flower, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, GSTC, Cornell ESG)
• 1 point for each previous Skal award to the project (Club, National, Continental)

Award assignment

Awards will be officially announced at the Skal Europe General Assembly and will receive the prize.

All participants will have a dedicated page on the Skal Europe website with a full presentation of the project.

All winners will get extra coverage (i.e.: interviews, participation in webinars, and presentations) that will be published on all the Skal Europe communication channels.