Mountain tourism - Towards a more sustainable path

According to the Mountain tourism - Towards a more sustainable path report, sustainable tourism plays a key role in boosting livelihoods, alleviating poverty and protecting the environment in mountain areas. The report was published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Mountain Partnership Secretariat and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in December 2021.

The publication presents a range of innovative ideas, best practices and initiatives from all over the world as well as practical guidelines and recommendations for building back better in the context of sustainable mountain tourism.

According to the study, we need to move away from high-impact mountain tourism towards low-impact, climate-sensitive products and services. In so doing, we can create new opportunities and generate tangible benefits for local communities while helping conserve our unique mountain heritage. These sustainable products and services should also be inclusive, providing good quality employment and decent work. 

The report highlights projects from across the world that are doing just that, for example in the Cordillera region of the Philippines. Here, the Department of Tourism, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat and Slow Food are connecting tourism service-providers with small-scale producers so that visitors can discover high-quality mountain products. In the Himalayas, local communities are offering astrostays, a variation on the homestay concept giving visitors an opportunity to stay with a local host family and to enjoy the fantastic opportunities for stargazing. 

(UNWTO/ile)

Read more and download the report from the UNWTO website