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Sustainable Tourism Toolkit

UNESCO World Heritage Sustainable Tourism Toolkit

• Toolkit About the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit How to use this guide? Our Objective Resource Library
• Guides Strategic foundations Guide 1: Understanding Guide 2: Strategy Guide 3: Governance Guide 4: Engagement Core Delivery Guide 5: Communication Guide 6: Infrastructure Guide 7: Value Guide 8: Behaviour Guide 9: Investment Guide 10: Monitoring
• Case Studies Guide 1: Historic Town of Vigan Guide 2: Angkor Guide 2: Ichkeul National Park Guide 3: Melaka and George Town Guide 4: Avebury Guide 4: Old and New Towns of Edinburgh Guide 4: Great Barrier Reef Guide 4: Røros mining town and the circumference Guide 5: Røros Mining Town and the Circumference Guide 6: Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (United Kingdom) Guide 7: Røros Mining Town and the Circumference Guide 8: Wadi Al-Hitan Guide 9: Land of Frankincense

Sustainable planning and management of tourism is one of the most pressing challenges concerning the future of the World Heritage Convention today and is the focus of the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme.

These 'How To' guides for World Heritage Site managers and other key stakeholders will enable a growing number of World Heritage Site communities to make positive changes to the way they pro-actively manage tourism.

How to use this guide

These easily accessible 'How To' guides are focused on best practice approaches to sustainable economic development through tourism.  The first of their kind, the 'How To' resources offer direction and guidance to managers of World Heritage tourism destinations and other stakeholders to help identify the most suitable solutions for circumstances in their local environments and aid in developing general know-how for the management of each destination.

The 'How To' guides bring best practice knowledge to the full WH community, so that site managers, tourism professionals, conservation professionals, and communities around the world understand the possibilities of sustainable tourism and what key issues have already been achieved. These resources are a valuable asset to site managers in particular, who often lack the tools and know-how to effectively manage and maximise tourism benefits, while minimising its negative impacts.

Our series of guides have been structured as a step-by-step process for site managers.

• Guides 1-4 establish the basic foundations for sustainable tourism (these are coloured yellow).
• Guides 5-10 are tailored to more specific issues, which will have greater relevance at some sites than at others (these are coloured orange).

We recommend that site managers explore each guide, however,  as sustainable tourism is a holistic process, addressing all issues in a strategic manner.

Our Objective

The goal is to stimulate local solutions in communities through capacity-building in best practice. With the immense scale and variation of World Heritage Properties around the globe, coupled with scarce human and financial resources, this is now more important than ever. Site managers and other stakeholders in the tourism sector must have access to these types of  innovative sustainability tools in order to develop and formulate their own successful results.

Ideally, site managers and other users will begin to navigate through this system by learning basic ideas and guidance. The system then enables the user to delve deeper into any given subject that falls in line with their local interests, needs, and aspirations.

Our objective for these guidance resources is to enable the growth and success of an entire community of World Heritage Properties, making positive changes to their local surroundings and pro-actively managing tourism in their areas. In parallel, by establishing this community, we aim to facilitate knowledge exchange of the most progressive ideas, and encourage their implementation and evolution.

The driving ethic for the 'How To' guides is to explain critically important ideas for sustainable tourism in World Heritage sites in a clear and concise manner, conveying the key knowledge and processes in a reading time of under 20 minutes per idea. Our goal is to make implementing the ideas of sustainable tourism easier to understand and put into practice for all parties involved.

Getting started

We understand the complex range of different societies in which World Heritage sites exist, and the many challenges site managers face on a daily basis. While the intention is to encourage each site to undertake most, or at least many, of the tasks included in the guides, considering them together all at once may seem daunting and even impossible.

We have developed this tool as a source of guidance and inspiration. It is a menu of ideas from which you, the user, may choose to put into practice, helping your World Heritage site become more sustainable for its current and future visitors.

Getting to know these 'How To' guides will move your site towards better self-management and sustainability rather than demand a level of sophistication that might simply be unattainable for some World Heritage sites. We would urge all site managers to read through these resources thoroughly and begin to think about what positive steps can be taken to implement these changes. Again, we remind each user that results will differ for each site, and the circumstances of the local environment and community must always be taken into consideration.

Download all Guides

Pdf version.

All Case Studies

Resource library, global good practice examples.

Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development

UNESCO (2006)

English French

IUCN World Heritage Advice Note. Environmental Assessment & World Heritage

IUCN (2013)

Guidance on Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultural World Heritage Properties

ICOMOS (2011)

Managing Tourism at World Heritage Sites: a Practical Manual for World Heritage Site Managers

UNESCO World Heritage Paper Series n°1 (2002)

Climate Change. Adaptation and Mitigation in the Tourism Sector: Frameworks, Tools and Practices

UNEP (2008)

Enhancing our Heritage Toolkit

UNESCO World Heritage Paper Series n°23 (2008)

Best Practice Guidelines for Great Ape Tourism

IUCN (2010)

Criteria for Sustainable Tourism for the three Biosphere Reserves Aggtelek, Babia Góra and Šumava

Ecological Tourism in Europe (ETE) and UNESCO-BRESCE (2009)

Practical, profitable, protected. A starter guide to developing sustainable tourism in protected areas

ECEAT in partnership with the EUROPARC Federation (2012)

The contribution of tourism to sustainable development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals

BMZ  Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Position Paper 2|2011e (2012)

Guide on EU funding for the tourism sector (2014-2020)

European Commission, Directorate-General for Entreprise and Industry (2014)

Sustainable Tourism for Development Guidebook

UNWTO (2013)

World Heritage: Challenges for the Millennium

UNESCO (2007)

The Urban Rehabilitation of Medinas : The World Bank Experience in the Middle East and North Africa

The World Bank (2010)

Adapting to change: the state of conservation of World Heritage forests in 2011

UNESCO World Heritage Paper Series n°30 (2011)

UNESCO Pacific World Heritage Workshop (5-9 September 2011, Apia, Samoa)

UNESCO (2012)

Safeguarding Precious Resources for Island Communities

UNESCO World Heritage Paper Series n°38 (2014)

Terrestrial biodiversity and the World Heritage List: identifying broad gaps and potential candidate sites for inclusion in the natural World Heritage network

Culture & Development Nº 11

UNESCO (2014)

Sustainability is a complex system to navigate. Please feel free to ask any questions regarding the information provided in the 'How To' guides, or send us your feedback. We are here to help.

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Sustainable tourism

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Description

Publications.

Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment, while being closely linked to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of many countries, especially developing countries. Maritime or ocean-related tourism, as well as coastal tourism, are for example vital sectors of the economy in small island developing States (SIDS) and coastal least developed countries (LDCs) (see also: The Potential of the Blue Economy report as well as the Community of Ocean Action on sustainable blue economy).

The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities".

Based on General assembly resolution 70/193, 2017 was declared as the  International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development SDG target 8.9, aims to “by 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism is also highlighted in SDG target 12.b. which aims to “develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”.

Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “by 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries” as comprised in SDG target 14.7.

In the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We want, sustainable tourism is defined by paragraph 130 as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities by supporting their local economies and the human and natural environment as a whole. ” In paragraph 130, Member States also “call for enhanced support for sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building in developing countries in order to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”.

In paragraph 131, Member States “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small- and medium-sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”. In this regard, Member States also “underline the importance of establishing, where necessary, appropriate guidelines and regulations in accordance with national priorities and legislation for promoting and supporting sustainable tourism”.

In 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg called for the promotion of sustainable tourism development, including non-consumptive and eco-tourism, in Chapter IV, paragraph 43 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

At the Johannesburg Summit, the launch of the “Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) initiative was announced. The initiative was inaugurated by the World Tourism Organization, in collaboration with UNCTAD, in order to develop sustainable tourism as a force for poverty alleviation.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) last reviewed the issue of sustainable tourism in 2001, when it was acting as the Preparatory Committee for the Johannesburg Summit.

The importance of sustainable tourism was also mentioned in Agenda 21.

For more information and documents on this topic,  please visit this link

UNWTO Annual Report 2016

In December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. This is a unique opportunity to devote a year to activities that promote the transformational power of tourism to help us reach a better future. This important cele...

UNWTO Annual Report 2015

2015 was a landmark year for the global community. In September, the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a universal agenda for planet and people. Among the 17 SDGs and 169 associated targets, tourism is explicitly featured in Goa...

Emerging Issues for Small Island Developing States

The 2012 UNEP Foresight Process on Emerging Global Environmental Issues primarily identified emerging environmental issues and possible solutions on a global scale and perspective. In 2013, UNEP carried out a similar exercise to identify priority emerging environmental issues that are of concern to ...

Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom, We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for su...

Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012

Previous Caribbean assessments lumped data together into a single database regardless of geographic location, reef environment, depth, oceanographic conditions, etc. Data from shallow lagoons and back reef environments were combined with data from deep fore-reef environments and atolls. Geographic c...

15 Years of the UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection: A Compilation of Good Practices

Although it is widely recognized that tourism is not the cause of child exploitation, it can aggravate the problem when parts of its infrastructure, such as transport networks and accommodation facilities, are exploited by child abusers for nefarious ends. Additionally, many other factors that contr...

Towards Measuring the Economic Value of Wildlife Watching Tourism in Africa

Set against the backdrop of the ongoing poaching crisis driven by a dramatic increase in the illicit trade in wildlife products, this briefing paper intends to support the ongoing efforts of African governments and the broader international community in the fight against poaching. Specifically, this...

Natural Resources Forum: Special Issue Tourism

The journal considers papers on all topics relevant to sustainable development. In addition, it dedicates series, issues and special sections to specific themes that are relevant to the current discussions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)....

Thailand: Supporting Sustainable Development in Thailand: A Geographic Clusters Approach

Market forces and government policies, including the Tenth National Development Plan (2007-2012), are moving Thailand toward a more geographically specialized economy. There is a growing consensus that Thailand’s comparative and competitive advantages lie in amenity services that have high reliance...

Natural Resources Forum, a United Nations Sustainable Development Journal (NRF)

  Natural Resources Forum, a United Nations Sustainable Development Journal, seeks to address gaps in current knowledge and stimulate relevant policy discussions, leading to the implementation of the sustainable development agenda and the achievement of the Sustainable...

Road Map on Building a Green Economy for Sustainable Development in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, Grenada

This publication is the product of an international study led by the Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Foreig...

UN Ocean Conference 2025

Our Ocean, Our Future, Our Responsibility “The ocean is fundamental to life on our planet and to our future. The ocean is an important source of the planet’s biodiversity and plays a vital role in the climate system and water cycle. The ocean provides a range of ecosystem services, supplies us with

UN Ocean Conference 2022

The UN Ocean Conference 2022, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, came at a critical time as the world was strengthening its efforts to mobilize, create and drive solutions to realize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

58th Session of the Commission for Social Development – CSocD58

22nd general assembly of the united nations world tourism organization, world tourism day 2017 official celebration.

This year’s World Tourism Day, held on 27 September, will be focused on Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development. Celebrated in line with the 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Day will be dedicated to exploring the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Deve

World Tourism Day 2016 Official Celebration

Accessible Tourism for all is about the creation of environments that can cater for the needs of all of us, whether we are traveling or staying at home. May that be due to a disability, even temporary, families with small children, or the ageing population, at some point in our lives, sooner or late

4th Global Summit on City Tourism

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Regional Council for Tourism of Marrakesh with support of the Government of Morroco are organizing the 4th Global Summit on City Tourism in Marrakesh, Morroco (9-10 December 2015). International experts in city tourism, representatives of city DMOs, of

2nd Euro-Asian Mountain Resorts Conference

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Ulsan Metropolitan City with support of the Government of the Republic of Korea are organizing the 2nd Euro-Asian Mountain Resorts Conference, in Ulsan, Republic of Korea (14 - 16 October 2015). Under the title “Paving the Way for a Bright Future for Mounta

21st General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization

Unwto regional conference enhancing brand africa - fostering tourism development.

Tourism is one of the Africa’s most promising sectors in terms of development, and represents a major opportunity to foster inclusive development, increase the region’s participation in the global economy and generate revenues for investment in other activities, including environmental preservation.

• January 2017 International Year of Tourism In the context of the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute to the SDGs.
• January 2015 Targets 8.9, 12 b,14.7 The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commits Member States, through Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.9 to “devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism, as a driver for jobs creation and the promotion of local culture and products, is also highlighted in Sustainable Development Goal target 12.b. Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “increase [by 2030] the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries”, through Sustainable Development Goals Target 14.7.
• January 2012 Future We Want (Para 130-131) Sustainable tourism is defined as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities” as well as to “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small and medium sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”.
• January 2009 Roadmap for Recovery UNWTO announced in March 2009 the elaboration of a Roadmap for Recovery to be finalized by UNWTO’s General Assembly, based on seven action points. The Roadmap includes a set of 15 recommendations based on three interlocking action areas: resilience, stimulus, green economy aimed at supporting the tourism sector and the global economy.
• January 2008 Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria represent the minimum requirements any tourism business should observe in order to ensure preservation and respect of the natural and cultural resources and make sure at the same time that tourism potential as tool for poverty alleviation is enforced. The Criteria are 41 and distributed into four different categories: 1) sustainability management, 2) social and economic 3) cultural 4) environmental.
• January 2003 1st Int. Conf. on Climate Change and Tourism The conference was organized in order to gather tourism authorities, organizations, businesses and scientists to discuss on the impact that climate change can have on the tourist sector. The event took place from 9 till 11 April 2003 in Djerba, Tunisia.
• January 2003 WTO becomes a UN specialized body By Resolution 453 (XV), the Assembly agreed on the transformation of the WTO into a United Nations specialized body. Such transformation was later ratified by the United Nations General Assembly with the adoption of Resolution A/RES/58/232.
• January 2002 World Ecotourism Summit Held in May 2002, in Quebec City, Canada, the Summit represented the most important event in the framework of the International Year of Ecosystem. The Summit identified as main themes: ecotourism policy and planning, regulation of ecotourism, product development, marketing and promotion of ecotourism and monitoring costs and benefits of ecotourism.
• January 1985 Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code At the World Tourism Organization Sixth Assembly held in Sofia in 1985, the Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code were adopted, setting out the rights and duties of tourists and host populations and formulating policies and action for implementation by states and the tourist industry.
• January 1982 Acapulco Document Adopted in 1982, the Acapulco Document acknowledges the new dimension and role of tourism as a positive instrument towards the improvement of the quality of life for all peoples, as well as a significant force for peace and international understanding. The Acapulco Document also urges Member States to elaborate their policies, plans and programmes on tourism, in accordance with their national priorities and within the framework of the programme of work of the World Tourism Organization.

Tourism Entrepreneurship: Knowledge and Challenges for a Sustainable Future

• First Online: 11 August 2024

Cite this chapter

• Gunnar Thór Jóhannesson 5 ,
• Desiderio J. García-Almeida 6 ,
• Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir 7 &
• Thorhallur Orn Gudlaugsson 8  

Part of the book series: Sustainable Development Goals Series ((SDGS))

Twenty years ago, geographer Mike Crang noted that tourism can be “an active agent in the creative destruction of places in what can be a violent, contested, unequal, but sometimes welcomed, transformative and productive process” (Crang, 2004, p. 75). During the last two decades, tourism has indeed been an agent of change. Tourism has globally been promoted as a tool for economic diversification and has proved to play a pivotal role in generating employment and fostering economic growth, estimated to be responsible for 9,1% to global GDP in 2023 (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2024). Between 2004 and 2019, international tourist arrivals have grown from approximately 720 million to 1462 million (Statista, n.d.). The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted heavy losses in the sector as international tourism was brought to a halt in early 2020 by the pandemic, resulting in a 72% decrease in tourist arrivals in one year, that is from 1462 million in 2019 to only 406 million in 2020 (Statista, n.d.). However, this particular indicator of tourism is estimated to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2024 (UNWTO, 2024a). Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic is the most severe crisis the tourism industry has ever had to deal with. However, as Gibson (2021) notes, the pandemic should not be regarded as a singular event. There are numerous challenges tourism as a sector has to deal with, ranging from a global environmental emergency and climate change to more local crisis situations like volcano eruptions, bushfires and economic downturns. This underscores how tourism is always entangled with broad ranging social, cultural and environmental processes.

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Department of Geography and Tourism, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland

Gunnar Thór Jóhannesson

Department of Management, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain

Desiderio J. García-Almeida

Icelandic Tourism Research Centre, Akureyri, Iceland

Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir

School of Business, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland

Thorhallur Orn Gudlaugsson

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Jóhannesson, G.T., García-Almeida, D.J., Gunnarsdóttir, G.Þ., Gudlaugsson, T.O. (2024). Tourism Entrepreneurship: Knowledge and Challenges for a Sustainable Future. In: García-Almeida, D.J., Gunnarsdóttir, G.Þ., Jóhannesson, G.T., Gudlaugsson, T.O. (eds) Tourism Entrepreneurship. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61249-7_1

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The Glasgow Declaration is a catalyst for increased urgency about the need to accelerate climate action in tourism and to secure strong actions and commitment to support the global goals to halve emissions over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.

Download the full text of the Glasgow Declaration in all official UN languages:

THE GLASGOW DECLARATION: A COMMITMENT TO A DECADE OF TOURISM CLIMATE ACTION

We have long known that our dependence on fossil fuels, unsustainable land use, and wasteful consumption patterns drive climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Recently, COVID-19 has deepened our awareness of the connection between these impacts and risks to human health.

Rebalancing our relationship with nature is critical to regenerating both its ecological health and our personal, social and economic well-being. It is also critical for tourism, which relies on and connects us with flourishing ecosystems. Restoring nature - and our relationship with it - will be key to our sector’s recovery from the pandemic, as well as its future prosperity and resilience.

We declare our shared commitment to unite all stakeholders in transforming tourism to deliver effective climate action. We support the global commitment to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050. We will consistently align our actions with the latest scientific recommendations, so as to ensure our approach remains consistent with a rise of no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100.

According to the latest UNWTO/ITF research, tourism CO2 emissions grew at least 60% from 2005 to 2016, with transport-related CO2 causing 5% of global emissions in 2016. Unless we accelerate decarbonisation, sector CO2 emissions could rise 25% or more by 2030, compared to 2016.

As outlined in the One Planet Vision for a Responsible Recovery of Tourism from COVID-19, committing to and planning for a green recovery offers us a unique opportunity to transform the sector in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. If we can move rapidly away from carbon- and material-intensive ways of delivering visitor experiences, instead prioritising community and ecosystem wellbeing, then tourism can be a leader in transforming to a low-carbon future.

The alternative is worsening vulnerability. Climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss jeopardise most tourism activities. Rising sea-levels, more frequent floods, and other extreme weather events threaten community livelihoods everywhere, from infrastructure and supply chains to food security.

Climate change impacts are most severely felt by under-represented and vulnerable groups such as women, Indigenous communities, people living with disabilities, and small island states. A just and inclusive transformation of tourism must prioritise their voices and needs, as well as those of younger generations who will otherwise pay the full price of our inaction.

A just transition to Net Zero before 2050 will only be possible if tourism’s recovery accelerates the adoption of sustainable consumption and production, and redefines our future success to consider not only economic value but rather the regeneration of ecosystems, biodiversity and communities.

A Co-ordinated Plan for Tourism Climate Action

This declaration aims to lead and align climate action across tourism stakeholders, including government and institutional agencies; donors and financial institutions; international organisations; civil society; the private sector; and academia.

As signatories we commit to deliver climate action plans within 12 months of signing and implementing them accordingly.

If we already have plans, we commit to updating or implementing them in the same period to align with this declaration.

We commit to report publicly both progress against interim and long-term targets, as well as the actions being taken, at least annually.

To ensure climate action is aligned across all of tourism, we agree on five shared pathways for our plans to follow:

Measure and disclose all travel and tourism-related emissions. Ensure our methodologies and tools are aligned to UNFCCC-relevant guidelines on measurement, reporting and verification, and that they are transparent and accessible.

Decarbonise

Set and deliver targets aligned with climate science to accelerate tourism’s decarbonisation. This includes transport, infrastructure, accommodation, activities, food & drink, and waste management. While offsetting may have a subsidiary role, it must be complementary to real reductions.

Restore and protect ecosystems, supporting nature’s ability to draw down carbon, as well as safeguarding biodiversity, food security, and water supply. As much of tourism is based in regions most immediately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, ensure the sector can support affected and at-risk communities in resilience building, adaptation and disaster response. Help visitors and host communities experience better balance with nature.

Collaborate

Share evidence of risks and solutions with all stakeholders and our guests, and work together to ensure our plans are as effective and co-ordinated as possible. Strengthen governance and capacity for action at all levels, including national and sub-national authorities, civil society, large companies and SMEs, vulnerable groups, local communities and visitors.

Ensure organisational resources and capacity are sufficient to meet objectives set out in climate plans, including the financing of training, research and implementation of effective fiscal and policy tools where appropriate to accelerate transition.

We commit to deliver plans aligned with these pathways to cut tourism emissions in half over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.

Citation: One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme (2021) – Glasgow Declaration: A commitment to a decade of climate action

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A practical guide to practice sustainable tourism

T ourism plays a huge role in our lives. It enriches us with a newfound appreciation of the culture, experiences, environment, and people we encounter on our trips, filling our lives with wonder. It serves as a refreshing bridge between cultures in the age of globalization, a welcome respite from daily life. Beyond this, as a billion-dollar industry, tourism employs millions of individuals.

However, while it can be argued that tourism is embedded in our society and is fully recognized as a major economic driver, it is also concerning that several tourism practices are detrimental to culture and nature, such as environmental degradation, pollution, destruction of the ecosystem, and excessive use of resources, to name a few (just look at what they did to the Chocolate Hills ).

It is still possible to mitigate these effects and create environment-friendly practices and solutions, however. This is where sustainable tourism comes in.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) describes sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities.” While this is a huge undertaking, individual tourists can also carry on with their travels all while practicing sustainable tourism on their own. 

Educate yourself

It is important for travelers to study the places they are to visit and the activities they are to do. One should be aware of the boons and banes of some tourism-related activities. This task might seem common sense for some. Unfortunately, numerous environmentally detrimental tourist activities are borne of ignorance.

For example, you might be enticed to join daytime baby sea turtle (hatchling) release activities in hopes of contributing to their “preservation.” However, this is questioned by a number of marine experts. According to them, turtle release activities done in the morning lessen the chances of survival for the hatchlings. In daylight, the turtles can be clearly seen by predators. At night, when they usually waddle toward the sea from the shore, the baby turtles can move under the safe cover of darkness. 

The city of Amami in Kagoshima, Japan, stopped its sea turtle release activities in 2023 due to this concern. Instead, the city government decided to conduct sea turtle observation tours to explain the inappropriateness of sea turtle activities to children.

Mindful planning and purchasing

As you create your itinerary, it is wise to pick eco-friendly accommodations as these reduce the environmental effects of tourism. You would want to check if they use renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, and if they support the local economy by making sure that they’re accessible to public transportation. Commuting is also helpful in decongesting the roads, which in turn helps combat air pollution.

If it fancies your interest, you may also opt to consider including spots that practice ecotourism in your itinerary, which would not only offer you a great time but will also raise your awareness with regards to being a responsible tourist. Examples of these destinations are Batanes Island in the Philippines, Jeju Island National Park in South Korea, and Komodo National Park in Indonesia.

One should also be careful of the items they purchase, especially with products that utilize animal parts, such as snake leather and animal fur (like cloud rat fur fashioned into a hat). Aside from the ethical concerns surrounding these items, the manufacture and proliferation of such products may also harm the ecosystem in the long run.

Deep dive into the local tourism scene

One of UNWTO’s tenets of sustainable development in tourism involves respecting and conserving the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities. With your role as a traveler, it is advisable to engage with the area’s local communities to gain a grasp of their culture, practices, and traditions on a more personal level. It helps in understanding the local’s sensitivities, aiding you in your travels especially with the dos and don’ts in the community with regards to their culture, traditions, and heritage.

You may opt to join cultural immersion trips if they are available in the area of your interest. In the Philippines, such trips are held in order to explore and learn about the areas where indigenous people live. Such services are available in the cities and municipalities in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in Luzon, such as Buscalan, Batad, Banaue, and Sagada.

Lessen your plastic usage

Tourism, unfortunately, is a great contributor to the growing dilemma with plastic waste in the world. The industry’s tendency to overproduce, especially in packaging items for tourist consumption, leads to a substantial amount of wastes, which, in turn, leads to pollution. This also puts a strain on the local communities, especially with their waste management systems.

One Planet Network reported that 80% of tourism activities take place in coastal areas. These rates result in the sector being a huge contributor to plastic pollution. Moreover, a huge percentage of waste generated from tourist-related activities is disposable and not recyclable.

Within your own means as a traveler, it is helpful to pack refillable water bottles to lessen the consumption of water in plastic bottles. You may opt to bring reusable bags, rather than plastic bags, for your purchases to at least lessen your own plastic consumption. Try to avoid using single-use plastics. Instead, invest in reusable products.

This article A practical guide to practice sustainable tourism was originally published in PhilSTAR L!fe

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

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UNWTO Launches Global Guidelines to Restart Tourism

• All Regions
• 28 May 2020
• The United Nations specialized agency for tourism releases guidelines for strong and sustainable recovery
• Recommendations draw on cross-sector expertise of Tourism Crisis Committee
• Safe, seamless travel and restoring confidence key priorities
• UNWTO and Google strengthen partnership to promote digital skills and create new opportunities in recovery phase

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released a set of guidelines to help tourism sector emerge stronger and more sustainably from COVID-19. The guidelines highlight the need to act decisively, to restore confidence and, as UNWTO strengthens its partnership with Google, to embrace innovation and the digital transformation of global tourism.

The guidelines were produced in consultation with the Global Tourism Crisis Committee and aim to support governments and private sector to recover from an unparalleled crisis. Depending on when travel restrictions are lifted, the United Nations specialized agency warns that international tourist arrivals could fall by between 60% and 80%. This puts 100-120 million jobs at risk and could lead to US$ 910 billion to US$ 1.2 trillion lost in exports.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “These guidelines provide both governments and businesses with a comprehensive set of measures designed to help them open tourism up again in a safe, seamless and responsible manner. They are the product of the enhanced cooperation that has characterized tourism’s response to this shared challenge, building on knowledge and inputs from across the public and private sectors and from several UN agencies as part of the UN’s wider response.”

Safe and security protocols for tourism recovery

The new guide, a follow up of the Recommendations for Action already endorsed by the Committee, is focused on seven priorities for tourism recovery based on the pillars of mitigating the economic impact, developing safety protocols and coordinated responds and fostering innovation.

These guidelines provide both governments and businesses with a comprehensive set of measures designed to help them open tourism up again in a safe, seamless and responsible manner

The guidelines highlight the importance of restoring the confidence of the travelers through safety and security protocols designed to reduce risks in each step of the tourism value chain. These protocols include the implementation of check procedures where appropriate, including temperature scans, testing, physical distancing, enhanced frequency of cleaning and the provision of hygiene kits for safe air travel, hospitality services or safe events.

Innovation key as UNWTO builds on Google partnership

The UNWTO Guidelines also highlight the opportunity to foster a digital transformation of destinations, companies and employees with initiatives such as the free online training with the UNWTO Online Academ y and the implementation of apps such as the Hi Card to improve international interoperability at the airports and hotels. The role of technology in promoting social distancing in hotels and tourist destinations is also highlighted.

This comes as UNWTO strengthens its partnership with Google. Through this enhanced collaboration, the UN agency will work with Google to promote digital learning and online skills training so as to provide new opportunities across the global tourism sector.

Secretary-General Pololikashvili added: “We are thrilled to be working more closely with Google. The past weeks have highlighted the enhanced role technology plays in our lives and furthering the digital transformation of tourism will make the sector more resilient and create opportunities for people all around the world.”

About the Global Tourism Crisis Committee

UNWTO formed the  Global Tourism Crisis Committee  to guide the sector as it responds to the COVID-19 crisis and to build the foundations for future resilience and sustainable growth .

The Committee comprises representatives of UNWTO’s Member States and Affiliate Members, alongside the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Bank Group and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The private sector is represented by Airports Council International (ACI), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to ensure a coordinated and effective response.

Related Links

• Download the news release
• UNWTO Priorities for Global Tourism Recovery
• UNWTO Global Guidelines to Restart Tourism
• UNWTO Releases a COVID-19 Technical Assistance Package for Tourism Recovery
• International Tourist Numbers Could Fall 60-80% in 2020
• CNN Joins UNWTO on #TravelTomorrow Campaign

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