Tourism and Sustainability Trends

Tourism and Sustainability

Sustainability in tourism means travelling while minimising negative impacts on the environment, culture and society, generating lasting benefits for local communities and protecting natural resources for future generations. But how is this achieved in practice?

What impacts does tourism have on the environment?

Tourism contributes to climate change, while also being affected by its consequences.

Tourism’s impact on climate

According to UN Tourism, around 5% of global CO₂ emissions are linked to the movement of tourists.
Transport is not the only issue: shopping, sourcing and food waste are also among the main tourism-related sources of emissions.

Consequences for destinations and businesses

Climate change puts both destinations and tourism businesses at risk:

Sea-level rise, extreme weather, ocean acidification and higher temperatures will threaten tourism destinations.
In the Caribbean, for example, a one-metre rise in sea level would damage 49–60% of accommodation capacity, with reconstruction costs of more than 10 billion dollars.

The operational side of tourism businesses will also be under pressure:

Water scarcity may generate conflict between tourism use and local community needs.
The increase in extreme events will make insurance companies more reluctant to provide coverage, with major economic consequences.

What do we mean by sustainable tourism?

UN Tourism defines sustainable tourism as:

“Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”

To better understand the complexity of the concept, it is useful to look at sustainable tourism from two distinct but complementary perspectives:

Demand

Sustainable tourism represents a conscious way of travelling that implies:

attention to natural and cultural resources and to local communities;
a desire to deepen knowledge and understanding of a place, also through educational and interpretive activities;
a preference for low-impact mobility, accommodation and dining options;
interest in discovering lesser-known destinations, away from traditional tourism circuits.

Supply

Sustainable tourism is a cross-cutting principle that should guide all tourism practices.

It is not a specific segment, such as seaside or mountain tourism, but an approach that seeks a balance between benefits and costs and aims to create lasting environmental, economic and social value.

Can food & wine tourism be sustainable?

When it is well planned and managed, food & wine tourism can generate lasting value for destinations, communities and visitors.

It helps enhance rural areas

Promoting food & wine tourism helps rebalance visitor flows, reducing pressure on the most famous destinations and stimulating more widespread development aligned with local vocations.

Rural areas represent an authentic asset for Italy: they account for 92% of certified agri-food production and 79% of wines with denomination status.
At the same time, 43% of foreign tourists are concentrated in just six provinces: the potential is high, but still partly underdeveloped.

It supports the protection of food and wine heritage

Food & wine tourism is a powerful lever for enhancing products, recipes, traditions, landscapes and local know-how, all of which become central to the travel experience.

76% of Italian travellers want to learn about the food culture of the destination they visit, and 75% show interest in the food culture of their own region.
More than 1 Italian out of 3 has visited artisan food shops during trips taken over the last three years.

It helps promote healthier lifestyles

Poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles are among the major public-health challenges in Italy:

poor diet is the second behavioural risk factor for mortality (144.9 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants)
46.2% of the adult population is overweight

In this context, food & wine tourism can become an educational opportunity.

Discovering local production systems and methods helps build stronger food awareness.
Not surprisingly, 7 travellers out of 10 say they want to find healthy menu options while on holiday.

It helps promote healthier lifestyles

Food & wine tourism is linked to slow, immersive and environmentally respectful practices. From walks through vineyards and olive groves to visits to producers, these experiences naturally unfold over longer timescales and create a more authentic relationship with places.
Enhancing it means promoting a more conscious way of travelling, based on the active discovery of the territory and its identities while supporting local agricultural production.

It encourages slower tourism

Food & wine tourism is associated with slow, immersive and environmentally respectful practices. From walks through vineyards and olive groves to visits to production sites, these experiences naturally favour longer timescales and a more authentic relationship with place.
Enhancing it means promoting a more conscious way of travelling, based on the active discovery of the territory and its identities while also supporting local agricultural production.

*Note: data refers to 2023.

What do travellers want?

Within food & wine tourism, sustainability has become a key factor in the choice of travel experiences.

Local products and environmental attention

For at least 1 traveller out of 2, environmental sustainability influences the decision to take part in company visits, themed tours or food-and-wine events.

75% of Italians want to enjoy dishes prepared with local products.
66% prefer businesses that use renewable energy sources.
73% would appreciate the availability of public or dedicated transport.

Etica aziendale

Economic and social sustainability is another relevant aspect: almost 6 Italians out of 10 say they take it into account in their travel choices.

68% are more likely to choose an experience if the business promotes projects that support the local community.
67% appreciate the possibility of buying directly from small producers.

Comunicazione trasparente

Economic and social sustainability is also a decisive factor: almost 6 Italians out of 10 say they take it into account when making travel choices. 68% are more inclined to join an experience when the business promotes projects that support the local community, and 67% appreciate the opportunity to buy directly from small producers.

Note: the figures refer to 2023.

What can businesses and destinations do to be sustainable?

Sustainability in food & wine tourism is both an ethical value and a competitive advantage.

For businesses

Businesses can begin a sustainability journey through two key actions:

Measure and improve: assess your sustainability level and understand what and how to improve, also from the traveller’s perspective.
Communicate transparently: share what is being done with clients, travellers, suppliers, local operators and communities.

Highly sustainable businesses are on average 10.2% more productive than those that do not adopt any initiatives.

Come essere un'azienda più sostenibile? La Check list | Robertagaribaldi.it

Cosa possono fare le aziende per essere più sostenibili? Checklist | Robertagaribaldi it

For destinations

Azioni di soft power – modifiche normative, formazione, scambio di conoscenze

Infrastrutture e strutture funzionali allo scopo – hub enogastronomici, itinerari
Comunicazione coerente e omnicanale

Check list delle destinazioni per un turismo più sostenibile

Where should you start? What is needed are inspiration, planning capacity and the ability to seize opportunities that already exist.

Nomenclatura

To better understand how to improve sustainability and turn it into a distinctive element of the tourism offer, the main terms, concepts and definitions have been gathered in a glossary.

Download the report

To understand how sustainability can be developed in tourism, download the Food & Wine Tourism and Sustainability Report (2023).