Marketing Manchester, Greater Manchester’s destination management organisation, has become a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.
The Glasgow Declaration unites travel and tourism behind a common set of pathways for climate action, aligning the sector with global commitments and “catalysing collaborative solutions to the many challenges facing businesses and destinations globally.”
As a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, Marketing Manchester has committed to raise its climate ambition in support of global climate goals. It also has agreed to deliver a climate action plan within 12 months, aligned with the five pathways of the Declaration (Measure, Decarbonise, Regenerate, Collaborate, Finance), report progress on an annual basis, and work in a collaborative spirit, sharing good practices and solutions, and disseminating information.
The signing of the declaration follows the launch of the Greater Manchester Strategy for the Visitor Economy at the start of the year, which is a framework to lead and support the tourism and hospitality sector through a predicted period of growth in the region between 2025 and 2030. The strategy encourages a sustainable approach to this development, with a key target to make Manchester the most sustainable city in England by 2030 and a Top 40 city in the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS), which the city-region entered for the first time in 2024 where it ranked 59 out of 100 cities making it the second highest-ranking city in England.
Victoria Braddock, MD at Marketing Manchester, said: “Becoming a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration emphasises our ambition for Manchester to become a leading city in sustainable tourism and marks another step on our journey towards a net-zero Greater Manchester by 2038. Joining the initiative, alongside our target to become a Top 40 city in the GDS Index, reiterates our commitment to support the visitor economy in Greater Manchester through a path for sustainable growth and to raise the city-region’s profile as a sustainable destination.”
Richard Walker, tourism sustainability manager at Marketing Manchester, added: “This moment gives us an opportunity for reflection and renewal of our net-zero commitment as we deliver our climate action plan to align with the five strategic pathways proposed by the Declaration. We are excited to collaborate with the initiative and fellow Destination Management Organisations in addressing climate change and the impact the sector has on our environment, for a greener future in Tourism.”
