How Biodiversity Supports Sustainability in Tourism & Beyond

Biodiversity directly impacts about 50% of the world's GDP according to the World Economic Forum. Healthy, diverse ecosystems can absorb carbon and help to maintain the resilience of natural systems in the face of climate change.

“The climate and biodiversity crises are two urgent and deeply interconnected challenges that need to be met swiftly and on a global scale,” says Benj Sykes, Vice President, UK Country Manager and Head of Environment, Consenting & External Affairs at Ørsted.

“Restoring biodiversity is one of the most powerful tools we have to fight climate change, after moving to a world free from fossil fuels. Healthy habitats can mitigate climate change and help adapt to its effects.”

In some industries, climate change and biodiversity loss can pose a much more visible threat. Raed Albasseet, Group Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer at Red Sea Global (RSG), says: “Climate change poses a significant threat to the tourism industry. Rising sea levels, extreme weather events and the degradation of natural ecosystems can all negatively impact destinations, making them less attractive to visitors.”

What tourists and travellers are looking for

“Travelers are becoming more aware of the environmental impact of their trips, which is driving demand for more sustainable and responsible tourism options,” Raed says. “A Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report found that 93% of global travellers say that they want to travel more sustainably and 43% feel guilty when they make less sustainable travel choices.”

Kate Heiny is Vice President Sustainability at Booking Holdings, a leader in online travel with brands including Booking.com, Kayak and agoda.com. “Our mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world,” she explains. “A more sustainable future for travel is one where people can experience the world without compromising the health of the planet and wellbeing of local communities.”

She feels that the tourism industry is at “a relatively nascent stage” in sustainability, but there is potential to have an enormous impact. “Our research is very clear that travellers want more sustainable travel. This is the 10th year we've done this survey, and that number just increases every year.”

“The industry of travel is fairly complex,” Kate explains. “The travel industry supports over 350 million jobs globally. We account for 10% of GDP according to the WTTC and this will grow to 11.5%. The participants in the travel industry are complex. It's airlines, it's travel, it's accommodations, it's cruises, it's attractions. They're all industries in and of themselves. The traveller definitely wants this, but there's a lot of complexity in that.

“As a platform that touches these different players, we have a unique role to play by bringing forward more sustainable options that our travellers want to choose and then also working back with our partners to ensure that there are the options present.

“Our goals are to reduce emissions, promote more responsible tourism, protect cultural and natural assets that make travel more meaningful and make sure that that continues to be meaningful for long-term value. Not just for travellers, but also for the destinations and communities that they visit.”

Raed says: “The future of tourism is regenerative. Travelers are increasingly seeking authentic and meaningful experiences that have a positive impact on the environment and local communities. 

“Destinations that prioritise sustainability and regeneration will be best positioned to attract these travelers and thrive in the long run. Ultimately, the future of tourism is about creating a win-win situation for travelers, destinations and the planet.”

Red Sea Global’s regenerative tourism

In the waters of the Red Sea, where coral reefs teem with marine life and mangrove forests provide sanctuary for species, RSG is taking a new approach to tourism.

The Saudi Arabian tourism developer behind luxury destinations The Red Sea and AMAALA is pioneering what it calls "regenerative tourism". This model goes beyond traditional sustainability to actively enhance biodiversity and restore ecosystems.

Raed Albasseet, Group Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer at RSG, leads these efforts with more than two decades of experience in environmental leadership.

“Sustainability is intrinsically linked to regenerative tourism, and both are at the heart of what we do,” he explains. “For us, it’s not just about avoiding negative environmental impact; it’s about actively improving the environment and supporting the communities where we operate. 

“We’re pioneering a new model of development and operations that puts people and the planet first. By using innovative technologies and ideas, we are aiming to create projects that not only benefit our guests, but also have a positive legacy for the environment.”

Regenerative tourism, Raed says, goes beyond just minimising negative impacts, seeking to actively restore and enhance the environment and local communities. 

“For example, rather than just reducing our carbon emissions, we aim to operate entirely on renewable energy,” he shares. “Instead of just protecting existing ecosystems, we actively restore and enhance them through mangrove planting, coral cultivation and seagrass transplantation. Instead of just providing jobs, we empower local communities through training programmes and partnerships with local businesses.

“We are leading the shift in the tourism industry from a focus on just sustainability to true regeneration, setting the groundwork and laying the cornerstone for a future where tourism plays an inextricable role in the solution by protecting and enhancing the planet.”

RSG has already planted more than 600,000 mangrove seedlings, is working to conserve seagrass meadows and is supporting wildlife conservation efforts. It has deployed 30 artificial nesting sites across 14 islands to help boost the population of the Sooty Falcon and grows more than five million plants in its Landscape Nursery.

The challenges of regenerative tourism

Despite making visible progress on biodiversity and regeneration in its net zero strategy, Raed says implementing it presents a range of challenges.

“One is balancing the demands of luxury tourism with the need to protect and enhance the environment. 

“Another challenge is maintaining sustainable operations and integrating sustainability initiatives across all aspects of our development. Securing and maintaining the buy-in of all stakeholders, including government agencies, local communities and international partners, is also crucial. 

“Finally, measuring and demonstrating the effectiveness of our regenerative efforts requires robust monitoring and evaluation systems.

To tackle these challenges RSG has developed collaborations with leading scientific institutions, including the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). It has also invested heavily in developing its internal capabilities for environmental monitoring and technologies. “We hold ourselves accountable by tracking key indicators like fish populations and coral reef health, using innovative technology and collaborating with top scientists,” Raed explains.

Biodiversity across industries

While biodiversity and nature may be less visible in other industries, it is still often a crucial part of net zero strategies. While energy company Ørsted may seem worlds apart from tourism, its net zero strategy contains a similar focus on biodiversity. Scaling up renewable energy requires access to land and ocean space.

“It’s imperative that the green energy solutions we’re delivering on the journey to net zero will also contribute to ecosystem health and deliver positive outcomes from the communities where these projects are being built – and that we can measure how we’re doing on both fronts,” Benj says. “We’ve set an ambition that all new renewable energy assets we commission from 2030 onwards should have a net positive biodiversity impact.”

Ørsted has launched a new, industry-first framework for measuring its impact on biodiversity, incorporating the complex landscape of sustainability reporting requirements, local regulations and cross-sector coalitions. Benj explains: “We need consensus on how to measure and report the impact of renewable energy, across both onshore and offshore assets, to show our work and stay accountable.” It is inviting feedback on this framework to accelerate industry consensus on taking action for nature.

Ørsted is already working on a variety of biodiversity programmes. Its Wilder Humber project works in partnership with the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trusts in the UK. It is restoring biodiversity around the Humber Estuary by planting seagrass, restoring saltmarsh and creating a biogenic reef using native oysters. 

Ørsted is also testing out innovative ways to support warm water coral reefs with its ReCoral project in Taiwan and exploring the potential of marine rewilding in the Netherlands with its partner ARK Nature. “This toolbox of pilot projects demonstrates the huge range of ideas we need to explore as offshore wind accelerates globally into new ecosystems and communities,” Benj says.