A new climate action training programme for people managing tourism destinations has been launched by The Travel Foundation. Partnered by Expedia, the completely free course aims to teach climate literacy and empower tourism workers to lead on the topic of climate change, by modelling action plans and providing networking contacts.
Eight modules, workshops, and coaching
The training involves eight modules that take one to two hours to complete, with additional tasks, as well as peer-to-peer workshops and optional personalised coaching sessions. It is all intended to lead towards tourism workers within Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) and National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) being able to create their own Climate Action Plan.
Thanks to sponsorship from @ExpediaGroup, we've launched the first free-to-access climate training programme for destinations.
— Travel Foundation (@travelTF) February 11, 2025
Find out more and sign up:https://t.co/jlFUfB813N#DestinationManagement #Tourism #Sustainability pic.twitter.com/5IpQ4gGmSO
Demand for the input is clear. Pilot participants from Visit West UK and The National Forest said they valued the relevance of the training and “the chance to come together, talk to others, and share learning and experiences.”
Since its launch, the training has already been undertaken by nearly 100 participants. “Forty DMOs from around the world have already joined a pilot version of the training in 2024, and nearly 50 more have begun the course since in December,” said Aditi Mohapatra, Vice President of Global Social Impact and Sustainability at Expedia Group.
Other climate roadmaps and guidance
What’s more, The Travel Foundation’s work in this area is not the only training on climate issues and how to promote sustainable travel that has recently been made available.
In January 2025, the European Travel Commission (ETC) published its own “Roadmap for National Tourism Organisations Towards Climate Action in Tourism Destinations – Climate Action Planning Framework”. It offers a step-by-step guide and toolkit to help destinations achieve sustainability and climate resilience, maintaining global competitiveness.
And in the same month, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) published its own guidance titled Bridging the Say-Do Gap. It identifies six different types of travel consumer and allows industry stakeholders to work out how to create an offer and package it so that it speaks to their customers’ mindset. The idea is to help businesses and destinations help their customers to make greener choices by turning clients’ well-meaning words into climate-protecting actions.
Securing the future of tourism
So why the flurry of climate-and-sustainability-focused training? As the ETC points out: “Tourism is a major economic driver worldwide. It creates jobs, contributes significantly to economic development, supports local communities, and enhances the quality of life in destinations.”
But the sector is “also a key contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, responsible for almost 9% of global emissions, making it both a victim and a contributor to the climate crisis. Climate change poses a critical threat to Europe’s position as a leading tourist destination, with increasingly severe phenomena putting cultural and natural assets at risk. Without action to reduce these emissions, tourism destinations risk jeopardising their own future.”
