Tourism and travel ushering in more environmentally friendly era
On April 22 in London, some of the top players in travel collaborated to publish a joint report on how to help combat and reverse biodiversity loss.
The plan is the brainchild of the Nature Positive Tourism Partnership, whose members include the World Travel and Tourism Council, the World Tourism Organization, and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, and was also developed in collaboration with ANIMONDIAL, an adviser to the global travel industry on matters concerning animal welfare in tourism.
The report also relies on extensive consultation from several business, government and academic experts, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Commission on Protected Areas.
The new plan, “Nature Positive Travel & Tourism in Action,” represents the sector’s pledge to support the implementation of the U.N.’s biodiversity plan, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The current plan follows the 2022 WTTC report “Nature Positive Travel & Tourism,” which included frameworks and examples that encourage travel providers and travelers alike to engage in journeys that help contribute to our natural treasures.
“This historic partnership with Travel & Tourism heavyweights is a significant step in our collective journey towards
a more sustainable and responsible sector,”
WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson said.
“Let us heed the call to nurture and protect our destinations. Our sector’s reliance on nature, coupled with our expertise in creating inspiring and memorable experiences,
means we are ideally placed to be guardians of nature,” Simpson continued.
The plan presents more than 30 case studies involving inspiring actions by businesses, national and local government agencies, civil society groups, and inter-sectoral partnerships worldwide. The report believes that by offering actionable guidance and insights, companies can see the link between tourism’s resilience and biodiversity and help them become better stewards of our planet.
“For years, U.N. Tourism has been at the forefront of integrating tourism into the broader U.N. biodiversity agenda, including supporting the work of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity,” Zurab Pololikashvili, SecretaryGeneral of U.N. Tourism, said.
“This report is a testimony to what we can achieve together for nature’s preservation, inspiring a global movement towards more sustainable and resilient tourism,” Pololikashvili continued.
The report recognizes that the tourism sector is vital in protecting biodiversity. Its approach, “Nature Positive Tourism,” is designed to be a touchstone for change because it focuses on providing the tools and insights into protecting much-loved travel destinations that the industry depends on.
“This report is a milestone for Travel and Tourism, representing our commitment as an industry to protect and conserve nature,” Sustainable Hospitality Alliance CEO Glenn Mandziuk said.
“The hospitality industry is today a leader amongst industries in its Nature Positive approach, and this report signifies how much our industry understands the true value of nature,” Mandziuk concluded.