Sustainable Tourism in Miskolc

Miskolc has the unique advantage of seamlessly combining urban life, rich cultural heritage, and the natural environment of the Bükk. The development concept "Miskolc, the City of the Bükk" aims to build on these values to create a more liveable, attractive, and sustainable city that generates value for both residents and visitors.

Miskolc is a selected participant in the European Union's mission for climate-neutral and smart cities. The city's climate-neutrality plans have been recognised by the European Commission with the EU Mission Label. Tourism can contribute to achieving urban climate goals through environmentally friendly transport, the protection of natural resources, and the development of sustainable tourism services.

• Preserving the Natural Values of the Bükk

The natural environment is the foundation of Miskolc's tourism appeal. A key goal is to protect forests, habitats, and landscape values, responsibly develop nature-based tourism, and strengthen visitors' environmental awareness.

• A Climate-Conscious and Liveable Tourist Destination

Aligned with the city's climate-neutrality efforts, it is important to promote public transport, walking, and cycling tourism, encourage efficient energy use, reduce waste, and spread environmentally friendly tourism solutions.

• Cultural Heritage and Local Communities

Sustainable tourism in Miskolc is built on preserving cultural heritage, local traditions, the gastronomic treasures of the Bükk, and collaboration with local businesses. The aim is for local communities to benefit from the economic and social advantages of tourism.

The Miskolc Pass tourist card is a practical implementation of the "Smart & Green" approach. The modern QR code-based system can be used entirely digitally, eliminating the need for plastic cards or printed tickets. One of the card's key sustainability benefits is that it provides unlimited and free travel on Miskolc's local bus and tram services during its validity period, encouraging visitors to reduce car usage. Additionally, it offers access and discounts to the city's tourist attractions while aiding navigation with digital tools. The Miskolc Pass simultaneously enhances the convenience of city visits, reduces environmental impact, and strengthens the local tourism economy.

Sustainable tourism is not a one-off achievement but a continuous process of development. With the help of I-DEST, Miskolc can monitor its achievements, identify areas for improvement, and increasingly incorporate measurable data into tourism decisions.

The diagrams in the report automatically reflect changes in the data available in the I-DEST system, ensuring visitors can always access the latest results.

Data source: I-DEST – Miskolc's destination sustainability self-assessment and monitoring system.

On the VisitMiskolc website, you can search for attractions, accommodations, dining options, and programmes based on sustainability topics that matter to you. The "Sustainability Topics (SDG)" filter helps you navigate information related to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals: for example, you can select topics related to water conservation, supporting the local economy, equality, or preserving natural and cultural values. The results highlight locations and services where information about measures or practices related to the selected goal is available on their profile. The data comes from information provided by service providers and their responses to a sustainability self-assessment questionnaire, which are recorded by the providers or editors authorised to manage profiles in the I-DEST system behind VisitMiskolc. The system links these responses to predefined SDG topics. For instance, the use of water-saving devices, sourcing from local producers, or supporting heritage conservation initiatives can all become searchable criteria. A business does not achieve a global goal independently with these steps but can contribute to its realisation.

The filters and SDG icons displayed on profiles provide thematic information, not sustainability certification: they do not represent independent certification or UN approval and do not, on their own, verify the impact or effectiveness of measures. Therefore, when planning your trip, it is worth reading the specific information behind the icons: what measures the provider has reported and the scope of their application. Multiple icons do not automatically indicate more sustainable operations, and the absence of an icon may simply reflect missing data. The goal is to help you explore the offerings from multiple perspectives and plan your Miskolc experiences based on your interests and needs.