Green Economy Wales

In a special panel discussion, former First Minister Carwyn Jones is joined by Adrian Barsby, Vice Chair of Wales Tourism Alliance and Andy Middleton, Chief Exploration Officer at TYF, who gave their thoughts on what sustainable tourism means to them, what they believe needs to be done to drive the industry forward and how the industry is contributing to climate change and our personal responsibilities we need to consider.

Recognising its role in both contributing to and mitigating climate change, a global movement has emerged, focusing on fostering sustainable tourism practices. At the forefront of this movement is the Tourism Green Growth Pledge, which has several key principles. A Sustainable Tourism Self-Assessment Toolkit has emerged as a resource, swhich provides business owners and stakeholders with ways to enhance their sustainability performance.

Adrian Greason-Walker, WTA Policy Advisor, has also recently engaged in a research study to look at Working Towards Sustainable Tourism Communication with the Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy at Cardiff Metropolitan University research study. The purpose of this research project is to understand the impact of negative tourism behaviours on the natural environment and local residents, the motivations of tourists who engage in these behaviours, and the impact of different communication interventions.