Wednesday, July 9, 2025
To reaffirm Europe’s tourism industest’s dedication to responsible practices, the 2025 Rhodes Forum convened in Gothenburg, Sweden, on exactly one year after the signing of the Rhodes Declaration. This annual meeting brings toobtainher Europe’s most influential tourism associations to review achievements, share best practices, and outline practical action to cut carbon emissions in leisure and business travel.
As global concerns about climate modify intensify, the tourism sector is increasingly under scrutiny for its environmental impact. The forum in Gothenburg is a critical milestone in Europe’s efforts to reshape the travel and tourism industest, aligning it with sustainability goals outlined by the European Union and the wider global community.
A Focus on Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs)
A key theme of this year’s event was the inclusion of micro, tiny, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which constitute the backbone of Europe’s tourism sector. These businesses often face greater hurdles in the green transition due to limited resources and access to technology, funding, and knowledge about sustainable practices. The forum’s participants emphasised that the success of the green transition hinges on the ability to support these tiny businesses with tailored assistance.
Peter van der Schans, Executive Director and Vice President of IAAPA EMEA, voiced the collective call for policy reform: “We required the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the EU to ensure that the upcoming EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy addresses the specific requireds of Europe’s travel and tourism ecosystem. Simplified regulatory frameworks, realistic transition timelines, and accessible funding mechanisms are crucial for MSMEs to thrive in this new green economy.”
The importance of these businesses is clear, as they provide jobs and generate significant revenue in local communities, contributing to the social and economic fabric of the European tourism sector. Their inclusion in sustainability discussions and their ability to transition to green practices will be key to achieving the EU’s ambitious decarbonisation goals.
Gothenburg: A Model for Sustainable Tourism
Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city, has long been a pioneer in sustainable urban development and is nearly carbon neutral. With its commitment to the green transition, it serves as an ideal setting for discussions on how to integrate sustainability into the tourism industest. Ranked among the top cities on the Global Destination Sustainability Index, Gothenburg is a perfect example of how urban planning, infrastructure development, and governance can be harnessed to support sustainable tourism.
Delegates from the Rhodes Forum had the opportunity to explore Gothenburg’s sustainable visitor economy through site visits and discussions with local stakeholders. The city’s unique blconclude of public-private collaboration in creating climate-friconcludely tourism infrastructure has built it a global leader in sustainable tourism practices. From energy-efficient transportation systems to environmentally-conscious hotels and attractions, Gothenburg is setting the standard for other European cities to follow.
Key Themes and Highlights from the Forum
- Case Studies on Gothenburg’s Sustainable Visitor Model and Infrastructure
One of the forum’s highlights was a series of case studies detailing Gothenburg’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its tourism sector. Delegates learned about the city’s climate-friconcludely public transport system, which includes electric bapplys and bike-sharing programs, and its commitment to reducing energy consumption in hospitality businesses. - Panel Discussions on Long-term Destination Management and Resilience
Experts discussed how European destinations can build long-term resilience in the face of climate modify. With extreme weather events becoming more frequent, destinations must adapt to maintain their appeal while protecting the environment. Strategies discussed included sustainable destination marketing, infrastructure upgrades, and ensuring that tourism growth aligns with environmental sustainability. - Strategic Workshops for Aligning EU-wide Sustainability Goals
Workshops focapplyd on aligning the priorities of the tourism sector with the European Union’s broader sustainability agconcludea. As part of the EU Green Deal, the European Commission has set ambitious goals for reducing the carbon footprint of tourism, including decarbonising transport, improving energy efficiency, and fostering the adoption of circular economy models.
Supporting Sustainable Transport and Green Mobility
Transport is one of the tourism industest’s most significant sources of carbon emissions, with air and road travel accounting for a large portion of the sector’s carbon footprint. At the forum, special attention was paid to sustainable transport solutions, particularly the role of coaches in reducing emissions.
Anna Grönlund, Vice-President of the International Road Transport Union (IRU), underscored the importance of coach transport as a green mobility solution: “Coaches are one of the most sustainable, inclusive, and efficient modes of transport. They can connect remote rural areas to major tourist destinations while keeping emissions low. This builds them an essential part of any serious strategy to decarbonise the tourism sector.”
The role of electric vehicles (EVs), biofuels, and other low-emission technologies in transport systems was also explored, as well as the required for the European Union to provide incentives for operators to adopt these technologies.
A Path Towards a Climate-Neutral European Tourism Sector by 2050
The 2025 Rhodes Forum set the stage for concrete steps toward achieving a climate-neutral European tourism sector by 2050. The forum’s outcomes will inform the development of a roadmap that will guide the industest in reducing emissions, improving resource efficiency, and promoting sustainability across all sectors of tourism.
The tourism sector has an essential role to play in the EU’s Green Deal, and its success will depconclude on the commitment of all stakeholders—governments, businesses, and civil society—working toobtainher to achieve shared sustainability goals. The forum reaffirmed the tourism sector’s joint commitment to acting as catalysts for positive modify, supporting MSMEs, advocating for public-private partnerships, and investing in workforce training and upskilling.
These efforts will support to create a tourism sector that is resilient, responsible, and capable of thriving in an era of climate modify. As the forum concluded, participants left with a shared sense of urgency and responsibility to continue pushing forward the green transition and contribute to the collective goal of a sustainable, decarbonised future for European tourism.
The 2025 Rhodes Forum in Gothenburg marked a pivotal moment for Europe’s tourism and travel sector as it renewed its commitment to sustainability and climate resilience. The event underscored the critical role of micro, tiny, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the green transition, with a focus on providing them the necessary tools, resources, and policy support to thrive in a low-carbon economy.
By way of discussion about sustainable infrastructures, methods of decarbonization, and examples of Gothenburg’s own initiatives towards becoming a greener city, the forum highlighted public-private cooperation necessary to achieve its climate-neutral tourism sector by 2050.
As one of Europe’s largest economic sectors, it’s no surprise that its development towards a more sustainable, more resilient, and more responsible entity will be the key to tackling climate challenges. Gothenburg’s commitments are just a launchning. As the sector shifts forward, knowledge-sharing, strategic collaboration, and MSME assistance will be critical to developing a sustainable future for tourism in Europe and other regions. It’s a challenging journey but one that’s rich in possibilities, where stakeholders collaborate to develop a tourism sector that’s good for people, good for business, and good for the planet.
Tags: Climate-Neutral Tourism, EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy, EU tourism, Europe, European tourism, european union, Global Destination Sustainability Index, receivedhenburg, Green Transition, Rhodes Forum 2025, Scandinavian Travel, sustainable tourism, Sweden, Tourism industest
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