Sustainable tourism tips

Five destinations in Europe are among the top ten sustainable places to travel to in 2024, according to Lonely Planet.

Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Digital Office and Chairman of the Higher Committee of the Sharjah Government Pavilion at GITEX 2023, toured various pavilions participating in the exhibition to explore the latest innovative technologies offered by government entities across the UAE. During his tour, Sheikh Saud reviewed the remarkable achievements presented by the Dubai Digital Government, Ajman Digital Government, Fujairah Government, Abu Dhabi Government, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, Etisalat by e&, and Du. He gained insights into the latest projects and technical solutions provided by these entities towards supporting digital transformation across various sectors, including healthcare, education, environment, and culture. He also commended their efforts in strengthening the country’s position as a leading regional innovation and excellence hub.

I’m standing at a scrubbed wooden table grating cucumber for tzatziki with a view of a manicured vegetable plot and a soundtrack of bleating goats.

International tourists have been flocking back to Japan with visitor numbers nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels, according to government statistics.

The staggering impact of climate change and environmental issues means that sustainability can no longer be ignored. It is one of the few global trends set to be ever-present over the coming decades, impacting industries worldwide, and none more so than the global travel and tourism industry. Against this backdrop, tourism stakeholders need to rethink sustainable practices throughout the industry, focusing on how the sector can incorporate new models and insights, to ensure its sustainable future, and advance proposals towards net-zero, nature-positive tourism that benefits local communities.

Barcelona is closing its city centre to cruise ships.

VisitCanberra have entered a partnership with Ecotourism Australia, the peak body for sustainable and ecotourism in Australia, to grow and strengthen the nation capital’s sustainable tourism products and experiences. “We are pleased to be working with VisitCanberra to kickstart operators’ sustainability journey with the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard and to strengthen sustainable tourism as a priority for the region,” said Ecotourism Australia Chief Executive, Ms Elissa Keenan.

More than 600 young people from 100 countries have been brought together by the Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC) to engage in solutions for reaching net zero in travel and tourism, as part of UFCCC MENA Climate Week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The world’s first Global Solutions Hub, to help drive Sustainable Tourism, is launched at MENA Climate Week in Saudi Arabia.

What could be more enticing than a winding train journey through the Swiss mountains, sitting opposite tennis star Roger Federer and comedian Trevor Noah?

Anantara Hotels and Resorts has rolled out its ‘Dollar for Deeds’ program at its properties globally, having originally launched the initiative at select hotels in Thailand almost ten years ago.

The new ‘Sustainability Expert’ initiative was launched during the ANTOR Media Awards Gala Dinner in London, on Monday night. The new ‘free to the user’ e-Learning platform provides a convenient and easily accessible resource for responsible tourism education and training worldwide. The Sustainability Expert platform serves as singular hub for the travel industry, highlighting organisations, destinations and travel brands committed to environmental stewardship, cultural responsibility, and eco-conscious practices. The hub, curated by Equator Global, enables individuals to attain the coveted ‘Sustainability Expert’ certification by successfully completing a minimum of four courses from the 28 free courses featured.

This World Tourism Day – taking place on September 27 – the hotel industry is witnessing a significant transformation with sustainability finally emerging as a crucial factor in a hotel’s success. As part of this year’s theme the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has identified green investments as a top priority for the recovery and future growth of tourism, emphasising the need for more focused and better investments for people, the planet, and prosperity.

Iceland plans to introduce a tourist tax to help protect its unspoilt nature.

Travel has well and truly bounced back since the pandemic, buoying tourist destinations that were crippled by restrictions and closures.

Daytrippers to Venice will soon have to pay for the privilege, as the city brings in its delayed tourist tax.

You’ll soon be able to fall asleep in Paris and wake up in Berlin thanks to the return of Austrian rail operator ÖBB’s night train service.

Adventure travel specialist G Adventures has made a “significant financial investment” in Reforest, a digital platform that connects travelers with local communities that are restoring their ecosystems using reforestation.

Airbnb said that the flexible search features it has rolled out since early 2021 have so far diverted bookings from destinations coping with overtourism and peak travel times, according to data it shared on Friday.

The Hawaiian government this week rescinded the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s U.S. tourism contract with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, a community non-profit, providing a potential setback for the authority’s sustainable tourism efforts. The reason for the government’s rescission was that the contract needed to be separated into two, one for marketing and the other for visitor management and community relations.

Are carbon offset programs bad news? In many ways, believes Tom Kershaw, Travelport’s chief product and technology officer, making a case for more measurable and achievable ways to reach environmental goals.