UNWTO: transforming tourism by measuring its environmental sustainability

A group of hundred experts from the institutional, political, academic, and private sectors, representing 28 countries (including 6 non-members of the UNWTO), gathered at the headquarters of the UNWTO, the World Tourism Organisation, provided a new standard measurement for the criterion of sustainability in tourism. Launched in 2016 by the UNWTO, in collaboration with leading countries, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Statistics Division, Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) represents a global commitment to a guide that produces credible data on this issue that can be comparable with respect to the planet, people and the development of both.

Institutions, consumers, and tourism facility owners alike need a standard model through which they can rethink and plan their commitment to sustainability, comparing performance, progress and adjusting to globally established criteria.

Pilot Projects

Simultaneously with the launch of the MST, the UNWTO presented a series of pilot projects addressing the different elements that make up tourism sustainability – from environmental, social and economic aspects – in one integrated framework. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Oxford University SDG Impact Lab, the UNWTO developed a reference guide for environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting for tourism enterprises.