From G20 to COP26: UNWTO guides tourism through critical week

With the importance of funding and investments made clear, and with the G20 Tourism Ministers also having welcomed the recommendations for the transition to a green travel and tourism economy, developed by UNWTO and the G20 tourism working group, the focus will then shift to Glasgow later this week

At the start of a crucial week for global governance, tourism's relevance will be part of the discussions at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), just as it was in Rome when G20 leaders met to coordinate plans for sustainable and inclusive recovery.

In Italy, UNWTO succeeded in placing tourism's importance in the spotlight. The leaders of some of the world's biggest economies endorsed the G20 Rome Guidelines for the Future of Tourism, committing themselves to taking action to fulfill its objectives, particularly to accelerate the return of safe and seamless travel and the digital transformation of the sector.

The G20 Rome Leaders' Declaration states: "We will continue to support a rapid, resilient, inclusive and sustainable recovery of the tourism sector", with a special emphasis on "safe mobility and seamless travel and sustainability and digitalization." Concluding the G20 leaders called on their Ministers of Tourism to build on exiting collaboration with UNWTO and other international organizations.

From Rome to London

"The G20 represent 70 per cent of world tourism and are in a natural position to lead tourism's recovery", Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO said. He also stressed the need for "coordination, strong actions, political and financial support for tourism's transition to greater inclusivity and sustainability, which we will be addressing at our Minsters' Summit during World Travel Market in London."

'Investing in tourism's sustainable future' is the theme for this year's Ministers' summit on 2 November, organized by UNWTO, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and WTM, gathering over 20 tourism ministers leading private sector operators. In London, UNWTO will make clear that tourism will only be able to recover and meet its climate action commitments if it is given the proper political and financial backing.

With the importance of funding and investments made clear, and with the G20 Tourism Ministers also having welcomed the recommendations for the transition to a green travel and tourism economy, developed by UNWTO and the G20 tourism working group, the focus will then shift to Glasgow later this week. UNWTO will play an active role in climate action discussions and will launch the Glasgow declaration, a commitment to accelerating the sector's shift to net-zero. The declaration already counts on more than 150 signatories from every part of the sector and of every size.

Tourism's voice at COP26

Tourism is now an established part of the UN agenda, recognized for its ability to contribute to all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UNWTO will be bridging the gap between governments and the private sector to ensure tourism lives up to its climate action responsibilities.

Leading the main tourism related event at COP26, UNWTO has gathered hundreds of private sector operators from across the world to commit to the Glasgow declaration.

Spearheaded by UNWTO, this declaration is aimed at aligning the diverse tourism sector behind a single, overarching goal of halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050 at the latest. The declaration is to be implemented in collaboration with the travel foundation and within the framework of the one planet sustainable tourism.

The Glasgow declaration on climate action on tourism will be officially launched with the objective to raise the climate ambition of tourism stakeholders and secure strong actions to support the global commitment to halve emissions by 2030 and reach net zero as soon as possible before 2050. Transforming tourism through climate action is crucial for the sector's competitiveness, sustainability and resilience.

During the session, policy makers and leading industry representatives will discuss strategic approaches and will commit and subscribe to the Glasgow declaration. Define a clear and consistent sector-wide message and approach to climate action in the coming decade, aligned with the wider scientific framework and urgency to act now. Outline the pathways and specific actions that will accelerate tourism's ability to transform tourism and achieve net zero emissions as soon as possible.

Encourage signatories across the tourism industry to demonstrate their public support for scaling up the sector's response to the climate emergency. The signatories of the Glasgow declaration agree on five shared pathways to ensure climate action is aligned across all of tourism sector: Measure, decarbonise, regenerate, collaborate and finance.