COP29 Baku marks historic milestone for the tourism sector by highlighting “Climate Action in Tourism” on November 20, 2024.
NEW YORK, NY – The journey from Climate Week NYC to COP29 Baku has reinforced redefining tourism’s potential as a driver of regeneration. The 2024 Regenerative Travel Summit, held during Climate Week in New York, laid the foundation by gathering global leaders to share insights, foster partnerships, and discuss how tourism can contribute to global climate resilience. The summit inspired change through themes of mentorship, purpose-driven leadership, conservation, and innovative partnerships, with a resounding message: tourism can be a catalyst for positive planetary impact.
As The UN Climate Change COP29 began yesterday, this year’s conference marks a historic milestone for the tourism sector by highlighting “Climate Action in Tourism” on its global climate agenda for the first time. Under the Presidency of Azerbaijan, this significant inclusion results from collaboration between the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, UN Tourism, and UNEP. On November 20, 2024, Tourism Day will convene global leaders, policymakers, and tourism stakeholders in Baku to accelerate climate commitments, drive systemic change, and explore tourism’s transformative potential for environmental and social regeneration.
The significance of this milestone cannot be understated: with tourism responsible for a considerable share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasingly vulnerable to climate impacts, the sector is poised to influence global sustainability efforts profoundly. This inclusion in the COP29 Action Agenda highlights the urgent need for systemic changes and commitments, aimed at transforming tourism into a driving force for climate action and regeneration.
Amanda Ho, Co-Founder and CEO of Regenerative Travel.
Amanda Ho, Co-Founder and CEO of Regenerative Travel, recently participated in the Inaugural Event of the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses, co-organized with the University of Oxford SDG Impact Lab. This invitation-only event was held on September 30, 2024, at the UN Tourism Headquarters in Madrid, Spain. Amanda Ho’s expertise in tourism sustainability and ESG was recognized with an invitation to join discussions on establishing the ‘ESG Advisory Board.’ Attendees were encouraged to play a pivotal role in advising on the progress of the ESG Framework, showcasing the importance of ESG in transforming tourism practices. Relevant documents such as the Preliminary Agenda, the Information Note, and the ESG Project Brochure were shared to inform and engage participants further.
Key Takeaways from the Regenerative Travel Summit 2024:
Mentorship and Purpose-Driven Leadership
Michael Sheldrick’s keynote, “From Ideas to Impact,” highlights the vital role of mentorship and purpose-driven leadership in achieving systemic change. Reflecting on his journey as a global advocate, Sheldrick credited the transformative impact of personal belief and mentorship in driving his mission. His call to action emphasized that achieving large-scale climate solutions requires policy innovation and a collective shift from charity-focused efforts to meaningful policy changes.
Sarah Dusek, co-founder of Under Canvas, echoed this sentiment by sharing her inspiring entrepreneurial journey, highlighting how businesses can scale sustainably when purpose and passion are at their core. She urged future leaders to dream big and align their strategies with sustainability, setting the stage for COP29’s emphasis on leadership that can push boundaries and accelerate climate action.
Storytelling and Media’s Role in Climate Advocacy
The panel “Shaping the Next Generation of Journalism and Travel Media” spotlighted the power of storytelling in mobilizing climate action. Juliet Kinsman emphasized the need for relatable and engaging narratives that inspire people to care about sustainability without being alienating or overwhelming. Panelists discussed strategies to engage diverse audiences, stressing that impactful storytelling can shift behaviors and foster widespread awareness. This theme directly aligns with COP29’s objective to elevate communication and collaboration as tools to amplify tourism’s climate impact.
Positivity Over Shame: Framing Climate Solutions
Panelists agreed that framing climate solutions positively, rather than through guilt or shame, is essential for engaging wider audiences. They highlighted research showing that peer influence, community-driven initiatives, and accessible conversations are more effective in encouraging sustainable behavior. This takeaway will inform Tourism Day’s emphasis on inclusive and engaging climate action frameworks, creating an environment where all stakeholders feel empowered to contribute meaningfully.
Harmonized ESG Standards and Policy Change
Julie Cheetham’s insights into the complexities of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards stressed the urgency of establishing harmonized criteria to drive tourism’s transition to sustainable practices. The lack of universal standards, she argued, hinders progress and gives businesses excuses to delay action. The call for mandatory ESG disclosures and stronger incentives for compliance aligns with COP29’s goal of launching the Baku Declaration on Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism. This declaration will encourage tourism administrations to integrate climate action into their policies, reinforcing the importance of regulatory frameworks to ensure accountability.
True Cost Accounting for Transparency
Juliet Kinsman highlighted the “True Cost Accounting” as a focal point, emphasizing the need for transparency in evaluating tourism’s environmental and social impacts. TCA involves considering external costs, such as environmental degradation, alongside internal expenses. This approach will inform COP29’s discussions on using science-based frameworks, like the UN Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST), to measure tourism emissions and ensure data-driven climate strategies.
Tourism’s Dependency on Nature and Conservation
The panel “Establishing Public-Private Partnerships for Conservation” emphasized the essential link between tourism and nature, with Gilberto Salcedo Ribero from ProColombia highlighting that 80% of tourism relies on healthy ecosystems. The conversation focused on embedding conservation as a core economic strategy, illustrating successful models where tourism drives biodiversity protection and community income. This insight highlights the Tourism Day’s focus on positioning conservation initiatives as crucial to tourism’s climate adaptation strategies.
Economic Potential of Conservation Efforts
Speakers highlighted how conservation can fuel economic growth, especially in biodiversity-rich regions. O’Shannon Burns stressed the need to mainstream conservation in tourism business models, while Jaqueline Gil from Brazil shared examples of linking tourism to conservation projects. These models underscore tourism’s potential to support biodiversity protection while creating sustainable livelihoods, a theme that will be explored further during high-level COP29 discussions.
Collaborative Partnerships for Regenerative Tourism
The summit showcased the power of collaboration between governments, the private sector, and communities in diversifying tourism offerings and building economic resilience. The panelists shared examples from the Caribbean and Africa, where partnerships have created year-round economic opportunities through conservation and education projects. COP29 will build on this theme by launching a global coordination and partnership mechanism to ensure coherence and amplify impact across tourism climate initiatives.
Empowering Purpose-Driven Leaders
Sarah Dusek’s keynote closed the summit with an empowering message for future leaders, encouraging them to challenge outdated business models and align their visions with global climate needs. Her emphasis on purpose-driven leadership set the tone for the discussions that will take place at COP29, inspiring participants to lead with passion and create regenerative business strategies.
COP29’s Tourism Day promises to advance these conversations and commitments, building on the momentum from Climate Week NYC to drive action and policy change. Stakeholders from around the world will convene to discuss the transformative potential of tourism, aiming to embed climate action and regeneration into every aspect of the sector.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
