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For tourism organizations navigating an increasingly uncertain climate, action isn’t optional, it’s a stewardship imperative.
For many destinations, the consequences of climate change are no longer hypothetical. From coastal erosion and flooding, to heatwaves, wildfires and droughts, climate-related shocks continue to surface—resulting in a loss of biodiversity, displacement of vulnerable communities, increased exposure to disease, destruction of infrastructure and more adverse outcomes.
The question facing destination organizations today isn’t whether climate change will affect your destination. It’s whether your organization is leading the response or simply responding to it.
As stewards of place and organizations that connect the public and private sectors, destination organizations are in a uniquely influential position. With the relationships, reach and mandate to build a more resilient future for your destination, the challenge is turning that position into a clear, credible and coordinated plan.
The Tourism Industry’s Footprint & Why It Matters
Travel and tourism’s contribution to climate change is undeniable. But understanding the scale of tourism’s climate impact is a necessary starting point to ground your organization’s strategy in evidence and identify high-impact opportunities.
A Decline in GHG Emissions
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Environmental & Social Research 2025, travel and tourism emissions accounted for 7.3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2024, down from 8.3% in 2019. The decline has been driven by efficiency improvements such as the adoption of low-carbon energy and decline in fossil fuel use. While the drop in emissions is a positive signal, it’s worth further exploring why.
A Full But Uneven Recovery for International Tourism
For example, while overnight tourist numbers virtually recovered, results varied across regions—with the Americas and Asia Pacific regions remaining 3% and 13% below 2019 levels, respectively. To add further insight, a University of Queensland-led study found that three countries, the U.S., China and India, were responsible for 39% of global tourism emissions in 2019. With two of those three markets still below full recovery in 2024, some of the emissions progress may reflect reduced travel demand as much as cleaner alternatives.
A Growth in Tourism GDP
In addition to a decline in GHG emissions, 2024 also marked the year that tourism’s GDP footprint grew 6% past its pre-pandemic peak. As tourism’s GDP footprint strengthens, the emissions trajectory may be under pressure again—signaling an opportunity for destination organizations to take action.
The Opportunity for Destination Organizations
Before the next growth cycle fully accelerates, destination organizations have an opportunity to establish a credible stewardship baseline and strategic approach that will enable them to manage that growth intentionally and proactively.
Meanwhile, the high concentration of emissions attributed to just three countries makes the case for precision at the destination level, and highlights the impact destination organizations can have on the behaviors and decisions visitors make when traveling. Destination organizations are closer to those traveler decisions than any national government or airline.
Two Climate Action Strategies Every Destination Organization Needs
There are two key strategies tourism organizations should integrate into their stewardship strategy: climate change adaptation and climate change mitigation. They work together, and both are essential.
Climate Change Mitigation Strategies
Climate mitigation strategies focus on reducing GHG emissions generated by your destination, and tourism organizations should prioritize addressing the strongest drivers of emissions like those related to tourism consumption (i.e., money spent on accommodations, gastronomy, transportation).
Mitigation strategies are essential for meeting industry-wide goals and can include decarbonization activities such as:
- Supporting local businesses, accommodations and venues in transitioning to renewable energy sources
- Promoting low-emission transportation options and advocating for investment in sustainable infrastructure
- Implementing sustainable land-use policies in partnership with local government
A critical first step for destination organizations is measurement and establishing a reliable baseline for future improvement and decision-making. Tools like carbon calculators or partnerships with industry experts are a good starting point. Measurement enables you to set attainable goals and develop a credible climate strategy.
Singapore’s integration of national policy, destination-level certification and high-performance building standards provides a model for how destination organizations can align green-building advocacy with wider sustainability goals. Find more examples of destinations taking climate action in “Destination Stewardship: A Guide to Action on Climate Change“.
Climate Change Adaptation Strategies
While mitigation focuses on reducing GHGs and lessening the impacts of climate change, adaptation strategies focus on strengthening a destination’s resilience against its unavoidable impacts. For tourism organizations, this can include:
- Creating disaster preparedness and response plans before they’re needed
- Investing in and advocating for climate-resilient infrastructure
- Partnering with conservation groups to protect ecological assets
- Diversifying the tourism economy in order to prepare for a changing future
Destination organizations can get started by assessing climate-related risks throughout their destination, ranging from vulnerable tourism assets and communities, to management and operation processes. That clarity enables your organization to make more informed, confident decisions when developing adaptation solutions.
Both climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation strategies are essential for destinations to not only address climate change but implement a holistic destination management approach. Together, they help reduce a destination’s vulnerability to climate change while also supporting stakeholders based on the actual and expected realities of climate change.
For coastal and island destinations, healthy coral reefs are essential for both ecological and economic resilience. Destination organizations can partner with conservation groups to fund coral nurseries, educate visitors and integrate restoration activities into diving and snorkeling experiences. Explore more practical steps for taking climate action in “Destination Stewardship: A Guide to Action on Climate Change“.
Taking a Destination Stewardship Approach
To make meaningful progress on climate action, destinations can no longer treat it as a separate initiative but as a stewardship lens for decision-making and how they choose to engage with visitors and residents. That means climate considerations show up in your stakeholder conversations, in your destination development decisions and in how you allocate your organization’s resources.
Destination organizations are in an opportune position to be a supporter, facilitator and leader of climate change action in their destination. If you’re ready to take the next steps toward building a more resilient destination, explore next steps below:
Access A Guide to Action on Climate Change
Download the flagship report from the Travel Foundation and Destination Wayfinder, “Destination Stewardship: A Guide to Action on Climate Change”. The 2025 edition is fully aligned with the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, a sector-wide initiative to accelerate climate action in tourism, and includes 37 action steps and more than 90 real-world examples to draw both insights and inspiration from.
Build Your Capability in Climate Action
Destination Wayfinder’s GSTC-recognized framework and technology platform is designed to make this type of integrated stewardship approach practical, not just aspirational. If you’re ready to build your organization’s capability and advance your climate strategy, book a demo to consult with our team of stewardship experts.