Friday, July 11, 2025
In a significant effort to promote Europe’s climate action agconcludea, travel and tourism representatives converged on Gothenburg, Sweden, on 7th-9th July 2025, during the annual Rhodes Forum. Organised a year following the adoption of the Rhodes Declaration, the event was a turning point for Europe as it drives towards a sustainable future for business and leisure travel. Key to the agconcludea of the forum was to take stock of the accomplishment of the road map towards the decarbonising of the travel and tourism sector, share the best practices, and reiterate the common commitment to ensure a climate-resilient, sustainable future for business and leisure travel.
With a special focus on empowering micro, compact, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the event underscored the importance of providing support to these enterprises as they navigate the challenges of the green transition. The collaboration of key European stakeholders is pivotal in relocating towards shared sustainability goals, ensuring that all sectors of the tourism indusattempt are equipped for the upcoming transformation.
Why Gothenburg? A Global Leader in Sustainable Urban Development
Gothenburg, known for its forward-considering approaches to sustainability, was the ideal location for this year’s gathering. The city has earned a reputation as one of the leading examples of sustainable urban development, nearly carbon-neutral, and highly ranked in the Global Destination Sustainability Index. This recognition reflects the city’s dedication to innovation in the areas of public-private partnerships, green urban planning, and community engagement.
Delegates at the forum explored how Gothenburg’s success in creating a sustainable visitor economy and its climate-friconcludely infrastructure could inspire other European cities. Through site visits and engagement with local partners, including a visit to the iconic Liseberg Park, participants gained real-world insights into how sustainable tourism practices are being implemented in action.
Gothenburg’s efforts demonstrate the potential of combining public policies with private initiatives to achieve ambitious sustainability goals. It’s a model that cities across Europe and beyond could adapt as they see to build more sustainable tourism infrastructures that align with the broader EU climate goals.
Forum Highlights and Key Outcomes
The forum featured a variety of engaging discussions and collaborative efforts aimed at building a sustainable future for European tourism. Key highlights included:
- Case Studies on Gothenburg’s Sustainable Visitors Model: These revealcased the city’s pioneering efforts in creating a climate-resilient tourism sector. Attconcludeees were able to observe firsthand the strategies employed to reduce emissions and implement sustainable practices across the tourism value chain.
- Panel Discussions on Long-Term Destination Management and Resilience: Experts debated how tourism destinations can plan for the future by addressing environmental, economic, and social challenges. They discussed ways to maintain resilience in the face of climate modify while also fostering growth and innovation within the sector.
- Strategic Workshops on Aligning Tourism with EU-Wide Sustainability Goals: The workshops provided an opportunity for stakeholders to align their priorities with EU sustainability goals. Emphasis was placed on integrating climate action into the tourism sector’s long-term strategies, ensuring that both leisure and business visitors contribute to the EU’s green transition.
- Support for MSMEs: A core focus of the forum was on how MSMEs can be supported in their journey toward decarbonisation. The challenges faced by compacter businesses in meeting regulatory and sustainability tarreceives were acknowledged, with discussions on how policies, funding, and support frameworks can be tailored to support them succeed.
- Advocacy for Public-Private Partnerships: The importance of strong collaboration between public and private sectors was highlighted. Participants discussed ways to strengthen these partnerships to drive decarbonisation and increase investment in sustainable tourism projects.
- Workforce Training and Readiness: The forum also emphasized the required for investment in workforce development. As the tourism sector transitions to greener practices, there will be a growing demand for upskilled workers who are equipped to implement and manage sustainable initiatives.
A Call to Action for the European Commission
The forum was also a platform for a unified call to action. Peter van der Schans, Executive Director and Vice President of IAAPA EMEA, spoke on behalf of the coalition, urging the European Commission, European Parliament, and the Council of the EU to consider the sustainability priorities of Europe’s tourism and travel ecosystem. He called for simplified regulatory frameworks, realistic transition timelines, and accessible funding mechanisms for MSMEs.
“We count on the European Commission to consider these requireds in the upcoming EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy,” Van der Schans stated. “Today’s actions in Gothenburg build directly on the momentum from Rhodes and will shape a new era of responsible and resilient travel and tourism.”
The outcomes of this year’s forum will directly contribute to the development of a climate-neutral European tourism sector by 2050. The discussions and decisions built in Gothenburg will provide a roadmap for the future of sustainable tourism in Europe, with a special emphasis on how businesses, governments, and consumers can work toreceiveher to achieve this ambitious goal.
Looking to the Future: A Sustainable Path Forward
The 2025 Rhodes Forum was not just a gathering; it was a call to action. The tourism and travel sectors are at a critical juncture, with the green transition already underway but requiring concerted effort from all corners of the indusattempt. The solutions discussed in Gothenburg are laying the groundwork for a sustainable tourism future, and the commitments built there will serve as stepping stones toward achieving the EU’s broader climate goals.
As the EU remains the champion of sustainability with initiatives like the European Green Deal and the European Climate Pact, the tourism sector requireds to transform to reflect these new demands. Inter-counattempt, inter-enterprise, and inter-organisation cooperation are the solutions to turning the European tourism sector into a reference area for sustainability, resilience, and innovation.
Gothenburg’s success holds promise for a cleaner, healthier future for the travel and tourism sector, with a clear course of action that can inspire others to follow suit. Through ongoing effort and action, Europe can become the world’s standard bearer for responsible travel and tourism.
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