The Yukon has been added to the United Nations World Tourism Organization network of sustainable tourism observatories (INSTO), earning recognition as the second Canadian observatory, after Thompson Okanagan, and 31st in the world.

The Yukon Sustainable Tourism Observatory, hosted by the Government of Yukon, will identify, measure, and interpret sustainable tourism conditions to guide evidence-based decision making with the aim of helping the Yukon to better deal with post-pandemic recovery and future growth, thereby ensuring the sector is managed in a sustainable and responsible manner.

“The observatory can help Yukon to better manage its tourism sector, recovering and growing back more sustainably for the benefit of visitors and residents alike,” says UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

The move furthers The Yukon’s tourism development strategy, “Sustainable Tourism. Our path. Our Future. 2018-2028,” which called for the establishment of a framework to measure progress on the sustainable tourism development goals.

Within this context, Yukon pursued the establishment of an observatory on sustainable tourism within the INSTO Framework, with the aim of providing the sector with knowledge on the state of sustainability to make informed decisions and investments.

Yukon’s minister of environment of Yukon, Nils Clarke, says, “The Yukon government is honoured to receive this international recognition for the vital and ground-breaking work being done to address climate change in the territory. Together with the Our Clean Future Strategy, Yukon’s Sustainable Tourism Framework commits us to alignment with global best practices and promotes a balance between economic, social, and environmental values.”