COP29 President: Tourism is sensitive field to effects of climate change

"According to the latest data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, the tourism sector generates 10 percent of global GDP and employs 1 in 10 people. For many developing countries, including small island states and least developed countries, tourism is a lifeline – providing income, employment, and foreign exchange," Azernews reports, citing Ecology and Natural Resources Minister, President of COP29 Mukhtar Babayev, as he said at the First Meeting of Ministers on Improved Climate Action in the Tourism Sector held on November 20 in Baku within the framework of COP29.

He said that tourism is not only responsible for a significant part of global greenhouse gas emissions, but is also vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Therefore, this event is a concrete step to integrate tourism into the global climate agenda and align it with the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

M. Babayev pointed out that the "COP29 Declaration on Strengthening Climate Action in Tourism" to be presented today requires the integration of tourism into international climate strategies.