Climate Education
Tourism Meets Teaching: How World Tourism Day Can Inspire Climate Education
September 27, 2025
Every 27th of September, the globe marks World Tourism Day; it is traditionally a day to appreciate culture, work, and travel. But in 2025, it’s hard to ignore the economic, social, and environmental strain the sector is facing.
Tourism is more than beaches and planes. Tourism provides communities across the planet with their livelihoods. The worldwide tourism industry was worth $10.9 trillion in 2024, or 10% of the global economy, and is projected to contribute $11.7 trillion in 2025, supporting 357 million jobs in 2024 and an estimated 371 million in 2025.
But climate change and mass tourism is changing how, where, and why we travel. Over a decade ago, a synthesis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) report noted that tourism contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, but it is also vulnerable to climate change; as destinations are altered or damaged, travel demand will inevitably shift. That is a reality playing out globally today.
Climate Change Is Changing Tourism
Tourism contributes an estimated 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through aviation, cruise ships , and car travel according to a 2018 study. Current research focusing on tourism between 2009 and 2019 corroborates that emissions expand in tandem with rising international travel. The UN World Tourism Organization and International Transport Forum estimate that if action is not taken, transport emissions associated with tourism will increase by 25% between 2016 and 2030.
The IPCC notes that tourism is highly vulnerable to climate change, especially in mountain locations, coastal communities, and world heritage sites. Ski destinations may need costly artificial snow-making machinery to stay open. Coastal regions face rising seas that endanger beaches and ports, particularly in the Caribbean and Pacific.
For example in Costa Rica, coral reef systems are under stress from both warming seas and visitor numbers, which is a concern for a country where tourism accounts for roughly 8.2% of its GDP directly and 8.8% of all employment. Damage to Costa Rica’s reefs threatens both jobs, the economy, biodiversity and the natural beauty that attracts tourists in the first place.
Costa Rica is just one example. In the Himalayas, floods and landslides linked to climate change are making pilgrimages to Kedarnath, a revered Hindu temple town increasingly dangerous. In Greenland, the melting ice is reshaping tourism.In 2024, it contributed to almost 5% of the nation’s GDP, supporting more than 6% of jobs, that is a big deal. But nobody will come if Greenland’s ice is gone. Across the Alps, researchers warn that some ski resorts, typically the smaller ones, may lose viability as shorter winters make snow seasons unreliable. No matter the climate, nor the impact of climate change, nations dependent on tourism are already feeling the pain.
The World Bank is calling for “resilient, higher-value tourism” – meaning that in the future tourist destinations might prefer fewer visitors, each spending more, rather than mass, low-cost models. Researchers have suggested ‘slow tourism’ as another approach: traveling less often but those that do visit staying for longer visits, to experience intensive engagement with local culture
Mass Tourism Is Europe’s Breaking Point
But it’s not just the climate reshaping tourism, tourism itself is challenging communities. Mass tourism damages fragile environments, leads to overcrowding, strains local resources like water supplies and raises living costs for locals. The European Parliament warns that overtourism can impact the quality of life for residents and pushes cities past their carrying capacity.
This is why Venice introduced day-tripper charges and restricted cruise ships, Amsterdam restricted the expansion and development of new hotels and short-term rentals, and Barcelona raised its tourist tax surcharge. The BBC described it as a wave of new tourist fines sweeping Europe.
The silver lining is that solutions are available, and international efforts are already underway. One example is the The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, a global commitment launched at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021. Although it’s named after the city, the declaration is not just for Scotland — it involves tourism businesses, governments, and organizations from around the world. Its goal is to cut tourism-related carbon emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero before 2050. The Global Center on Adaptation also notes that tourism can help strengthen resilience by supporting local communities as they adapt to climate change.
However, according to the 2023 Implementation Report, progress has been slow: only about one-third of the signatories have developed measurable action plans so far.
From Vacation to Climate Education
Some experts have supported the idea that tourism can also become a teaching tool. For example, Colorado and other US states are updating K–12 science standards to include climate content and the challenges facing tourism, Europe’s restrictions, shrinking ski seasons, dying reefs – offer tangible case studies.
This approach connects climate change directly to jobs, culture, and everyday choices. So that tourism is seen as not just a victim of it but instead contributing to the problem. Rather than shying away from the issue, education can turn it into an opportunity.
How? Well tourism shows us the entire gamut of climate change: the emissions that fuel it, the destinations it endangers, the jobs it threatens, and the communities that push back. On this World Tourism Day, the challenge is not to stop traveling, but to learn from it.
If we teach everyone about tourism as part of climate education, the next generation will see tourism not just as an escape, but as a responsibility. The message is straightforward: the way we travel today will define the places that will survive tomorrow.
Comparing how climate change is influencing our world in tangible ways, be it broken reefs or shorter ski seasons, students can see how travel choices matter. To help bring climate lessons to life, educators and students can explore our Climate Education webpage, including teaching guides, toolkits, and lesson plans. Subscribe to our newsletter to get more information and advice about how to incorporate interdisciplinary climate learning.
Remember to make wise choices when you travel. Be mindful of how your actions impact local communities, the environment and feed climate change.
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