As 2019 comes to an end, it’s time to have a look at some of the main advancements this year concerning sustainable tourism.
According the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism continued to increase in 2019. Tourist arrivals between January and June grew by 4% more than in the same period of 2018.
The tourism landscape is rapidly changing, from its industry to tourists’ behaviours, and the debate about tourism development is focusing more and more on its sustainability, besides taking into account numbers alone. According to Booking.com, in 2019 over half (55%) of global travellers report being more determined to make sustainable travel choices than last year.
At the European level, in 2019 the debate about sustainable tourism has been very rich, and many initiatives have been focusing on this topic. The Mediterranean Sustainable Tourism Convention, held in Barcelona from 5th to 7th June 2019, has been the occasion for the Interreg MED Sustainable Tourism Community to contribute to this broad debate, by showcasing key project results.
The Community also presented the work done to produce four policy factsheets, which will contribute to the debate about the place of tourism in the post-2020 programming period and, more importantly, provide policy recommendation for a more sustainable tourism sector.
2020 will bring other interesting advancements… stay updated and follow us!
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