Abu Dhabi: The Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has introduced new initiatives to encourage sustainable practises in the tourism industry and help partners adopt them.
These efforts align with Abu Dhabi’s goal of becoming a sustainable tourism destination and include three primary initiatives. including six sector-specific Sustainable Tourism Guidelines, a Carbon Calculato, and an energy-saving audit for all hotels in the emirate.
Incorporating sustainability into the tourism industry is a vital component of Abu Dhabi’s economic success and essential to enhancing quality of life for both residents and visitors. By collaborating with our hospitality and event partners, we can pave the way for a more sustainable future. As we mark the Year of Sustainability, we are proud to launch these initiatives that reflect our commitment to protecting Abu Dhabi’s resources, cultural assets, and environment for future generations. Through these efforts, we aim to ensure that people can continue to experience the emirate’s unique cultural and tourism offerings for years to come.
Mr. Saeed Ali Obaid Al Fazari, Executive Director, Strategy Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi, shared.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s sustainability framework is guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and aligns with the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Vision for 2030. The framework provides a clear roadmap for travel agents, tour operators, and other entities to make their businesses more sustainable and inclusive. It also takes into account global travellers’ concerns about the environment and their interest in sustainable travel.
The Sustainable Tourism Guidelines provide actionable recommendations across sustainability categories, including culture and heritage sites, events, food and beverage, hotels, leisure and entertainment attractions, travel agents, and tour operators. The implementation of these guidelines can help the tourism industry in Abu Dhabi make a valuable contribution to efforts aimed at tackling the impacts of climate change.
As the regulator of the emirate’s tourism industry, DCT Abu Dhabi is further developing a Carbon Calculator to estimate the carbon footprint of all hotels in the emirate, thereby enabling DCT to establish the overall industry baseline for carbon emissions.
In addition, the department is taking steps towards sustainable tourism by facilitating energy audits for all hotels in the emirate. This initiative identifies the most effective energy-saving solutions that will have a positive impact on the environment.