France has grabbed the number one position in the world in promoting sustainable tourism, among countries at preserving their social, cultural and environmental resources.
Among the European countries, France, Germany and the UK took the top three spots.
“Of the ten countries included in the index, only France and Germany have taken concerted and sustained action at the national level to develop policy, set targets and monitor results,” according to researchers.
France, for instance, sets specific targets and guidelines for carrying capacity and tourist transport, while Germany is appreciated for its mandatory environmental impact assessments which aim to reduce energy, water and greenhouse gas emissions.
Tourism contributes about five percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions — a figure that is expected to grow in the coming years.
However, overflowing tourist numbers have led to the physical degradation of several natural and historical wonders like Thailand’s Koh Tachai Island, and Peru’s Machu Picchu, just some examples.
But even in the top-scoring countries, implementation of sustainable practices and monitoring is fragmented.
In order to bring attention to the need to foster responsible and environmentally sensitive tourism plans, the UN declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
For the ranking, analysts considered indicators like political and regulatory environment; environmental sustainability; socio-cultural sustainability; economic sustainability; and travel and tourism industry.
Tags: sustainable tourism
