Sustainable Tourism: From policy ambition to practical delivery

Introduction

Sustainable tourism is ensuring that tourism creates positive value—for visitors, destinations, and local communities—both now and in the future. It has moved beyond “eco-friendly stays” and niche destinations. This matters more than ever as tourism contributes significantly to global emissions, increases pressure on local infrastructure, and generates growing volumes of waste. It now sits at the crossroads of growth, resource constraints, reputation risk, and destination competitiveness—especially in United Arab Emirates markets where heat, water stress, and sensitive coastal ecosystems are business realities. The objective is: tourism should add value to a destination without quietly taking away what makes it worth visiting. In this article, we explore why sustainable tourism has become increasingly important and highlight the key initiatives being implemented.

Sustainable tourism: What does it mean?

UN Tourism defines sustainable tourism as tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, while addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities. In business terms, this translates into three broad outcomes:

• Sustainable operations
• Shared value for communities
• Trustworthy governance and accountability

A practical way to understand sustainable tourism is to start with the three core players in the tourism ecosystem:

• The tourist - creates demand
• The destination - provides the environment, culture, infrastructure, and community experience to the tourist
• The operator - facilitates the journey through hospitality, transport, attractions, and related services

Sustainable tourism exists at the intersection of the above three players. It is about ensuring that visitors continue to enjoy meaningful experiences, destinations remain attractive and resilient over time, and operators can deliver those experiences in a resilient and sustainable way.

Why does this topic matter now?
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism is responsible for approximately 7% to 9% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The sector’s carbon footprint is driven by emissions from transportation, energy use across hotels and attractions, accommodation and a wider supply chain that supports food, laundry, cleaning, and outsourced services. Hence, as tourism grows, total carbon emissions can rise unless action is taken to reduce them across the full value chain.
For the local community, when tourism growth starts to strain everyday life, through congestion, rising costs, pressure on infrastructure, reduced access to public spaces, or the over-commercialisation of cultural areas, they can begin to feel that tourism is happening around them, rather than creating value for them. Visitor-to-resident ratios could increase by at least 50% (WEF 2025 Travel and Tourism Report, 2025), which could upset the harmonious coexistence between the community and tourists.
According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel and Tourism at a Turning Point: Principles for Transformative Growth 2025 report, tourism generates significant waste, averaging 1.6 kg per tourist per day. If current travel growth continues without improved waste management strategies, annual tourist waste could reach 205 million tonnes by 2034, accounting for 7% of global solid waste.
According to booking.com, a 2025 research report on tourist attitudes, travellers are increasingly committed to supporting the economies of the destinations they visit - 73% expect the money they spend to support the local community. 53% of tourists surveyed are now conscious of tourism's impact on local communities, as well as the environment. This presents a shift in tourist expectations which the tourism sector will need to respond to.

How the tourism sector is responding

Across the sector, sustainability is gradually moving from aspiration to execution. This is most visible in the following three areas:

• Energy and carbon emissions

Energy-wise, hotels account for about 2% of the total global emissions, driven by operational demands for heating, cooling, and laundry. Hotels, attractions, and tourism facilities are under increasing pressure to operate more efficiently. This involves reducing unnecessary electricity use, enhancing cooling performance, utilising equipment more efficiently, and implementing credible plans to reduce carbon emissions over time.

• Water stewardship

In water-constrained markets, every litre matters. Sustainable tourism increasingly involves leak control, efficient fixtures, improved kitchen and laundry practices, water recycling, and landscaping choices that are better suited to the local climate. These may seem operational, but they have a direct impact on the long-term resource intensity of tourism growth.

• Protection of natural assets

Many destinations depend on beaches, reefs, mangroves, deserts, and heritage landscapes as part of their appeal. These are not unlimited assets. If visitor volumes are poorly managed or exceed capacity, the attraction that people come to experience can be damaged. Sustainable tourism, therefore, also means managing access, setting sensible limits, and protecting ecological capacity.

• Creating value for the community

Many governments and tourism players are adopting tourism practices that ensure the community supporting the tourism attraction benefits. Stronger models of sustainable tourism create visible local community benefit through:

• Fair jobs and decent working conditions
• Opportunities for local businesses and SMEs
• Respect for local culture and identity
• More inclusive and accessible tourism spaces

Global and local initiatives

At a global level, sustainable tourism is increasingly moving from voluntary commitments to clear strategies, measurable expectations, and clearer accountability. Across markets, the direction is broadly similar: destinations, hotels, and tourism businesses are expected to prove what they are doing to manage environmental and social impacts through clear measurements and reporting. The sector is gradually shifting from aspiration to execution.

The UAE is rapidly advancing sustainable tourism by embedding eco-conscious practices into its hospitality sector, expanding protected natural reserves, and investing in renewable energy to align with its 2050 Net Zero goal. Key initiatives include the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp, investment in ecotourism sites like Hatta and Khorfakkan, and strict waste reduction policies. The Department of Culture and Tourism provides guidelines for hotels and attractions to implement waste segregation, recycling, and composting.

Conclusion

As tourism continues to grow, sustainability is becoming a core part of how destinations and businesses operate. This involves reducing emissions, protecting natural assets, using water and energy more efficiently, and ensuring that communities share in the benefits of tourism. Globally and in the UAE, the industry is moving towards clearer standards, stronger accountability, and more responsible practices. By turning commitment into action, the tourism sector can secure its long-term resilience while delivering meaningful experiences for visitors and lasting value for the places they visit.

Contact BDO UAE’s ESG Advisory Team to begin your sustainability journey.

References (public sources)

• UN Tourism definition of sustainable tourism
• GSTC standards and four pillars
• Tourism emissions -8% (Nature Climate Change; Lenzen et al., 2018)
• Updated academic discussion on tourism emissions challenges (Nature Communications)
• COP29 declaration on enhanced climate action in tourism (Reuters + UN Tourism)
• WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics
• Dubai DET DST Stamp (153 hotels; Feb 2025)
• UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 targets (incl. 40m hotel guests by 2031; WAM and UAE Government Portal)
• World Economic Forum (WEF) “Travel and Tourism at a Turning Point: Principles for Transformative Growth”