NIMES, France — The global travel and tourism industry, hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, is recovering as countries around the world reopen their borders, governments lift travel restrictions, and suppressed travel demand continues unabated. But as climate change, heatwaves, flooding and drought threaten tourist destinations around the world, it remains one of the main challenges the industry is grappling with.
According to the World Tourism Organization, the number of international travelers reached 57 percent of pre-pandemic levels between January and July this year. An estimated 474 million tourists traveled internationally in the first seven months, compared to 175 million tourists in the same months in 2021.
The increase in the number of tourists has been good news for many countries that have lost a large share of their income due to the pandemic.
Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. Before the pandemic, it accounted for one in four new jobs worldwide and one in 10 jobs worldwide, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Its contribution to global GDP was 10.3 percent (US$ 9.6 trillion).
But it has a downside. Tourism accounts for 8-11 percent of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), aviation alone is responsible for 2 percent of global CO2 emissions.
As tourism grows, the need to mitigate the negative impact of climate change was a key theme discussed at a two-day conference titled “Transforming Travel to Improve Sustainability” in Nîmes, France.
A World for Travel Nîmes Forum brought together at least 300 tourism executives, dignitaries, tourism ministers and industry leaders to discuss ideas and exchange information on best practices to ensure the long-term sustainability of the tourism industry.
The impact of climate change has already been felt in many countries around the world and most recently on the southern Greek island of Crete, a popular holiday destination. Severe torrential flooding killed at least two people. European cities have also experienced unprecedented heat waves during the summer months at the height of the tourist season, and wildfires have occurred in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia and Greece.
Efforts are underway to combat the negative effects of climate change. The 27th UN Climate Change Conference, or COP27, will be held next week in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The conference aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions, fund climate action and address the loss and damage of climate change in developing countries. The main aim is to keep the global temperature rise well below 2°C and limit the temperature rise to 1.5°C in order to prevent climate-related disasters. This was already enshrined in the Paris Agreement, signed by 194 countries in 2015 in response to the threat of global warming.
“Global warming is affecting sea levels and ski resorts, which will collapse if no action is taken,” Egypt’s deputy tourism minister, Ghad Shalaby, said at the conference. “We need to move from words and talks to action and create a plan,” he said.
Egypt hopes they will keep their promise to mobilize $100 billion a year to developing countries by 2020 to help wealthy countries deal with climate change; A commitment made at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009.
“Financing the green transition is crucial when addressing global warming and the impact of climate change. That’s why rich countries are held responsible. Jordan News.
Accelerating action against climate change requires collective commitments at the international level to make progress. Also, momentum on climate action has stalled as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.
Still, tourism businesses and aviation industry leaders are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN agency that oversees aviation, this month adopted a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“It is an important step forward that sets the framework for investors in the airline industry to support sustainable aviation,” said Didier Brechemier, senior partner at Roland Berger, a global consulting firm headquartered in Germany. “An ambitious target that will encourage those operating in the industry to invest in new energies.”
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