Institutionalised tourism policy goals: fit to address climate change?

Tourism requires more ambitious climate actions to align the sector with a net zero emissions world and policy will play an increasingly important role in this. This study examined 1112 current policy actions addressing tourism and climate change to assist the sector in further improving policy integration, coverage and implementation of an effective and increasingly ambitious climate response. Drawing on new institutionalism, the study found that while policy actions address a wide range of outcomes, many actions align strongly with institutionalised tourism policy goals, supporting norms and values that have provided tourism with political legitimisation and contribute to sustaining tourism. Overall, softer policy instruments are more commonly implied. The analysis presented here is the most comprehensive and detailed assessment of tourism-climate change policy to date. The overall conclusion is that tourism’s policy response remains insufficient given the urgency demanded by the climate crisis, risking tourism policy (and the sector) falling behind. Recommendations are provided for shifting tourism policy objectives beyond the institutionalised tourism policy goals to strengthen the sector’s climate change response.