Ministers agree to boost circularity and climate action in PanEuropean tourism
Ministers of the Environment from across the Pan-European region have agreed to promote the transformation of tourism, with key initiatives of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme to serve as their guiding principles.
At the conclusion of the Ninth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and held in Nicosia, Cyprus, delegates adopted a Ministerial Declaration, recognizing the urgent need to ensure the tourism sector “builds back better” from the impacts of the pandemic. Central to this will be accelerating the shift towards a circular tourism economy, while at the same time reducing waste and ensuring the sector meets its climate action responsibilities.
The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, launched by UNWTO and partners at the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, a joint initiative from UNWTO and UNEP were both referenced as key initiatives to help guide the transformation of the sector. The One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme co-hosted with UNEP and its Mediterranean Action Plan a side event on “Tourism and Circularity for Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean”, where a new repository of tools and resources focused on the circular economy and tourism was launched, alongside two new publications from the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative around measurement and procurement produced with the financial support of the Government of France.
‘An opportunity for all of tourism’
Addressing the Ministerial Conference, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For businesses, the circular economy can bring competitive advantages. For destinations, it can build more inclusive local value chains. And for tourists, it’s an opportunity to leave a positive footprint. I encourage Europe’s Environment Ministers to build synergies with their counterparts in Ministries of Tourism to implement the circular economy in the tourism sector.”
Also speaking to the Ministerial Conference, Mario Šiljeg State Secretary for the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Croatia, emphasized the importance of tourism to European economies and highlighted the significant benefits of “embracing innovative approaches, particularly moving away from traditional value chain relations adopting more systemic circular production and consumption patterns”.
Ministers and EU back CE in Tourism
Also in Nicosia, the Minister of Tourism and Environment of Albania, Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi, chaired a plenary discussion on Applying Principles of CE in Tourism', with contributions from Switzerland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ukraine, Germany, Greece, Armenia and the European Union. The EU then delivered a statement in which they too recommended the Glasgow Declaration and Global Tourism Plastics Initiative as tools to advance intentions to make the sector more sustainable.
To conclude the Nicosia meeting, delegates signed a Ministerial Declaration in which they stated: “We will promote the transformation of the tourism sector by implementing programmes and projects oriented to applying circular models in the tourism value chain. Moreover, we will build knowledge based on existing circular tools and initiatives, with a view to enabling further dissemination and outreach across relevant ECE member States. We encourage the Member States and other stakeholders in a position to do so to consider joining and committing to actions under the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, which unites the tourism sector behind a common vision of a circular economy of plastics and the Glasgow Declaration: A Commitment to a Decade of Tourism Climate Action.”
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: pixabay.com
- 1) Public Power Corporation announces lower kWh green rates in Greece for October
- 2) Climate Crisis Minister inks procurement for 414 new fire vehicles in Greece
- 3) 11 Greek environmental groups join 'Alliance for Wildlife' to preserve biodiversity
- 4) Swimming ban lifted at Volos beaches following clean water test results
22/10 21:48
IMF expects Greek economy to grow by 2.3% in 2024 and 2% during 2025
22/10 21:46
Minister: Ticket prices for new Thessaloniki metro to be announced shortly
22/10 21:37
Greek Shipping Minister: A new 'maritime' Egnatia will open up new prospects
22/10 21:31
Transport Minister visits FlyOver project site in Greek city of Thessaloniki
22/10 21:25
Increased tourist traffic in Greece during the period January-August 2024
21/10 21:23
Prime Minister: Greece's economy on irreversible path to recovery
21/10 19:19
Greek FinMin: Plan to utilize Hellenic Public Properties at implementation phase
21/10 18:00
21/10 09:16
European Union Commissioner inaugurates creation of 'Trusted Investors Network'
18/10 23:09
Exhibition of ancient cultures from Basilicata opens at Athens Acropolis Museum
17/10 19:13
Enterprise Greece: 121 firms showcase environmentally friendly fashion at global shows
17/10 18:18
Ticket price of 2 euros for cinema festival throughout Greece on October 31
17/10 14:34
Prime Minister: Greece has been very effective in dealing with illegal migration
17/10 13:22
Traditional Greek Costumes show:“From Avgi to the present: the clothes narrate”
17/10 12:21
16/10 22:23
Greek Development Minister meets Indiana Governor and US Ambassador
16/10 22:15
Greek PM sees overtourism problem only in Mykonos and Santorini
16/10 22:10
16/10 21:59
Greek Cartoon Museum at 'Kapnergostasio' historic building set up in Athens
16/10 19:12
Aegean Airlines expands direct flights between Thessaloniki and Kalamata in Greece
15/10 21:19
Greek PM: Our goal is to increase revenues and not just tourist numbers
15/10 19:46
Greek Energy Minister holds talks in Egypt on electricity connection
15/10 19:26
15/10 18:34
New Attica Transportation Strategic Plan will reshape the Region
15/10 16:44
UK Ambassador to Athens: Greece's role is of strategic significance
15/10 15:49
Greece's finance ministry reveals four main changes introduced by new tax bill
14/10 23:04
Minister: Luxury tourism can upgrade quality of Greek tourist product
14/10 13:01
Greek Infrastructure and Transport Minister: 35 new buses in Attica
14/10 12:54
WTTC | Business travel to surpass pre-pandemic levels at US$1.5 trillion in 2024
14/10 11:48
11/10 22:39
Acropolis Museum to mark European Days of Conservation-Restoration of Cultural Heritage
09/10 23:26
Minister: More than 2,000 Greeks abroad registered on Rebrain Greece Platform
09/10 23:23
Italgas to invest 1 bln euros in Greece by 2030 based on new strategic plan
09/10 23:22
FinMin: The upgrade of the Athens Stock Exchange is excellent news for Greece
09/10 20:14
Fraport Greece announces schedule of shutdowns to upgrade regional airport runways
09/10 17:30
Greek government spokesperson highlights positive economic outlook for 2025
09/10 01:43
October electricity bill subsidies to support vulnerable consumers in Greece
09/10 01:41
Enterprise Greece: Four Greek wineries at ProWine Latin America 2024
09/10 01:31
Three-week deadline for Greek taxi drivers to install payment card signage
08/10 18:22
AEGEAN air passenger traffic surpasses 12.5 million in first nine months of 2024
08/10 16:31
Report: Networking and career opportunities for foreign students in Cyprus and Greece
07/10 21:54
Media: U.S. Ambassador to Athens is a Champion of Study Abroad Endeavors
07/10 21:44
Universities of Tennessee and Athens to promote academic collaboration
07/10 20:36
07/10 15:49
Government: Bad loans in Greece fell to 7.5% in March 2024 from 40% in 2019
06/10 00:40
03/10 22:15
Commercial activity at Keramoti port in Greece suspended to alleviate congestion
03/10 22:08
Finance Minister: Record privatizations benefiting Greek citizens in long run
03/10 22:05
Stavros Niarchos Foundation recognized at 2024 International Opera Awards
03/10 22:04
Commercial operation of the Alexandroupolis LNG Terminal beginning today
03/10 16:48
Virtuoso and Globetrender report: The top-7 luxury travel trends to watch in 2025
02/10 23:11
Green residential electricity tariffs down 6%-17% in Greece during October
02/10 23:04
United Hellenic Voters of America presents 50th UHVA Awards Gala in Illinois
02/10 21:46
02/10 18:59
Greek FM: Excellent collaboration with Egypt for investments beyond energy
02/10 10:15
ELSTAT report: Unemployment rate falls to 9.5% in Greece during August
01/10 21:32
Collaboration between University of Athens and Google in Αrtificial Intelligence
01/10 21:31
Prime Minister: Greece will finally have a land registry in 2025
01/10 19:14
Work to prepare unique Doxipara-Zoni burials museum for visitors progressing fast
01/10 18:25
Public Power Corporation announces lower kWh green rates in Greece for October
01/10 17:35
Ministers agree to strengthen cooperation between Greek and Turkish coast guards
01/10 12:01
30/09 21:28
Piraeus Port Authority reaches new highs in half-year revenues and profits
30/09 17:12
Minister: Greece has the highest rate of increase of available income
29/09 21:29
Ratification bill for Attiki Odos concession is tabled in Greek Parliament
28/09 21:19
28/09 20:54
Lykeion ton Ellinidon Costume Museum marks European Heritage Days
26/09 22:02
Greece and South Korea sign cultural collaboration memorandum
26/09 21:55
Hellenic Initiative’s 5th Annual Venture Impact Awards opens for applications
26/09 19:51
26/09 18:58
Greece and Georgia ink agreement for mutual driver license recognition
26/09 18:47
Greece ranked 2nd internationally in best practices for Public-Private Partnerships
25/09 21:37
11 Greek environmental groups join 'Alliance for Wildlife' to preserve biodiversity
25/09 21:32
5th KinoFest: German-language film festival held at Castro Clauss in Patras
25/09 19:27
Greek Finance Ministry: Data shows significant fall in non-performing loans
25/09 17:45
Climate Crisis Minister inks procurement for 414 new fire vehicles in Greece
23/09 00:17
WTTC: U.S. remains the world’s most powerful travel and tourism market
23/09 00:05
New rail projects amounting to 1.0 billion planned in northern Greece
22/09 23:57
Minister: Promoting organic farming a priority for the Greek government
22/09 23:52
President of Hellenic Republic visits Panagia Soumela Monastery in Imathia
22/09 23:41
New framework for photovoltaics replaces net metering with net billing in Greece
19/09 21:13
Temple of Poseidon in Sounion of Attica shines bright with brand new lighting system
17/09 12:34
16/09 22:48
Revenues €2 billion above target primary surplus of €7.571 billion in Greece
16/09 22:35
Moody's ratings upgrades Greece's outlook to positive from stable
16/09 22:19
Passenger traffic in Greek ports grew by 11.4 pct during 2024 Q1
16/09 14:25
16/09 13:04
10 Years of Celebration for Golf and Maritime at the Greek Maritime Golf Event
14/09 22:38
11/09 22:35
Digital Work Card to start in Greek tourism and food service sectors
11/09 21:27
AEGEAN Air: Strong passenger traffic growth and 10% increase in revenue
11/09 16:43
Joint initiative in EU by Greece, Romania and Bulgaria on energy prices
11/09 13:39
Minister: Free afternoon surgeries for citizens who cannot afford to pay
10/09 00:49
12 tax cuts and 12 measures for wage rises announced in Greece
09/09 23:36
Foreign Minister: Greece-Cyprus electrical interconnection approved by EU
09/09 23:35
Security forces on high alert for potential flooding from "ATENA" storm in Greece
09/09 23:07
Media: Greece will levy tax on cruise ship arrivals to Mykonos and Santorini
09/09 22:43
09/09 22:02
Swimming ban lifted at Volos beaches following clean water test results
08/09 22:31
IMF expects Greek economy to grow by 2.3% in 2024 and 2% during 2025
Greek Shipping Minister: A new 'maritime' Egnatia will open up new prospects
Increased tourist traffic in Greece during the period January-August 2024
Transport Minister visits FlyOver project site in Greek city of Thessaloniki
Minister: Ticket prices for new Thessaloniki metro to be announced shortly
European Union Commissioner inaugurates creation of 'Trusted Investors Network'
Greek FinMin: Plan to utilize Hellenic Public Properties at implementation phase
Exhibition of ancient cultures from Basilicata opens at Athens Acropolis Museum
Prime Minister: Greece's economy on irreversible path to recovery
Enterprise Greece: 121 firms showcase environmentally friendly fashion at global shows
Golf & Maritime for a Good Cause at the 10th Greek Maritime Golf Event
First Ramada by Wyndham Hotel in Fethiye opens in Ölüdeniz of Turkey
Tri-city winter luncheon unites upstate New York Philoptochos chapters
Greek supermarkets record rise in value and decline in volume of FMCG sales
Six investment schemes selected for Phase B, in bid for Greek port of Lavrion
Support the Greek Heritage Night organized at Yankee Stadium in New York
PM at Axia discussion: Greece offering great investment opportunities in 2023
New publication: 'I am not Maria - I am Callas: Her real life and an eon of myths'
Hellenic-American Cultural Foundation presents lecture with US University President
Greek Tourism Minister: Passenger location form to be abolished in Greece as of March 15
UK Ambassador to Athens: Greece's role is of strategic significance
German ambassador: 'To live and work in Greece has always been my dream'