Tourism operators like to talk about how much they depend on nature. But they’ve had little to say about COP17, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity conference underway in Yerevan, Armenia.
At COP15 in Montreal in 2022, governments agreed on a landmark goal to conserve and manage 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030, one of 23 targets in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. In Yerevan, policymakers and scientists are now taking stock of progress, and a UN assessment released last month warned that the world is off track.
The report, “State of Biodiversity Action,” barely mentions tourism. Most of its handful of references are case studies that treat tourism as a way to make money from conservation rather than an industry with its own impact on biodiversity.
One case study is the Seychelles, an Indian Ocean archipelago that depends on tourism and is increasingly exposed to climate change, but has limited financial and technical resources to respond. Even so, it has exceeded the “30x30” goal, protecting 48.1% of its land and 32.6% of its marine areas. It got there by modernizing its conservation laws and building ecosystem-based management into its planning.
For a country with a GDP of $2.4 billion, less than Airbnb’s second-quarter revenue, that shows what’s possible with political will.
But of the companies that publicly disclose having processes to identify and manage their dependence on nature, only 23 of them are hospitality organizations, according to CDP data cited in the UN report, the fewest of any sector it tracks. CDP was formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project.
Are you at COP17, or have a tip? Drop me a line at [email protected] or on Signal at @tjl.13
👀 To watch: The shape, size and funding of sustainability teams continues to change. As I was trawling social media accounts of sustainability chiefs to see whether they had posted about COP17, I noticed IHG and Hilton are hiring in Asia. IHG is on the hunt for a Senior Manager for its EAPAC Sustainability team in Bangkok, and Hilton wants a Sustainability & Responsible Business director in Singapore.
Skift Commerce Summit
Who owns the customer, who captures the payment, and who decides before the answers harden.
On the afternoon of November 11 in NYC, the executives making those bets take the stage: Tyler Morse of MCR Hotels, Citi’s Abhinav Anand, and Hitit CEO Nevra Onursal Karaagac.
SHEERID + SKIFT
A direct booking does not always create a direct relationship. See how verified identity can help airlines build more lasting loyalty.
Headlines
Radisson’s First Net Zero Hotel in Africa Signals Shift From Leased to Managed Properties
by Tasmin Lockwood
October 27, 2026
The Hotel Industry Has A Water Problem
by Tasmin Lockwood
October 20, 2026
Watch or Listen
The airline industry is navigating its most unpredictable period since the pandemic, with fuel prices, geopolitical tensions, premium travel demand, and aircraft shortages reshaping the competitive landscape. Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat break down the data behind the headlines, explaining why airlines remain profitable despite rising costs and unprecedented volatility.
Skift Travel 200
How are public travel companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to understand global market movements. Paid subscribers get full access here.
