With its close connections to the environment and climate itself, tourism is considered to be a vulnerable and highly climate-sensitive economic sector, similar to agriculture, insurance, energy, and transportation. At the same time, tourism is a contributor to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, including emissions from transport, accommodation and activities. In 2005, tourism’s contribution to GHG emissions was estimated to be approximately 5%.

According to the Davos Declaration on climate Change and Tourism the sector has to “rapidly respond to climate change, within the evolving UN framework and progressively reduce its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, if it is to grow in a sustainable way”.

In response to this challenge this publication is designed to provide a pragmatic platform to strengthen the capacity of professionals to understand and respond effectively to the global challenges of climate change in tourism destinations. It is the result of the ongoing cooperation between UNEP, UNWTO and WMO in the context of the wider UN response to climate change.

The publication presents an overview of the current science and policy of climate change, followed by self-guidance material on mitigation and adaptation, exploring tools, methods and techniques associated with the management of climate change in tourism. It also identifies examples of good practice from which stakeholders might learn in order to develop their own capacities for implementing climate change strategies.