Highlights from the Destination: Stewardship, A Guide to Action on Climate Change
The end of 2023 sees a new record (again): the hottest year the world has experienced in recorded human history.
The recently completed COP28 climate change conference held in the UAE has again highlighted the magnitude of the challenge to transition humanity to a net zero carbon future. Few industries have as much at stake in addressing climate change as tourism. A hotter world with extreme weather will impact every destination, disrupt billions of dollars in travel annually and put at risk many of the world’s iconic attractions and destinations. From Florida’s beaches to the Great Barrier Reef, the wonders of Venice to numerous ski resorts, climate change poses an existential risk to tourism.
Therefore, tourism needs to be a leader, not a laggard, in climate change action. The principle of “stewardship” has emerged in recent years as a critical role of destination organizations; arguably, no challenge is more central to the role of good stewards than climate change.
In our updated white paper, “A Guide to Action on Climate Change,” we summarize 28 areas of climate change action for destination marketing and management organizations and their industry, government and community partners. Each area is illustrated with global examples of real-world projects and programs and supported by a range of expert resources and references. This white paper was developed in collaboration with our colleagues at Coraggio Group along with several expert partners: Group NAO, The Travel Foundation, Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDSM) and Solimar International.
Destination organizations should be at the center of climate change action in their communities. As organizations that connect the public and private sectors, destination organizations have the right structure, role and resources to be long-term, invaluable supporters, facilitators and coordinators of action in the tourism sector, working with government, industry and community partners.
There is no more time to discuss and debate. It's time for tourism to step up and take action.
Here are three areas highlighted in the complete white paper:
1. Champion and Support the Migration to Electric Vehicles in your Destination
The migration to electric vehicles (EV) will be the biggest change in ground transportation in more than 100 years. Despite some legitimate concerns about the environmental impact of EVs, it is a significant net positive for sustainability and the carbon footprint of travel (read more in “How Green are Electric Vehicles?” New York Times, June 2023). However, the EV revolution is getting bumpy and needs tourism to take more of a leadership role. No other industry will benefit as much from a smooth transition than tourism, especially remote or underserved communities that are central to promoting visitor dispersal and broadly based benefits from tourism. These opportunities are central to the role of destination organizations. Challenges include major gaps in charging infrastructure, plus reliability issues that create persistent high levels of range anxiety amongst travelers.
In our major annual research report with Longwoods International on U.S. road trip travelers, including a custom report on EV trips, over 90% of travelers cited concerns about EVs. The majority focused on the availability, accessibility and usability of use of charging stations. The good news: substantial amounts of government funding are available in many countries to help invest in charging infrastructure in your destination. A priority must be working with government and industry partners in pursuing this funding and ensuring charging stations are allocated thoughtfully based on the broader goals of tourism including visitor dispersal.
