Two global initiatives, the Future of Tourism Coalition and Tourism Declares, have come together to develop a “blueprint” for climate action in destinations.
The blueprint will combine the frameworks, tools, best practice, and resources required for destinations to deliver action plans that align tourism with the need to reduce global emissions by at least half by 2030 and keep global warming within 1.5°C. It will be published in time for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November as a free, practical resource for anyone to use. The hope is that it will be adopted as the standard approach to scale up climate action and transform the industry. Other climate action blueprints are also being created by Tourism Declares for accommodation providers and tour operators.
Supporters and members of both the Future of Tourism and Tourism Declares initiatives will help co-create the destination blueprint, and a smaller group of “Destination Climate Leaders” will be identified to lead the process. Progress will be shared regularly on the Tourism Declares and Future of Tourism websites and other channels, to encourage wider consultation and contributions from anyone working on this issue.
Jeremy Smith, co-founder of Tourism Declares, said, “It is essential that 2021 is a turning point for our industry, the year when delivering against science-based Climate Action Plans becomes standard practice for travel and tourism organisations. It is great that the Future of Tourism Coalition is aligned to this ambition, and we shall combine our expertise and growing community networks to co-create a new, low-carbon, destination blueprint.”
Jeremy Sampson, Chair of the Future of Tourism Coalition, said, “We’ve been working closely with Tourism Declares since we launched last summer, as climate change is the big issue that cuts right across our 13 Guiding Principles for the future of tourism. We would like our two initiatives to align as seamlessly as possible, as we need engagement, insights, experience and expertise from all parts of our diverse industry to find the best solutions for tomorrow’s tourism.”
The Future of Tourism Coalition itself has recently declared a climate emergency and will be encouraging its 500-strong community of organisations signed-up to their 13 Guiding Principles to also “declare”.
If you are interested in learning more or contributing in any way, please contact info@tourismdeclares.com.
The Future of Tourism Coalition (www.futureoftourism.org)
The Future of Tourism Coalition is a collaborative effort to chart a new, more sustainable direction for tourism and shift the status quo. The Coalition is comprised of six non-governmental organizations, the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), Destination Stewardship Center, Green Destinations, Sustainable Travel International, Tourism Cares, and the Travel Foundation, that stand united in an appeal for change. The Coalition is pursuing a shared global mission: to place destination needs at the center of tourism’s new future. Through commitment of their Guiding Principles, the greater travel industry and destination agencies can align around a path forward for a more sustainable future for tourism. Nearly 500 organizations worldwide have already done so since the initiative launched in summer 2020.
