Organisers: ICIMOD, Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC), Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO)

About the study tour

The study tour for senior delegates from the governments and Industry of Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan is being organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in cooperation with Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC) and Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO). The hands-on programme will begin with field visits, followed by seminars, experience-sharing sessions, and reflections on climate-neutral tourism in practice. It will also include meetings with representatives from key Thai government agencies, universities, and private sector associations working together to promote climate-friendly tourism at the national level.

Objectives

This exposure and learning visit will be provided for key tourism decision makers of Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, to observe and learn from Thailand’s best practices and models about tourism sustainability and climate action.

Target participants

The event will convene diverse stakeholders including:

• Policymakers and senior government officials from relevant ministries and departments including the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment, and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (Bhutan).
• Directors and technical heads from departments such as the Department of Forests and Park Services (Bhutan), Department of Tourism (Nepal), and the Climate Change Management Division (Nepal).
• Leaders and senior representatives of national and provincial tourism authorities and corporations, including the Nepal Tourism Board, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority.
• State-level representatives from the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Sikkim (India)
• Representatives from conservation and environmental organisations, such as the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).
• Policy and planning officials engaged in tourism, environment, and sustainable development sectors across South Asia.

Background

Climate change is an existential crisis which threatens all life and human activities on earth.

There is broad, scientific consensus that to avert the worst impacts of climate change and preserve a liveable planet, global temperature increase needs to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Currently, the Earth is already about 1.2°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s, and emissions continue to rise (WMO, 2024). To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C, emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050 (UN, 2024).

Tourism is estimated to contribute 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, with almost half of this footprint from transport (STI, 2018). Effective climate action in tourism follows 3 key steps: 1) taking action to reduce the carbon footprint of tourism as far as possible (Low Carbon Tourism); 2) measuring and offsetting remaining emissions through credible offsetting programs (Carbon Neutral Tourism – CNT), and 3) defining and following pathways towards Net Zero Tourism (NZT). This means removing our GHG emissions from the atmosphere, without relying on Carbon Offsets.

Alongside protecting the environment, achieving sustainable tourism requires ensuring benefits for local businesses and people in destinations. Therefore, while reducing the carbon footprint of tourism, supporting organisations must also ensure that SMEs and local communities are able to understand, participate in and benefit from low carbon tourism. This requires awareness raising, climate literacy, and credible, feasible and affordable tools, products and pathways.

Tourism is a dynamic service sector with multiple stakeholders, including government, private sector and local communities. Success relies on a coordinated and integrated approach.

In Thailand, stakeholders are working together on sustainability and climate action through a holistic and systematic approach that brings together government, academia, businesses, and local communities. The government has introduced innovative policies and established dedicated organisations, such as the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO, 2019), to support Thai industries in decarbonisation efforts through a suite of tools, training programmes, and certified Thai offsetting projects.

At the industry level, since 2021, a network of more than 30 organisations has been collaborating to research and promote low-carbon and carbon-neutral tourism. Over 4,000 Thai SMEs and communities are now part of the Thailand Low Carbon Tourism Network, while more than 200 academics across the country are conducting field research to advance climate-friendly tourism.

These efforts have led to the development of over 150 Carbon Neutral Tourism (CNT) Routes, which are being marketed globally by the Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association (TEATA, 2024). Thai partners have also established collaborations with international counterparts to further support CNT product development and marketing.