Climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Tourism sector: frameworks, tools and practices

Abstract

At the 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, convened by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Davos, Switzerland in October 2007, there was a request from numerous participants, many from developing countries, for assistance in building capacity for the management of issues relating to tourism developments and climate change impacts. Specific requests were made for training events focussing on adaptation and mitigation techniques, tools and methods. UNEP and UNWTO aim to bring efforts on climate change and tourism into their mainstream environment activities, building on the Davos Declaration (UNWTO 2007a) and demanding action to adapt tourist businesses and destinations to climate change and to mitigate the impacts of tourism on climate change. In addition it builds on the Bali Strategic Plan to enhance the provision by UNEP of capacity building assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition (UNEP 2005) as well as broader concerns over the need for global institutional leadership with respect to tourism-related climate change adaptation and mitigation activities, as expressed in the Helsingborg Statement on Sustainable Tourism.