Glasgow Declaration

Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transport and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda:

Key elements: The country has banned single use plastic bags, is working on recycling plastics, as well as on preventative measures to tackle climate change. In tourism, incentive models are being adjusted to include environmental aspects of projects, the operations of tourism facilities are being re-examined. It is of primary importance to safeguard the marine ecosystem, in particular mangroves due to their sequestration capacity,  as well as corals which protect beaches and islands against storms.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Seychelles:

Key elements: SIDS play an important role in global tourism landscape and there is a need to go beyond traditional metrics and find  balance between social and environmental wellbeing. Seychelles places the focus on higher value and lower impact tourism, prioritising the needs of the people to be sustainable and community driven. The success of tourism lies on its positive impact on community and environment. It is important to use tourism for ecological restoration and recovery of biodiversity, including coral reefs restoration. Innovative financing mechanisms are needed for marine conservation. Enhancing conservation partnerships, collaboration and determination and courage are key for regenerative tourism.

World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism):

Key elements: Tourism plays a crucial role in generating income and employment in SIDS. Implementing more circular models in tourism operations is essential for sustainability. Local communities are vital in safeguarding the ocean, and regenerative practices should benefit both the planet and its people. Recognizing the importance of blue carbon and including tourism in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are also critical steps for environmental protection.

Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation of The Bahamas

• Key elements: Balancing economic growth with social responsibility is essential. Efforts such as mangrove restoration and launching community-based tourism projects can unlock potential while preserving natural resources and the cultural and social fabric of communities. Preserving coral reefs and enhancing their resilience is also crucial. When communities benefit directly and indirectly from visitor expenditures, tourism becomes more resilient.

Ministry of Plenipotentiary, Sint. Maarten

• Question: How can effective policies support the transition to regenerative tourism, and what are some key elements these policies should include?
• Themes covered: regeneration for environment and culture; strengthening local communities; strong tourism policies to promote ecofriendly practices including renewable energy; reducing waste; conserving water; enhancing marine protected area; forcing regulation for habitants; policies to lead to actions; community involvement; investment needed (public and private funds, international aid, new financial tools); regenerative tourism as a path to resilience; aligning policy, practice and finance.

Ministry of Tourism of St. Kitts

• Question: How is St. Kitts advancing beyond mere sustainability to enhance tourism resilience and ensure long-term viability?
• Themes covered: participatory approach to develop destination climate action plan by involving all stakeholders and considering their needs and priorities; building ownership and commitment towards the climate action plan; building capacity and generating awareness about climate resilience and sustainability in the tourism sector; encouraging tourism businesses adopt sustainable practices and reduce environmental impacts; awareness raising for visitors; tourism identified as a sector in vulnerability assessment in destinations; climate action to be included in the tourism strategy; strategies to include reducing greenhouse gas emissions; improving waste management and promoting community based tourism with focus on heritage perseveration. Low carbon product development that also promotes local tourism (e.g. hiking, walking trails, Agritourism, farm-to-table, cooking classes of traditional cuisine) as well as regeneration of coastal ecosystems (mangrove, sea grass, coral reefs and beaches).
• Question: How has St. Kitts successfully united various tourism stakeholders, including the government, industry leaders, and the local community, to develop and maintain a sustainable tourism destination?
• Themes covered: creating destination management organization; need for more collaboration; public private partnership; bridging the gap between public and public sector collaboration; encouraging private sector to collaborate with the public sector; highlighting the benefits of collaboration to all the involved stakeholders.

Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO)

• Question: In what ways are local communities in the Pacific Islands being involved in and benefiting from climate action initiatives in the tourism sector as outlined in the Glasgow Declaration and the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework?
• Themes covered: transforming the industry into digitalization; developing statistics strategy; importance of data for informed decision making and planning; developing pacific tourism policy framework; establishing pacific tourism sustainable standards; thriving and inclusive communities; repurposing plastics through workshop “Turning Trash into Cash”; developing cultural, marine and environmental guidelines; taking action on mitigation and adaptation to climate change impacts; climate resilience to include the whole nation and community; information sharing and using indigenous knowledge and utilizing traditional knowledge.
• Question: What are the key challenges faced by Pacific Island nations in achieving cohesive regional cooperation on climate action in tourism, and what strategies are being employed to overcome these challenges?
• Themes covered: political buy-in; sectoral integration; resource challenges; gap between technical and financial resources; development partners to be more innovative in funding approaches.

Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)

• Question: Could you highlight strategies and opportunities for the regional tourism sector related to regional disaster risk management?
• Themes covered: Themes covered: Caribbean countries are threatened by various hazards including an annual hurricane season, the propensity to earthquakes, volcanoes and other incidents that can be very disruptive and detrimental to human life, property, infrastructure and local livelihoods. The work of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in this area has focussed on producing resources to support tourism sector resilience and delivering training to enhance national competencies in disaster risk management. CTO produced an updated Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Policy and Development Framework in 2020, which provides the overarching vision and Action Plan for the sustainable and responsible development of tourism; CTO also finalised in 2020 a comprehensive Multi-Hazard Risk Management Guide for the Caribbean Tourism Sector, designed as a practical tool to provide structured guidance and templates as a Tourism Sector DRM Road-map addressing (i) mitigation; (ii) preparedness; (iii) response; and (iv) recovery including business continuity. As it relates to opportunities, CTO recognizes the need to foster a more harmonized approach and response among its member states in the Caribbean. Prioritised is collaboration in the area of crisis communication; clear communication about the geography of the region and diversity in the compositions of the islands and climate conditions. Considering the impacts of climate change, the CTO is a signatory to the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism and is leading the call for regional Climate Action Plans in consultation with its members.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Seychelles

• Question: Overview of actions/results achieved through the implementation of the “Preparing for Climate Change in the Tourism Sector - A Guide for Hotels and Guesthouses” released in 2020.
• Themes covered:  incorporating in the daily activities and operations the concept of sustainability and climate action; recognizing the hotels which are aligned with this voluntary programme; covering topics such as waste management, energy efficiency, water management; conservation and community involvement; reviewing the classification of hotels and including climate action in the reclassification criteria.

TUI Care Foundation

• Question: Sustainable agriculture and food play an increasingly important role for the tourism sector. What is TUI Care Foundation’s perspective on sustainable food systems in destinations? (example of how to use tourism to advance sustainable agriculture)
• Themes covered: impact of conventional agriculture on biodiversity loss and community assets (soil and land); tourism’s role in advancing sustainable and regenerative agriculture; difference between sustainability and regeneration; restoring biodiversity while producing food; syntropic farming and agro-forestry and regenerative farming; using tourism as a driver for regenerative agriculture by connecting farmers to hotels; providing technical assistance to farmers to producing regeneratively and giving them access to the market; training hotel staff for gastronomic heritage and regenerative products; creating agro experiences for tourists (visiting local community and the regenerative production); rural communities to be recognized through tourism and regenerative practices.

Sustainable Travel International

• Question: How can SIDS improve tourism governance to ensure long-term resilience and carbon neutrality? What policies and innovative financial mechanisms, such as nature-based financing and blue carbon initiatives, can SIDS implement to promote regenerative travel?
• Themes covered: importance of carbon measurement and carbon footprint of destination; establishing science-based targets; collaborative and participatory planning approach; promoting social justice and adaptation and transition to decarbonization; importance of regional collaboration; capacity of blue carbon ecosystem; channelling support for funds from corporate tourism businesses to regional organizations; raising awareness; joining voluntary carbon markets.

NOAH ReGen

• Question: How Blue Carbon can be a key player to funding the transition of Island States and how Island State can support the initiative to fast-track the implementation of that unique opportunity? 
• Themes covered: need to mobilize the private sector; need to establish a de-risking ecosystem for investment; blue carbon is the new revenue source for SIDS; blue carbon reaching very high value; need for global blue carbon market; bringing standardized framework and science-based metrics and data and best practices; robust decentralized governance; blockchain traceability and transparency;  blended financial leverage to credits; establishing protocols to make funds reinvested in circular economy of the transition of SIDS benefiting local communities; going beyond carbon measurement and auditing and scoring the side benefits- the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to raise value and trust in the market; launching in collaboration with UN Tourism the Re-PLANET Capital Fund Ecosystem (a global blue carbon platform) which includes a UN Net Zero Facility.

Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation and Investments of Antigua and Barbuda

• Question: What percentage of Tourism earnings are invested into the sustainably and resiliency of the Tourism industry (Antigua and Barbuda)
• Themes covered: High level of leakages (25% domestic retention) are limiting the opportunities to  finance sustainability and resiliency  interventions ; investor incentives include requests to repatriate 100% of profits; adjusting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) would be essential to consider what percentage of residents are benefiting from tourist arrivals, thus resulting in residents becoming the guardians of the environment which is a key asset for tourism; additional important KPIs should be middle and upper management levels jobs and number of tourism businesses locally owned.

• Question: what elements should we retain as key to start embracing a regenerative approach for climate action and resilience?

• Themes covered: reducing leakage by looking at traditional KPIs versus regenerative KPIs; measuring what matters to a destination rather than what matters to investors; addressing community and private sector involvements; addressing inadequate finances.

Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transport and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda

Key elements: It is necessary to put limit on the number of tourists visiting destinations and avoid the danger of over tourism. The concept of blue carbon is needed to be monetized for the SIDS and a solution to bring economic benefits while protecting marine ecosystems. Public private partnership is essential for the development of long-term strategies and visions in order to involve all the stakeholders and having a base for panning in spite of changes in the governments. Regenerative approaches and sustainability are key.