Looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic, many parts of the world accustomed to high levels of tourism saw their footfall decline, leading to noticeable environmental changes.
The canals of Venice were clear enough to see aquatic life as tourist boats stopped using the waters for a few months. Pakistan hired tens of thousands of people who lost their jobs over the pandemic to plant saplings, boosting biodiversity. Globally, airports came to a standstill and the skies were cleared of aircraft and their high-emitting fuels. The positive climate impacts of reduced tourism were clear.
A committee for sustainable tourism
The impact of tourism on the climate has fallen under the spotlight and COP29 will include a day devoted to the intersection of climate change and tourism, raising the question, how is the industry changing with environmental issues?
The UN Tourism’s Committee on Tourism and Sustainability (CTS) met early in September to discuss the global challenges of tourism, bringing together members from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. 140 policymakers and industry experts used the summit as an opportunity to share their insights and reflect on an achievable pathway for balancing growth and sustainability in the sector.
An estimated 35 billion domestic, same day, and international tourists are expected to travel annually by 2030, highlighting the magnitude of the issue. This raises pressing questions surrounding the future of tourism and how a substantial volume of travellers should be managed in such a way that doesn’t cause severe environmental degradation.
The Committee states sustainable tourism should:
- Make optimal use of environmental resources, maintaining essential ecological processes and conserving natural heritage and biodiversity.
- Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserving built and living heritage and values.
- Ensure viable, long-term economic operations with socio-economic benefits that are fairly distributed.
What’s on the agenda?
COP29, hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024, will have an entire day devoted to the key issues of climate change and tourism. Reflecting on changes to the industry since the COVID-19 pandemic, a return to “business-as-usual” activity is anticipated to generate an increase in tourism-related greenhouse gas emissions of at least 25 per cent by 2030.
One of the key objectives identified to overcome these issues is the launch of the Baku Declaration on Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism, which will enforce similar Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to those outlined by the Paris Agreement, encouraging participation and action among participating nations.
COP29 will also aim to take a science-based approach to tourism and sustainability, measuring national tourism emissions and comparing figures with greenhouse gas and energy consumption data to better understand the more problematic areas. It is hoped that a legally binding commitment and accurate data will encourage impactful climate policy within the industry.
