By Blessing Manale
As we hasten to recover from the devastating impact of Covid-19, which wreaked havoc in the travel and tourism sector in the past three years, we need to remain alive to the existential threat of the impact of climate change on destinations and the experiences we all aspire voyage to.
Today, September 27, we mark another instalment of the World Tourism Day (WTD), themed “Tourism and Green Investments” by the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), with the sector facing new and old pressures due to climate change.
Climate-driven degradation and disruption to cultural and natural heritage negatively affect the tourism sector. It wipes out the attractiveness of destinations and squeezes the economic opportunities of communities. With its intrinsic link to the environment and climate itself, tourism is considered to be a vulnerable and climate-sensitive economic sector, similar to agriculture, insurance, energy and transportation – our response should therefore be equal to the task.
In his 2023, WTD message, Dr Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-General contextualised the theme: “Tourism is a powerful force for progress and mutual understanding. But in order to deliver its full benefits, this force must be protected and nurtured. Today, the climate emergency is threatening many travel destinations and the very survival of communities and economies that depend on tourism.”
The sentiment from the UNSG is in recognition of the vital need for sustainable fossilised investments to build a tourism sector that delivers for people, planet and prosperity and to move from carbon-intensive ways of delivering visitor experiences, so that the tourism sector and its entire value chain lead in transitioning to a low-carbon future.
A clear and present danger for destinations
Climate is a principal resource for tourism, influenced by a factor like the suitability of locations for a wide range of tourist activities, is a principal driver of global seasonality in tourism demand, and has an important influence on operating costs, such as heating-cooling, snowmaking, irrigation, food and water supply, and insurance costs.
Equally, the sector is not just a victim of global warming. It is also the global villain responsible for 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, increasing as we travel more; thus, making the need to scale up climate action in tourism as urgent, the cost of inaction larger than the cost of any other crisis to hit the sector.
A just transition will be possible only if tourism policies and strategies acknowledge the effects of climate change on a destination’s tourism appeal and the sector’s negative environmental impacts. It puts in place efforts and actions aimed at achieving a low-emission, climate-resilient and inclusive tourism economy.
The actions should broadly support climate adaptation and mitigation measures in the tourism sector, advocating for reduced demand for fossil fuels for transport and promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable policy and management initiatives.
Ambitious infant steps
For South Africa, the responsible tourism practice (as set out in the National Minimum Standard for Responsible Tourism (Sans 1162) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy and water, reduce waste and plastic consumption and ensure that fair benefits accrue to communities and employees.
New technologies such as solar-powered water heaters, temperature control systems and energy saving appliances allow the industry to lessen its carbon footprint, but they need to be upscaled as they are not enough to outweigh the emissions created by travel and tourism activities.
The sector tends to produce massive amounts of carbon even before the first tourist arrives. Constructing a new building is an energy-intensive process – the development of roads and other infrastructure for tourism also contributes to climate change and leave a footprint.
To realise our climate ambitions, we need tourism recovery plans underpinned by climate action, we need targeted investments that can deliver jobs and support economic development while mitigating the impacts of tourism, while empowering communities, promoting their cultures, and contributing to sustainable livelihoods.
The impacts of climate change on the tourism sector will steadily intensify and would redistribute climate resources for tourism geographically and seasonally. It will differ for tourism destinations across the world. The most vulnerable regions are in developing countries, which generally also have less adaptive capacity, and this will be a particular challenge for their tourist destinations and their host communities.
As we confront the challenges of climate change, let us convert them into opportunities for restarting a thriving tourism sector offering bucket-list experiences to our domestic travellers and international visitors.
On this World Tourism Day, let us re-echo our call for everyone to protect the durability of infrastructure, natural and built, sustaining the value, beauty and navigability of all destinations.
Blessing Manale is the head of communications, Presidential Climate Commission.
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