Side event at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16) : "Tourism response to climate change: what next?"
In the context of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16), which was held in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010, the side-event "Tourism response to climate change: what’s next?" was organized by the Ministry of Tourism of Mexico and UNWTO. As negotiations at the COP16 were held in Mexico, the role of tourism in combating global warming was once again highlighted as well as the progress made by the tourism sector to mitigate its impacts and adapt to the challenge that climate change poses to tourism operations in many destinations, particularly in developing countries. The side-event presented the work undertaken so far by the tourism public and private sectors to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, promote adaption in tourism businesses and destinations, invest in new technologies and support developing countries through financing. In particular, participants underlined the vulnerability of certain tourism destinations in developing countries to the devastating impacts of climate change, ranging from rising sea levels and the destruction of coral reefs, to the loss of basic tourism services such as water supply and food security.
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