As the Covid-19 pandemic eases and countries open their doors to international tourists, Principality of Monaco focuses on responsible tourism. It is trying to raise awareness among both tourists and countries, putting forth the need to adopt sustainable development along with preservation of biodiversity, resource management and greenhouse gas reduction.

Monaco treats environmental protection as an issue of utmost importance for many years. Prince Albert II of Monaco believes that promoting sustainable development policy on the national and international stage is the need of the hour. With the Sovereign’s best interests and principles in mind, the Principality has committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 pc by 2030 from its 1990 level, and full carbon neutrality by 2050. In the country itself, actions are focused on resource management, biodiversity preservation and reduction of greenhouse gases.

With focus on responsible tourism, Monaco published a white paper on November 29, 2021, in presence of several personalities as well as partners and the stakeholders from the tourism industry.

The work on the white paper began in 2020 even as the world was struggling with the pandemic. The paper aims to enable the tourism industry to be more conscious of its responsibilities and the need to challenge some models. The industry was hit the hardest during the pandemic, with the revival of the sector, the document using analyses of surveys, comparative studies and discussion workshops aims to teach how to achieve the aimed numbers following the footsteps of responsible tourism.

It aims to offer a better understanding of tourism in Monaco and identify its strengths and weaknesses to help prepare for the tourism of tomorrow and make it even more sustainable, using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and the Principality’s energy transition targets as a basis. This collegial piece of work was carried out by the Tourist and Convention Authority and François Tourisme Consultants, together with all of the destination’s partners, assistance from the Mission for Energy Transition and the support of the Department of the Environment.

With a preface by Prince Albert II and Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, the white paper serves as a foundation that can be used to highlight areas for improvement and actions to take. Destination Monaco and its partners are already putting in place solutions to ensure optimal management of resources. These are taking shape through the strong choice of a binding environmental certification that has been adopted by a majority of hotels, and genuine commitments to promote soft mobility, recycling and efforts to reduce food waste.