Source::UNWTO
In a session by UNWTO on 'Tourism in the Blue Economy' co-hosted with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and France, high-level representatives from all around the world have stressed how important implementing a blue economy is to combat climate change, plastic pollution and over-exploitation of resources. Many hope that this session will be a call to action to join the collective movement for ambitious commitments from tourism businesses and governments.
In the session panel. Colombian, Kenyan, Seychellean and Palauan representatives stressed how a stronger focus on sustainability can help deliver more competitive and inclusive tourism activities. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), tourism represents 40 per cent of the blue economy - an economy that is based on the sustainable use of ocean resources which improves the lives of people without compromising the habitat of the ocean.
With tourism having the largest export value in the blue economy, the panel sees an opportunity to intertwine to make responsible use of limited resources. They have also expressed that the global tourism's restart and recovery from COVID-19 also present another occasion to support the transformation of marine and coastal destinations towards more sustainable and resilient models based on ocean protection and conservation.
In the session, many leaders from private tourist companies like Accor, ClubMed, Costa Cruises, Iberostar Group, PONANT, TUI Group and the Blue Climate Initiative joined with policymakers to prioritize ocean protection and have made ambitious commitments to address plastic pollution and other problems. They have proposed practical solutions in line with Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action and urged other countries and companies to take steps and measures in line with the agreements mentioned above.
