A new report has shown how the travel and tourism industries could play a vital role in stopping and reversing the destruction of nature.
The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Nature Positive Travel & Tourism report has been launched ahead of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), where world governments will finalize actions to transform society’s relationship with nature and offer new hope for nature conservation.
“Human activity has led to a devastating loss of natural habitat and biodiversity, with one in four species threatened with extinction,” said WTTC CEO Julia Simpson. “Travel & Tourism is uniquely placed to make a real difference. 80% of travel and tourism is highly dependent on nature, so we must play a proactive role in advancing nature conservation.
Travel-related businesses are uniquely positioned to take positive action to restore nature and reach Net Zero. With nature tourism accounting for 20% of global travel, the report shows how crucial Mother Nature is to destinations around the world.
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Additionally, wildlife contributes $343 billion annually to the global economy and supports nearly 22 million jobs. The report also proposes four actions businesses can take in the short term, including reconnecting people and nature, supporting sustainable value chains, protecting animal welfare, and investing in nature.
Biodiversity is also linked to other critical issues, such as climate change and emerging diseases, with the potential impact demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ecosystems and societies around the world must address biodiversity loss not only to ensure that they remain resilient but to ensure that the global economy and society continue to prosper.
“Much of the travel and tourism sector depends on the beauty of nature and the resources it provides,” said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. “Yet we are losing biodiversity and natural resources at an unprecedented rate.”
“The Travel & Tourism industry has a unique opportunity to reverse this trend by implementing several actions, including education and awareness, generation of revenue streams supporting ecosystem protection, management, and restoration, and reducing footprint activities,” said Mrema.
Although global travel values nature and remains committed to protecting people and the planet, the WTTC believes that more guidance is needed on the importance of biodiversity, the main drivers of biodiversity loss, and the components for better protection and restore it.
The report offers a roadmap based on a four-phase framework with practical steps to guide the sector in adopting a Nature Positive approach: assess operational impact, define strategy, identify essential actions, deploy and review the program and exploit communication opportunities.
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