SDGs, Environmental Policy Integration, and Tourism in Canada

Environmental policy integration (EPI) is put forth as a potential tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and transitioning to a more sustainable global community. Tourism is one sector that consists of multiple industries and has a high potential to achieve these goals. Examining local, provincial, and federal tourism policies, as well as undertaking in-depth interviews, this research sought to determine to what extent the SDGs are integrated into different levels of Canadian tourism policy and strategy using the framework of EPI to determine inclusion, consistency, weighting, resources, and reporting. Findings show that although there is a greater inclusion and consistency of elements relating to the SDGs at all levels of government, there is a general lack of specific mentions of the goals and even less weighting, consistency, and reporting. Implications of this research outline that a more concerted horizontal and vertical approach is needed across policy sectors as well as all levels of government.