TOUR4CLIMA
Explora
Explora
Program
Life
Duration
2025-28
Area of interest
Climate Action
Project summary
Tourism is a key economic sector in Europe, receiving 51% of all international tourist arrivals worldwide, and plays a major role in regional development and employment. However, it also contributes to approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from transport, energy use and infrastructure. Despite being highly exposed to climate risks such as sea-level rise, droughts and extreme weather, tourism remains one of the least prepared sectors, hindered by governance challenges, lack of expertise, limited data and weak coordination across sectors.
LIFE TOUR4CLIMA seeks to address these gaps by making Catalonia a pilot region for testing and implementing a comprehensive, climate-resilient governance model for tourism. Led by the Catalan Tourist Board (ACT), the project builds on Catalonia’s 2023 Climate Action Plan for the Tourism Sector and aligns with the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. It promotes a collaborative, cross-sector approach engaging stakeholders at regional, local and European levels.
The project strengthens governance by enhancing both horizontal (across government levels) and vertical (across private and public sectors) collaboration. Key partners will coordinate the implementation of concrete mitigation and adaptation actions. These include expanding low-emission public transport routes to tourist destinations, supporting municipalities to develop and implement adaptation plans, and working with the accommodation sector to assess climate readiness by providing tools to reduce carbon and water footprints and identifying climate vulnerabilities.
Our role
Through the Climate Hub, NECSTouR will scale up and transfer the lessons and best practices developed in the Catalonia pilot to other destinations, helping them design and implement effective Climate Action Plans and increase engagement with initiatives like the Glasgow Declaration. By organising workshops, facilitating peer-to-peer exchanges, and engaging regional and EU policymakers, NECSTouR will support destinations in decarbonising tourism and overcoming governance challenges related to climate action.