World Tourism Day marked by call for greener practices

International tourism could play an important role in combating climate change and reducing poverty if both the industry and governments adopted greener, sustainable practices, according to the head of the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The Secretary-General of the agency, Francesco Frangialli, stressed in his message marking World Tourism Day that the tourism industry needs to act quickly in the direction of carbon-neutral practices.

He said: “We encourage urgent adaptation of a range of policies which promote sustainable tourism that reflects environmental, socio-economic and climate responsiveness.”

The theme of this year’s World Tourism Day is responding to the challenges presented to the industry by climate change, and Frangialli added that the UNWTO was actively press those in the tourism industry to operate in ways that are as carbon-neutral as possible.

“Our call to action is hence to change habits and position renewable energy at the forefront of international response by promoting the action-oriented Davos Declaration Process, encouraging tourism stakeholders to adapt, to mitigate and use new technology and secure financing for the poorest countries to face the challenge of climate change.”

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