The consequences of climate change are already being felt around the world. Tourism is vulnerable to climate impacts and at the same time can play an important role in reducing climate risks by decreasing its greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions. To advance progress on addressing climate change, the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism was launched at UNFCCC COP26 in November 2021. The Declaration provides a framework for a consistent approach and sector-wide message to accelerate climate action in tourism.
Tourism involves many stakeholders, including public and private sectors, civil society, local communities and environments, and the visitors themselves. This policy guidance has been developed to assist governmental agencies dedicated to tourism in the development of tourism climate action policies and initiatives to support the low-carbon transition of the tourism sector. Governments play a key role in enabling actions that ensure tourism contributes to global climate goals set in the Paris Agreement.
This guidance addresses four areas that national tourism administrations ( NTAs ) can focus on to advance climate action. Foremost, NTAs need to engage with national climate policymaking processes in their country, including the Nationally Determined Contribution ( NDC ) and other
national climate policies. Moreover, tourism policymakers will benefit from engaging in cross-governmental initiatives linked to national climate policy, for example in the areas of transport, energy, and conservation. Second, tourism as a stand-alone policy domain can develop tourism laws, policies and strategies that support climate action. Third, NTAs have an opportunity and responsibility to drive climate awareness and engage tourism stakeholders to support climate action, including the travellers. Fourth, additional levers are available through finance and strategic partnerships, including those related to international climate finance which are critical to achieve decarbonisation in the tourism sector.
For tourism-specific policy, six levers are introduced. These are:
1. Strategy (e.g., national tourism strategies, roadmaps, masterplans, action plans );
2. Regulation (e.g., emission standards for vehicles, carbon disclosure requirements);
3. Economic levers (e.g., carbon taxes, environmental levies, tax incentives, grants);
4. Information (e.g., measurement/reporting, technology guides, low-carbon itineraries);
5. Education (e.g., staff training, curricula development, education of visitors); and
6. Voluntary (e.g., carbon offsetting, restoration projects, certification, clean ups, corporate responsibility).
This policy guidance provides examples of good practice from around the world to illustrate how NTAs can implement climate-enabling policy and other initiatives as well as benefit from climate initiatives in other sectors. In addition, the Glasgow Declaration Engagement Pack is included as annex 1 providing an introduction and guidance to implementing the Declaration and practical recommendations for NTAs to get started with their climate action.
The consequences of climate change are already being felt around the world. Tourism is vulnerable to climate impacts and at the same time can play an important role in reducing climate risks by decreasing its greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions. To advance progress on addressing climate change, the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism was launched at UNFCCC COP26 in November 2021. The Declaration provides a framework for a consistent approach and sector-wide message to accelerate climate action in tourism.
Tourism involves many stakeholders, including public and private sectors, civil society, local communities and environments, and the visitors themselves. This policy guidance has been developed to assist governmental agencies dedicated to tourism in the development of tourism climate action policies and initiatives to support the low-carbon transition of the tourism sector. Governments play a key role in enabling actions that ensure tourism contributes to global climate goals set in the Paris Agreement.
This guidance addresses four areas that national tourism administrations ( NTAs ) can focus on to advance climate action. Foremost, NTAs need to engage with national climate policymaking processes in their country, including the Nationally Determined Contribution ( NDC ) and other
national climate policies. Moreover, tourism policymakers will benefit from engaging in cross-governmental initiatives linked to national climate policy, for example in the areas of transport, energy, and conservation. Second, tourism as a stand-alone policy domain can develop tourism laws, policies and strategies that support climate action. Third, NTAs have an opportunity and responsibility to drive climate awareness and engage tourism stakeholders to support climate action, including the travellers. Fourth, additional levers are available through finance and strategic partnerships, including those related to international climate finance which are critical to achieve decarbonisation in the tourism sector.
For tourism-specific policy, six levers are introduced. These are:
1. Strategy (e.g., national tourism strategies, roadmaps, masterplans, action plans );
2. Regulation (e.g., emission standards for vehicles, carbon disclosure requirements);
3. Economic levers (e.g., carbon taxes, environmental levies, tax incentives, grants);
4. Information (e.g., measurement/reporting, technology guides, low-carbon itineraries);
5. Education (e.g., staff training, curricula development, education of visitors); and
6. Voluntary (e.g., carbon offsetting, restoration projects, certification, clean ups, corporate responsibility).
This policy guidance provides examples of good practice from around the world to illustrate how NTAs can implement climate-enabling policy and other initiatives as well as benefit from climate initiatives in other sectors. In addition, the Glasgow Declaration Engagement Pack is included as annex 1 providing an introduction and guidance to implementing the Declaration and practical recommendations for NTAs to get started with their climate action.
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