Tourism And The Sustainable Development Goal 13

2017 has been declared as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for development by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), reflecting the strong commitment of the tourism sector to achieving the 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), adopted by governments in 2015.
In the region, The South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) is working hard to ensure that tourism partners understand this commitment to sustainable tourism and are able to articulate what it means for them as partners in tourism development.
In an effort to bring about a clearer understanding of the SDGs and what it means for the region, SPTO has started a series of blogs to discuss the relevance of each goal to Pacific tourism.
According to UNWTO, Tourism has the potential to contribute directly or indirectly to all the SDG’s and is included as targets in Goals 8, 12 and 14 on inclusive and sustainable economic growth, sustainable consumption and production and the sustainable use of ocean and marine resources, respectively.
In the Pacific we can continue to work together to ensure that our tourism businesses are thriving; our land and ocean resources are managed well; our people benefit and our cultural values and traditions remain intact
This week we will look at Goal 13 of the SDGs which aims to TAKE URGENT ACTION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS*

Tourism contributes to and is affected by climate change. It is, therefore, in the sector’s own interest to play a leading role in the global response to climate change. By lowering energy consumption and shifting to renewable energy sources, especially in the transport and accommodation sector, tourism can help tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time.  (UNWTO)
Climate Change is the biggest challenge of our times especially so in the Pacific, where our small islands are surrounded by ocean and our isolation from the rest of the globe means the cost of adaptation and mitigation efforts add to the struggles of facing direct impacts of sea level rise, more frequent and more intense cyclones, changing seasons and rising temperatures.
Tourism in the Pacific is highly exposed to the impacts of climate variability and climate change hence every effort to address these head-on is important.  Our beautiful sandy beaches are eroding faster than expected and communities are losing their source of livelihood.  Hence global climate action must ensure that financial, technical and every relevant support to the region is prioritised.
Fiji’s Presidency at the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties 23 this November in Bonn, Germany is timely for the world to hear the voices of our Pacific people and the climate change struggle that is so real.