UN Tourism and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance have joined forces to introduce a cohesive Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework tailored for the tourism industry.
Developed with input from the University of Oxford SDG Impact Lab, this framework aims to standardize how tourism businesses measure and report their sustainability initiatives. The new ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses seeks to revolutionize the industry by setting uniform standards for evaluating and communicating sustainability performance.
This partnership will involve UN Tourism and the Alliance in piloting the framework, refining its metrics and tools, and engaging stakeholders across the sector. Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of UN Tourism, highlighted the transformative potential of this collaboration: “The ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses is poised to set new benchmarks for the industry by providing essential, standardized measures for evaluating and reporting sustainability efforts.
“Our collaboration with the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance underscores the power of strategic partnerships in advancing ESG practices.” Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, remarked on the significance of the initiative: “Our partnership with UN Tourism to develop a harmonized ESG Framework marks a pivotal moment for global tourism.
This collaboration not only reinforces our dedication to sustainability but also demonstrates the industry’s ability to drive meaningful progress. By standardizing metrics and improving alignment between the private and public sectors, we are setting the stage for a more sustainable and resilient tourism industry.”
This effort addresses the growing need for transparency in ESG reporting within the tourism sector. The framework builds on the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (SF-MST), which has received endorsement from the UN Statistical Commission and all 193 UN Member States.
It aims to harmonize data reporting across both private and public sectors for greater consistency. Additionally, the Alliance’s Net Positive Hospitality Pathway and Framework will work towards standardizing metrics, developing KPIs, and streamlining reporting processes within the hospitality industry, further supporting the commitment to sustainability.
