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Empowering Destination Organizations to Lead on Climate Solutions
The Travel Foundation, in association with Destination Wayfinder, has launched a new edition of the flagship report, Destination Stewardship: A Guide to Action on Climate Change (2025 Edition), timed to align with the Travel Foundation’s global online sessions for the COP30 climate summit.
Authored by the Travel Foundation – an independent charity that works with tourism companies and organizations to unlock the positive potential of tourism – this updated white paper underscores how destination organizations can play a central role in addressing the climate crisis.
The updated report builds on the 2023 edition and has been fully aligned with the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism. It outlines 37 concrete actions across six key areas; planning, measurement, decarbonization, regeneration, collaboration, and financing, and is supported by new research and global case studies from destinations such as California, Fiji, Scotland, and Singapore.
“Tourism’s climate transition depends on destinations taking the lead,” said the report’s lead author, Jeremy Smith, climate action expert at the Travel Foundation. “This report provides some practical inspiration, with 37 ideas backed by over 90 real-world examples and resources, to help DMOs consider actions that reflect local priorities while aligning with the Glasgow Declaration’s global goals.”
With examples drawn from destination organizations worldwide, the 2025 report provides a clear framework for turning strategy into tangible outcomes, shifting from pledges to implementation and measurable impact on the path to a resilient, net-zero future. Its core message, that “climate resilience is destination resilience,” positions climate action not as a siloed sustainability initiative, but as a guiding lens for decision-making and long-term stewardship. The report underscores how destination organizations are uniquely positioned to unite government, industry, and communities – acting as catalysts for climate leadership and systemic transformation.
“Few industries are as exposed to the impacts of climate change, or as well positioned to lead on its solutions, as tourism,” said Kristin Dunne, Vice President at Destination Wayfinder. “This report underscores the industry’s capacity to create destinations that are more resilient, inclusive, and thriving for both residents and visitors.”
The Destination Stewardship: Guide to Action on Climate Change (2025 Edition) officially launches today, November 19, with the Travel Foundation offering a preview during its COP30 online event. The report will be available for download from www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk/guidetoaction.
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- DMOs committed to climate action should plan their strategies in alignment with recognised global frameworks such as the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism.
- Measuring tourism emissions and climate impacts establishes a reliable baseline, builds accountability, and enables evidence-based decisions.
- DMOs can support decarbonisation by influencing transport choices, advocating for renewable energy, and enabling businesses to reduce their operational footprints.
- DMOs should prioritize regenerative actions that go beyond reducing harm to actively repairing relationships between people, places, and nature.
- Lasting climate action in tourism depends on collective effort, aligning public and private partners, sharing data and tools, and supporting each other’s capacity to act.
- DMOs can help unlock funding for climate action by connecting stakeholders and making the economic case for destination resilience.
About the Travel Foundation
The Travel Foundation is a global non-profit NGO that brings together governments and tourism businesses to benefit destination communities and the environment.
The “Global Sessions on Climate Action in Tourism: COP30” are being held on Thursday 20 November. Co-hosted by the Travel Foundation and Travalyst, in collaboration with UN Tourism, this flagship online event is the global virtual gathering point for tourism during COP30 Tourism Thematic Days. More details and registration here.
About Destination Wayfinder
Destination Wayfinder is an industry-led initiative and destination management tool enabling destination organizations to measure, monitor and improve destination stewardship capability and outcomes. Through strategic investment in research, technology and collaboration with the Global Stewardship Innovation Lab—a network of thought leaders, researchers, and stewardship practitioners—Destination Wayfinder delivers a best-practice destination management framework designed to guide organizations toward sustainable and regenerative outcomes.