Tourism is at a crossroads.
Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It’s here. It’s reshaping seasons, disrupting travel plans, and putting entire destinations at risk. We’re seeing flash floods in Texas and southern Europe, mega-storms battering the Caribbean, and massive heatwaves across Asia. Ski resorts from Colorado to the Dolomites are going snowless. Wildfires are now a regular part of summer in much of the Americas. The impacts are already playing out, and they’re only accelerating.
These aren’t future scenarios. They’re today’s reality for communities, for travelers, and for the businesses that connect them.
So the question we must ask, urgently and collectively, is simple but profoundly important: “Where next?”
That’s not just a prompt. It’s the name of our new campaign: Where Next? Big Ideas to Power Tourism’s Climate Transition. It’s a global call to action to rethink tourism’s role in a climate-altered world — and to put adaptation and resilience at the centre of the conversation.
Because here’s the truth: our sector is still operating on an outdated model. One built for predictable weather, limitless growth, and low-risk assumptions. That model doesn’t work anymore. And it’s not just about how tourism can survive in this new era. It’s about who it serves, and whether it’s capable of delivering benefits where they’re needed most.
Adaptation isn’t a side note. It’s a survival strategy. And done right, it’s a creative, catalytic force, one that can drive economic diversification, ecosystem restoration, and community resilience. That’s the vision behind Where Next? A campaign designed not to tinker at the edges, but to change the system. At its heart is a Global Action Agenda: a practical roadmap co-created with destinations, businesses, governments, and civil society. It’s built around four big ideas, what we call systems enablers, designed to unlock adaptation at scale.
1. A Global Climate Risk Register for Destinations
A shared, open-access platform with localized climate risk profiles, so that destinations, investors, and tourism businesses can make better decisions, faster. It’s about transparency, accountability, and smarter governance. And it’s about unlocking the urgency and investment required to respond meaningfully and equitably.
2. Equity as a Standard in Tourism Planning
We need to hardwire community needs into the very DNA of tourism development: community-led planning, local procurement, revenue redistribution, and equity-linked KPIs. Real sustainability starts with accountability to people, not just to profit.
3. A Climate Justice Fund for Frontline Destinations
Those least responsible for emissions are already paying the highest price. We need a global fund to support climate adaptation in tourism-dependent destinations, with decisions made by the communities themselves. It’s time to align tourism with similar climate finance models across other sectors, shifting responsibility to those who’ve contributed most to the problem and done the least to address it.
4. Phasing Out Harmful Tourism Models + Investing in Better Options
Let’s be honest: short-haul, high-emission breaks and overcrowded hotspots aren’t sustainable. So why are we still protecting and promoting these models? It’s time for tourism’s just transition — supporting workers, regenerating places, and redirecting investment toward low-carbon, community-owned alternatives.
These ideas aren’t abstract. They’re actionable. And we’re building the coalition to deliver them.
COP30 is a key milestone. In November, we’ll publish the Global Action Agenda, backed by a growing wave of partners including Cuidadores de Destinos (Chile), Preferred Travel Group, The Travel Corporation, and FINN Partners. But this effort is bigger than any single summit. Between now and then, we’re consulting across regions and sectors, forming working groups, and preparing to pilot solutions on the ground.
We’re also investing in storytelling. With Cuidadores de Destinos, we’re amplifying real-life examples of climate adaptation and resilience across Latin America and the Caribbean. Because the future isn’t just something we plan. It’s something we design and communicate together based on inspiration and imagination.
And we want you involved. Whether you’re in government, business, civil society, or academia, this is your invitation. Help shape the agenda. Lead a regional effort. Provide sponsorship. Join the call for systems change.
The stakes are high. But so is the potential.
Tourism can be a force for resilience. A driver of justice. A catalyst for regeneration. But only if we choose to make it so.
So: Where next? That’s up to all of us.
But one thing is clear: business as usual is no longer an option. Let’s build something better, together.
