SHERIDAN, WYOMING – October 7, 2024 – The Committee on Tourism and Sustainability (CTS) of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recently convened for a two-day meeting in San José, Costa Rica. The meeting focused on addressing the global challenges of tourism and identifying pathways toward more sustainable, desirable, and resilient development within the sector.
The 19th meeting of the CTS brought together elected members from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, along with 140 leading policymakers and experts. The discussions centered on balancing growth and prosperity with inclusiveness and sustainability, particularly in light of the projected 35 billion domestic, same-day, and international visitors expected to travel annually by 2030.
“This is the first time that the committee has met for two days to reflect and deeply discuss strategic topics for a science-based global tourism agenda, its sustainability, and future resilience,” stated UNWTO Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic, emphasizing the significance of the meeting.
Key Sustainability Challenges
The CTS meeting focused on five key thematic sessions:
- The Future of Tourism: Balancing growth with sustainability, fostering well-being and prosperity for local communities, and navigating the challenges of a rapidly evolving world.
- Climate Action and Circularity: Progress on the Glasgow Declaration, measuring and mitigating tourism's greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change impacts, and exploring future actions.
- Nature-Positive Tourism: Reaffirming commitment to nature-positive practices, including ecosystem restoration and protection, and centering nature in tourism policies.
- Green Claims and Certifications: Challenges and political discussions related to certification systems, the importance of consistent standards, and recognizing the unique contexts of individual destinations.
Global Good Practices
The CTS meeting also highlighted examples of positive solutions from diverse destinations:
- Costa Rica's Social Progress Index (SPI) for aligning tourism growth with nature-positive principles and inclusive prosperity.
- Fiji's process of transposing the Climate Change Act into tourism policies and operations.
- Iceland as an example of smart tourism management, balancing growth with sustainable development and reducing the sector's ecological footprint.
Call to Action
The CTS concluded with a strong call to action, urging all nations to participate in these crucial discussions at upcoming global forums like COP16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and COP29 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The goal is to integrate tourism strategies into broader environmental and climate agendas, aligning the sector's efforts with global sustainability goals.