- Sustainable Tourism

Transforming the tourism value chains to low carbon and resource efficiency requires an increase in sustainable consumption and production practices. By buying more sustainable products and services, corporate buyers in the tourism sector can convey a strong market signal and help drive markets towards more sustainability.
Following up the interactive workshop “Leveraging sustainable procurement practices to transform tourism value chains” which took place in October 2018, UN Environment has documented successful sustainable procurement practices in a series of 16 case studies. They illustrate how corporate buyers have effectively embedded sustainability in their procurement processes to improve resource efficiency and reduce GHG emissions.
Incorporating circularity in procurement processes
Embedding circularity in the procurement of linen and towels in France |
Procurement of a biomass boiler to operate a green industrial laundry site in Dominican Republic |
Considering waste as a resource to re-think procurement requirements in the Maldives |
Sustainable food procurement
Engaging local market gardeners in Senegal, Morocco, Brazil and Indonesia |
Virtual agricultural clearing house programme to facilitate local food procurement in Saint Lucia |
Use of third-party certifications to procure sustainable seafood |
Local commmunities engagement through the procurement of local food supplies in the Philippines |
Accompanying local suppliers in transforming their farming practices in Mauritius |
Sustainable procurement of energy-efficient equipment
Procurement of energy efficient equipment to reduce carbon footprint in the Philippines |
Procurement of energy-efficient equipment to improve competitiveness in El Salvador |
Leveraging sustainable procurement to phase out single use plastics
Reduction of single-use plastics in the hotel industry in Cyprus |
Phasing out single-use plastics in meetings & events operations |
Replacing single-use plastic bottles in Asia |
Procurement guidance and certifications to encourage sustainable procurement practices
Encouraging sustainable procurement practices through the use of third-party certification schemes |
Convening tourism stakeholders to develop sustainable procurement guidance |
The factsheets were produced within the framework of the UN Environment-led project “Transforming tourism value chains in developing countries and Small Island Developing States to accelerate more resource efficient, low carbon development”, funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, and the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme, with the financial support of the French Government.