(TAN): The newly launched European Green Deal will be a fundamental part of the European Travel Commission’s strategy to apply its 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals to make Europe the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) used International Tourism Trade Fair or FITUR held in Madrid, Spain as a platform to discuss the role tourism will have in achieving the goal. FITUR will cheer for tourism to be an integral part of the Green Deal.
According to data from UNWTO, Europe accounted for 51% of all tourist arrivals in 2019 while the EU28 Member States welcomed 577 million international visitors last year, 3% more than the earlier year. In 2018, receipts produced by international tourism hit EUR 407 billion (USD 448.4 billion approximately) across all 28 states, equal to nearly a third of the world total.
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UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said the organisation push for low carbon emission tourism.
“The tourism sector has an obligation to use its unique power to lead the response to the climate emergency and ensure responsible growth. UNWTO is committed to accelerating progress towards low carbon emission tourism, and I am delighted to see that, in this regard, UNWTO and the European Commission are on the same page,” he added.
Isabel Oliver, the Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, UNWTO’s host, said the significance of tourism as a tool to accomplish the challenges can be attained with increased presence in the European Union’s political structure.
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“A more prominent presence in the political structure of the European Union would allow the importance of tourism to be put on the agenda as a lever to achieve the challenges that European policy has identified, including the Green Deal.”
Croatia, which presently acts as the President of the Council of the European Union, discussed its plans for tourism. Secretary of State for Tourism of Croatia, Frano Matusic spoke about the nation’s obligation to sustainability and that it is vital that challenges are approached in an organised way.
“Tourism is a significant economic factor in the world GDP, but at the same time it affects the preservation of cultural heritage, the environment, the labor market, infrastructure, etc. As these challenges are common to all Member States, it is important to address these issues in a systematic manner at the both European and global level. Implementation and promotion of sustainable development policies are the backbone of Croatia’s EU Council Presidency in the field of tourism, and Croatia will therefore continue to strengthen its co-operation initiative precisely to ensure tourism’s success in the future,” Matusic said.
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The Green Deal reportedly aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It is also about improving the well-being of people; making Europe climate-neutral, and protecting its natural habitat for the benefit of people, planet and economy.
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