No hot packs -“tourism success is now in jeopardy“- Yaiza Castilla, Minister of Tourism of the Canary Islands Government, explained to the world why. The islands have no way out but decarbonisation. Either decarbonization efforts are intensified or the essential asset of climate ceases to be an ally.
made in United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP27), Celebrated this week in Egypt Sharm El Sheikh. Castilla spoke at the parallel conference designed by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), calling it the “Institutional policies and strategies for expanding climate action in tourism. The Glasgow Declaration”.
before a forum world policy makers and international business leaders, The consultant explained what the components are that allow the Archipelago to become a leading destination. “Extraordinary climatic conditions of a subtropical species,” he explained, are fundamental to the recipe for success.
If added to this 40% of employment and 35% of regional GDP depends on the accommodation business, the urgent need to preserve current climatic conditions is clear; “The main reason for our success”, the minister insisted. That’s why decarbonization is “a strategic goal”, he continued.
Islands and geographic location make the Archipelago A place “particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change” Minister Castilla approved.
A little over two weeks ago, public and private Canarian operators in the industry made the decision. to approve the Glasgow declaration, It includes halving carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. In the same action, the Master Climate Action Plan was presented.the work of the publicly traded company Turismo de Islas Canarias.
This plan determined that UNWTO wanted to rely on the Canary Islands. Publish roadmap for a region very sensitive to climate change at COP27 and therefore depends on the protection of its natural riches.
The department, headed by Yaiza Castilla, estimates that the carbon footprint of Canarian tourism excluding air and sea traffic has spread during 2019, the last year before the pandemic. 1.85 million tons of CO2.
“We are aware of the global dimension of the problem” Castilla briefed on the efforts needed to reduce these numbers to almost zero. However, he also declared that he was aware of the need for the initiative to be a choir. “We can’t achieve anything substantial alone, and we prefer to make this journey with the rest of the world,” he said.
Ethics, morality, business and competitiveness
In few cases, economic and ethical interests seem to be as compatible as tourism activity and the fight against climate change. “This is not only because the planet, our Canarian lands and future generations demand it, but also because tourists increasingly see the environmental issue as a determining factor when choosing a destination,” said the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Trade. Government of the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla, on the decarbonisation goal. “It’s not just a matter of ethical or moral conscience, it’s also economic and competitive,” he said. In an other saying, If the weather worsens and the islands’ coasts and interior landscapes lose their appeal, the goose laying its golden eggs will die within a few weeks. So that all operators can contribute with a grain of sand to the health of accommodation, Canary Islands Tourism has launched a digital application tailored to the needs of the destination and “tested in a pilot experience involving 35 companies”. Said the adviser in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) on Thursday. Castilla explained that with the use of this tool, companies will be able to “measure their own carbon footprints free of charge and, in addition, allow the collection and consolidation of real information on the emissions of the Canarian tourism activity as a whole”. in front of hundreds of politicians and professionals in the industry building the capacity. | JGH
Source: Informacion
Christina Moncayo is a contributing writer for “Social Bites”. Her focus is on the gaming industry and she provides in-depth coverage of the latest news and trends in the world of gaming.