COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 27,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tourism accounts for nearly
8 per cent of global CO2 emissions, and with the number of
international arrivals predicted to reach 1.8 billion by 2030,
action is more important than ever. Copenhagen launches a new tourism strategy
including an ambitious climate roadmap and calls on the industry to
change its course.
This year's World Tourism Day marks a new beginning for tourism
in Copenhagen. With its new
strategy All inclusive, Copenhagen redefines an outdated and passive
form of travel to an active and conscious approach. The future of
all-inclusive tourism is not just a ticket to relaxation but a
shared responsibility among the industry and guests.
"When we measure the effects of today's tourism, they are far
from all-inclusive. If we want tourism to be a key driver for
positive change locally and globally, we must include negatives,
such as pressure on local communities and the CO2 emissions that
come from transport," explains Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO of Wonderful
Copenhagen, and continues:
"But we also need to look at all the positives, such as cultural
interactions and exchanges and socioeconomic effects. Without this
insight, we will not be able to set tangible and common goals for
how we are going to transform the industry."
Wonderful Copenhagen wants
tourism in Copenhagen to
accelerate the green transformation and create enriching encounters
between locals and visitors. Goals that are crucial if the tourism
industry wants to address urgent challenges related to climate
change and overtourism.
As part of its green ambitions, Wonderful Copenhagen has
developed a new climate roadmap that outlines how the Danish
capital's tourism can achieve specific emission reductions by 2030
and 2035, respectively, on its way to carbon neutrality (net zero)
by 2050 at the latest. These targets include key factors such as
air travel, which are not usually accounted for in similar
calculations.
"We need to take concrete and ambitious steps to reduce
tourism's climate footprint. Our CopenPay initiative confirmed that
there is a genuine motivation among travellers and attractions to
take green actions. But we need to speed up and scale up these
actions. With our climate roadmap, we lay out our path for the
climate actions we need to take in the years to come," explains
Mikkel Aarø-Hansen.
While Wonderful Copenhagen's new strategy sets a clear direction
for Copenhagen's tourism, the hope
is that it can inspire other destinations.
"We want Copenhagen to be the
world's most sustainable destination. And by aiming high, we hope
to increase the level of competition among all destinations to be
greener. Because, at the end of the day, tourism is a global
business, and it takes international efforts to turn tourism into a
force for good. Copenhagen has the
ability and the responsibility to contribute to this
endeavour."
Read the full strategy:
www.wonderfulcopenhagen.com/wonderful-copenhagen/about-us/strategy
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SOURCE Wonderful Copenhagen