We all know that climate change is happening. It may seem remote to some of us, but in many of the world’s tourist destinations, it is now a reality. Tourism is both at risk from climate change, and one of its causes. This report is about how tourism can become part of the global solution, rather than part of the problem.
Commissioned by the European Travel Commission, it provides the first global analysis of the risks to the tourism industry from climate change. It is also a roadmap towards a low-carbon tourism economy, which will require nothing less than a revolution in the sector.
While it draws on high-level climate change expertise, it also contains the views and experience of 17 travel and tourism leaders, who acknowledge that the viability of some destinations is seriously threatened, and that business as usual is no longer possible.
This report does not pull its punches. The choices made today will determine the scale of climate change in the future. According to the World Economic Forum, failure to tackle climate change is the single biggest risk to the global economy.