At the Blue Economy and Finance Forum, leaders from across the tourism industry came together to launch the Ocean Tourism Pact, a collective pledge and a working method to build a sustainable coastal and marine tourism or Blue Tourism.
Coastal and maritime tourism generates an estimated $1.5 trillion annually and supports 52 million jobs worldwide. Coastal and maritime destinations attract hundreds of millions of visitors each year, contributing significantly to local economies and livelihoods. Over 80% of travel and tourism goods and services directly or indirectly depend on healthy natural ecosystems.
But tourism also contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions and pollution of coastal and marine habitats. Marine and coastal environments are among the most diverse and essential ecosystems on Earth. They are being impacted by unsustainable practices, climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction. This is accelerating biodiversity loss and posing significant risks to the long-term viability of tourism itself.
“Oceans are critical to the future of Travel & Tourism,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO. “Coastal communities, and millions of jobs around the world, rely on a healthy marine ecosystem, yet these areas are under increasing threat. The Ocean Tourism Pact represents a vital step forward, bringing our industry together to protect ocean and coastal destinations and commit to long-term sustainable tourism that benefits people, nature, and local economies.”
Tourism organizations representing the spectrum of the tourism sector–from booking platforms to maritime transport and hospitality providers–have joined forces through the Ocean Tourism Pact to commit to more sustainable tourism. They include the three major industry coalitions – World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (WSHA), World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Travalyst and a group of pioneering companies (Accor, Club Med, DHI Dorint Hospitality & Innovation GmbH, Iberostar Hotels and Resorts, Kaldewei, MCS, Merrion, ORASCOM hotel management, Ponant). The Ocean Tourism Pact aims to:
- Accelerate the setting and implementation of commitments aimed at driving the net zero and sustainable transition of the tourism sector, such as the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and the Global Tourism Plastic Initiative;
- Mobilize public-private partnerships to strengthen the foundation for sustainable tourism;
- Establish a Coastal and Maritime Tourism Working Group, uniting governments, destinations, industry, and civil society. This working group will serve as a collaborative platform to foster shared learning and innovation, coordinate inclusive policies, develop tools, guidelines and standards that promote resilient coastal tourism, and monitor progress.
“Tourism is a vital source of economic and social development, and it draws its vitality from nature and the environment which it operates in,” said Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the WSHA. “Collaborating throughout the sector, with all key stakeholders, to anticipate the increasing risks and build resilience at destination level is instrumental to move the transition forward.”
