This week, the first EU tourism forum on climate change was held in Rhodes, Greece, whereby the European travel and tourism industry met to discuss the impact of climate crises on the sector.
A landmark joint declaration was signed to commit to a more sustainable and resilient tourism industry in the future.
Key commitments from the declaration:
- Decarbonisation: Implement comprehensive climate action plans at an organisational level to minimise environmental impact.
- Consolidating pledges: Reaffirm and strengthen pledges to achieve decarbonisation targets by 2050, as endorsed in the Glasgow and Toulouse Declarations.
- Catalysing industry: Foster a culture of awareness and responsibility, by sharing best practices and providing expertise to advance decarbonisation efforts.
- Supporting SMEs: Assist small and medium-sized enterprises in adapting to climate challenges and accessing funding opportunities for decarbonisation initiatives.
- Education and training: Support initiatives to upskill and reskill the workforce and tackle sustainable skill gaps.
- Collaboration: Commit to regular meetings to assess progress and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders, and shape a viable regulatory landscape with European and national policymakers.
For more information, please refer to the press release and the declaration.