RTEA Namibia Sectoral Paper - Ecotourism and the Informal Carbon Market: Is the Climate Right for Change?

The document argues that Namibia's tourism economy faces a risk of decline if it does not address the indirect impacts of climate change, specifically tourists' concerns over the carbon footprint of their travel. It proposes a shift toward carbon-neutral products, the creation of a national policy on climate change and tourism, and the establishment of a national body to oversee the quality of carbon-offset products to secure a comparative advantage over other destinations.

• Climate change is expected to impact Namibia's tourism sector both directly through the resources themselves and indirectly via the concerns of international tourists, particularly those from Europe, regarding the contribution of their travel to global warming.
• Namibia risks losing market share and experiencing sectoral decline if it maintains a 'business as usual' approach, but it could become a world-leading destination by embracing change and the opportunities presented by climate change.
• The document recommends that all tourism products demonstrate sustainable environmental management, contribute to conservation, and minimize greenhouse gas emissions or achieve carbon neutrality, while also supporting poverty alleviation.
• To manage the transition, the brief proposes creating a national policy on climate change and tourism, integrating climate issues into existing bodies like the Namibia Tourism Board and the Environmental Management Act, and establishing a national body to oversee the quality control of carbon-neutral and carbon-offset products.

APA

Davidson,, A. (2009). RTEA Namibia Sectoral Paper - Ecotourism and the Informal Carbon Market: Is the Climate Right for Change? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/rtea-namibia-sectoral-paper-ecotourism-and-informal-carbon-market-climate-right

Chicago

Davidson,, Andee. RTEA Namibia Sectoral Paper - Ecotourism and the Informal Carbon Market: Is the Climate Right for Change? International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/rtea-namibia-sectoral-paper-ecotourism-and-informal-carbon-market-climate-right.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Davidson, |first1=Andee |title=RTEA Namibia Sectoral Paper - Ecotourism and the Informal Carbon Market: Is the Climate Right for Change? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=17 November 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/rtea-namibia-sectoral-paper-ecotourism-and-informal-carbon-market-climate-right |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{davidson2009rtea, author = {Davidson,, Andee}, title = {{RTEA Namibia Sectoral Paper - Ecotourism and the Informal Carbon Market: Is the Climate Right for Change?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/rtea-namibia-sectoral-paper-ecotourism-and-informal-carbon-market-climate-right}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }