MEET Network features as sustainability solution in Earth Overshoot Day campaign

The Global Footprint Network has launched the 100 Days of Possibility campaign for the 2021 Earth Overshoot Day, presenting a new sustainability solution each day until the start of the Glasgow COP26. DestiMED PLUS project and MEET Network’s ecotourism experiences have been featured as a sustainable solution that could help move the date of the Earth Overshoot Day.

This is the second year in a row that MEET is featured in the Global Footprint Network's Earth Overshoot Day campaign! MEET’s model for ecotourism development in the Mediterranean, which is being updated and improved in DestiMED PLUS project, supports protected areas to develop  high-quality experiences that benefit conservation and local communities. The sustainability of these experiences is evidenced through MEET’s robust sustainability monitoring which includes the Ecological Footprint Calculator. The calculator is  an industry-specific online tool that helps protected areas and tour operators to assess and manage the sustainability of the packages they offer. The assessment takes  into account the combined ecological footprint of  food and drinks, accommodation, activities and services. 

Did you know that food and drinks are generally found to have the strongest ecological impact in all of our ecotourism packages? Thanks to the Ecological Footprint Calculator, protected areas can develop ecotourism packages that benefit conservation, reduce their environmental impact and improve the quality of the experience  offered to tourists. MEET works with travel industry partners who are focused on Northern European and Mediterranean markets. By focusing on markets closer to home the average travel footprint is lower than that of a tourist travelling from outside the EU to the same destination. MEET’s promotion of proximity ecotourism is aligned with the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism call to cut global tourism emissions by half over the next decade.

For more information about #DESTIMEDPLUS project and MEET Network follow us on social media - handles linked in footer below! 

Source: https://www.overshootday.org/portfolio/mediterranean-ecotourism-destimedplus/