Initiatives towards a more responsible, decarbonised future

A dose of inspiration. In telegraphic shorthand, some examples of what destinations and organisations are doing to decarbonise and make tourism more responsible in the face of climate disruption and COVID-19.

Colorado electrifies its scenic roads. All 26 scenic and historic routes in Colorado will soon be equipped with charging stations to enable low-carbon travel on some of the state's most iconic destinations.

France will ban some domestic flights where rail connections are available. The French government has decided to limit the number of short-haul flights.

Ljubljana has a centre with a car-free zone, easy public access to green spaces and developed beekeeping, demonstrating the city's commitment to sustainable development. The city was awarded the title of European Green Capital in 2016 and appears on the Sustainable Top 100 Destinations list.

Tasmania will become a carbon neutral place by 2025. Tasmania's Premier has announced plans to help rebuild tourism, including a target of carbon neutrality by 2025. To help achieve this, the government is offering funding to tourism operators to complete a carbon audit of their operations.

Visit Omaha's Rent for Recovery programme. Visit Omaha is giving up rented office space and will instead rent conference space on a weekly basis "to support the businesses most affected by the pandemic".

Sleeper trains are returning to Europe. As demand for sustainable overnight travel increases, train routes are gaining momentum in continental Europe. There is also an ambition to build a new sleeper train service through the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France.

Valencia in Spain has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2025, becoming the first global destination to verify the carbon footprint calculation of its tourism activities in addition to the water footprint calculation.

Visit Norway's National Tourism Strategy 2023 includes, among other things, the development of a 'climasmart' calculator to help destinations and operators estimate the environmental impact of tourism and make significant emissions reductions based on these numbers.

Vanuatu Department of Tourism launches tourism business support programme. The Vanuatu Emergency Response Programme provides grants for tourism business survival, as well as grants for renewable energy and agritourism programmes.

Source: www.destinationthink.com

Author: Anna Gorska