Climate change is an increasingly urgent challenge for European tourism destinations. While many regions have adopted climate strategies and action plans, translating these commitments into effective mitigation and adaptation measures remains a significant challenge.
To close this gap between plans and practice, the new report Governance criteria for regional climate action in the European tourism sector, developed under the LIFE TOUR4CLIMA project with the collaborative efforts of key partners including eco-union, the Catalan Tourist Board, NECSTouR, the Provincial Council of Barcelona, and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, analyses how to improve regional governance frameworks. The document provides an actionable roadmap based on lessons from frontrunner European territories.
Learning from European destinations
Drawing on partners’ expertise in sustainable tourism, climate policy and territorial governance, the report combines research across European destinations with 18 interviews involving tourism practitioners, policymakers, climate experts, civil society representatives and academics.
The analysis explores governance approaches and good practices from Scotland, Catalonia, Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Flanders, Skåne, Normandy, Valencia and Centre-Val de Loire, as well as Finland and Ireland.
Building on these experiences, the report identifies three interconnected pillars for effective tourism climate governance.
Three pillars for effective climate governance
- Horizontal coordination: breaking administrative silos
Climate action must be integrated into regional tourism and economic strategies, strengthening cooperation between tourism, environment, mobility, energy and other relevant policy areas. This requires shared objectives, cross-departmental decision-making and the integration of climate criteria into administrative processes.
- Vertical alignment: connecting regional strategies with local action
Regional authorities play a key role in supporting municipalities, destination management organisations (DMOs) and tourism businesses. Common frameworks, accessible tools, technical assistance and stakeholder participation can help translate regional climate objectives into locally relevant measures.
- Operational enablers: turning plans into implementation
Effective climate action depends on access to reliable data, funding and technical capacity. The report highlights the importance of strengthening institutional expertise, improving carbon and water footprint measurement, facilitating green finance and supporting tourism businesses in their climate transition.
Practical tools to strengthen regional climate governance
A central contribution of the publication is its translation of research findings and European experiences into practical governance criteria.
The report includes three self-assessment checklists, corresponding to the governance pillars, that allow regional authorities and DMOs to examine their institutional arrangements, identify gaps and prioritise improvements.
The criteria address questions such as whether tourism is directly represented in regional climate decision-making, whether local destinations have access to common measurement tools, and whether sufficient financial and technical resources are available to implement climate measures.
Complemented by visual infographics and examples from European destinations, these tools are intended to support institutional reflection and practical improvements rather than rank or compare regional performance.
Through LIFE TOUR4CLIMA, eco-union is contributing to the development of evidence-based approaches that strengthen the relationship between tourism governance, climate policy and territorial planning.
This publication builds on our work to support a more sustainable, resilient, and climate-neutral tourism sector by addressing the institutional and operational conditions that determine whether climate policies can be implemented effectively.
By combining governance analysis, European experiences and practical assessment tools, the report supports regional authorities in moving beyond isolated initiatives towards more coherent, coordinated and accountable climate action.
Effective climate governance is not simply about defining what destinations should achieve. It is about establishing how institutions, businesses and communities can work together to achieve it.
