1. Tourism has significant potential as a driver for growth for the world economy. The tourism economy represents 5 per cent of world Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while it contributes to about 8 per cent of total employment. International tourism ranks fourth (after fuels, chemicals and automotive products) in global exports, with an industry value of US$1 trillion a year, accounting for 30 per cent of the world’s exports of commercial services or 6 per cent of total exports. There are around four billion estimated domestic arrivals every year and in 2010, some 940 million international tourists were recorded. Tourism is one of five top export earners in over 150 countries, while in 60 countries it is the number one export. It is also the main source of foreign exchange for one-third of developing countries and one-half of least developed countries (LDC).
2. The development of tourism is accompanied by significant challenges. The rapid growth in both international and domestic travel, the trends to travel farther and over shorter periods of time, and the preference given to energy-intensive transportation are increasing the non-renewable energy dependency of tourism, resulting in the sector’s contribution of 5 per cent to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is expected to grow substantially under a business–as-usual (BAU) scenario. Other challenges include excessive water consumption compared with residential water use, discharge of untreated water, the generation of waste, the damage to local terrestrial and marine biodiversity and the threats to the survival of local cultures, built heritage and traditions.
3. Green tourism has the potential to create new, green jobs. Travel and tourism are human-resource intensive, employing directly and indirectly 8 per cent of the global workforce. It is estimated that one job in the core tourism industry creates about one and a half additional or indirect jobs in the tourism- related economy. The greening of tourism, which involves efficiency improvements in energy, water and waste systems, is expected to reinforce the employment potential of the sector with increased local hiring and sourcing and significant opportunities in tourism oriented toward local culture and the natural environment.
4. Tourism development can be designed to support the local economy and reduce poverty. Local economic effects of tourism are determined by the share of tourism spending in the local economy as well as the amount of the resulting indirect economic activities. Increasing the involvement of local communities, especially the poor, in the tourism value chain can, therefore, contribute to the development of the local economy and to poverty reduction. For example, in Panama, households capture 56 per cent of total local tourism income. The extent of direct benefits to communities and poverty reduction will largely depend on the percentage of tourism needs that are locally supplied, such as products, labour, tourism services, and increasingly “green services” in energy and water efficiency and waste management. There is increasing evidence that more sustainable tourism in rural areas can lead to more positive poverty-reducing effects.
5. Investing in the greening of tourism can reduce the cost of energy, water and waste and enhance the value of biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural heritage. Investment in energy efficiency has been found
to generate significant returns within a short payback period. Improving waste management is expected to save money for tourism businesses, create jobs and enhance the attractiveness of destinations. The investment requirement in conservation and restoration is small relative to the value of forests, mangroves, wetlands, and coastal zones including coral reefs, which provide ecosystem services essential for the foundation of economic activities and for human survival; the value of ecosystems for tourists remains undervalued in many cases. Investment in cultural heritage—the largest single component of consumer demand for sustainable tourism—is among the most significant and usually profitable investments. Under a green economy investment scenario, tourism makes a larger contribution to GDP growth, while