From a Collective Vision to Recommendations for Action: G20 Tourism Ministers welcome the UNWTO Recommendations for the Transition to a Green Travel and Tourism Economy
On 4 May 2021, the G20 Tourism Ministers welcomed the Recommendations for the Transition to a Green Travel and Tourism Economy as a key resource to support the sustainable and resilient recovery of travel and tourism.
The Recommendations lay the foundations for more balanced, sustainable and resilient models of tourism development. They were developed upon the request of the Italian Presidency and build on the widely consulted One Planet Vision for a Responsible Recovery of the Tourism Sector.
In June 2020, UNWTO as the lead of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme released the One Planet Vision outlining six lines of action capable of guiding a responsible tourism recovery for people, planet and prosperity, namely: public health, social inclusion, biodiversity conservation, climate action, circular economy and governance and finance.
The Recommendations showcase initiatives of destinations, tourism businesses and civil society which are leading by example in implementing the lines of action proposed by the One Planet Vision and thus integrating sustainability in their recovery plans and strategies. Most of the initiatives featured are led by partners of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme (see table below) which are creating proof of concept for the transition to a green travel and tourism economy to be recognized as the pathway for sustainable and resilient growth.
CASES FROM ONE PLANET SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PROGRAMME PARTNERS | |||
Green Transition of Tourism for Planet | Biodiversity Conservation | Page 11 | Conservation gains at risk as COVID-19 reduced the number of patrols in Indonesia (The Long Run) |
Page 12
| Investing in nature-based blue carbon offsets through mangrove restoration in Mexico (Iberostar Group) | ||
Climate Action | Page 13 | The decarbonization of tourism in action: The case of Valencia (Visit Valencia) | |
Page 14 | Scotland embraces a low-carbon pathway for tourism (VisitScotland) | ||
Page 15 | Reforesting oceans and regenerating a healthy climate: the Australian Marine Permaculture project (Intrepid Travel) | ||
Green Transition of Tourism for Prosperity | Circular Economy | Page 17 | TUI Group is taking concrete actions to integrate circularity into its business (TUI Group) |
Page 18 | France supports the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative in COVID times (Ministry of Environment of France) | ||
Governance and Finance | Page 20 | Argentina chairs the Group of Friends for Sustainable Consumption and Production (One Planet Secretariat) | |
Green Transition of Tourism for People | Public Health | Page 23 | Recommendations for the tourism sector to continue taking action on plastic pollution during COVID-19 recovery (GTPI) |
Social Inclusion | Page 26 | Grootbos private nature reserve supports communities in Cape Floral Kingdom, South Africa (The Long Run) | |
In conclusion, the UNWTO Recommendations for the Transition to a Green Travel and Tourism Economy are the synthesis of the growing consensus that recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic must also tackle the underlying reasons and sustainability challenges. With this focus, the G20 economies are making a historical step forward for the transformation of the tourism sector; a step which should not be underestimated in its importance.
