Every year on 27 September, World Tourism Day raises awareness of travel’s role in development. Its purpose is “to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide”. In 2025 the host city is Melaka, Malaysia, with the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”. This theme highlights the need for tourism to be inclusive, eco-friendly and beneficial to local communities while protecting culture and nature. Events on World Tourism Day often feature eco-tours and heritage walks, reminding us that travel should not only bring joy but also “build a better future for people and the planet”.
Sustainable Tourism: Climate Action, Youth and Communities
Tourism is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries, closely tied to economic opportunity and environmental well-being. The UN World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”. In practice, sustainable tourism means promoting climate-friendly travel (e.g. low-carbon transport, renewable energy in hotels), conserving natural and cultural sites, and ensuring local people benefit. For example, tourism links directly to UN Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 8.9 aims by 2030 to “devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. By engaging local communities – and in particular young people – sustainable tourism helps drive climate action at the grassroots. Youth-led initiatives can educate travelers, reduce footprints, and strengthen community stewardship of landmarks and ecosystems. In short, sustainable tourism connects climate action, youth empowerment and community development into one green approach.
Youth Love Egypt Foundation’s Green Tourism Initiatives
The Youth Love Egypt Foundation (YLE) is an Egyptian youth-led NGO active in environmental and community projects. YLE’s work perfectly illustrates how young people can drive sustainable (or eco-) tourism. Key YLE initiatives include international training projects, local eco-camps, and awareness campaigns.
- Erasmus+ “Youth Travel Sustainably” (2024–25) and Siwa Oasis project: YLE organized a fully-funded Erasmus+ youth training on sustainable tourism. Thirty-one participants from Egypt, Slovenia, Turkey, Lebanon, and Tunisia spent two weeks (Sept 2024) learning green entrepreneurship. YLE staff led workshops on eco-tourism business models, carbon footprints and community engagement. In one teamwork session the Egyptian group proposed a project focused on Siwa Oasis – a famous Egyptian eco-tourism site. (Siwa’s unique ecosystem and heritage make it ideal for climate-friendly travel.) The Erasmus exchange equipped youth with planning and marketing skills for sustainable tourism and helped them design real projects.
- Siwa Oasis Sustainable Tourism Camp: In August 2024, YLE ran a “sustainable tourism camp” in Siwa. Thirty-three young volunteers (including YLE members) gathered in Siwa to connect tourism with climate awareness. The objectives were to build local youth capacity on eco-tourism and climate change, to help solve community problems, and to celebrate Siwa’s cultural heritage. Activities combined nature-and-history tours with hands-on workshops. On Day 1 participants visited the Temple of Amun and Cleopatra’s Spring (UNESCO heritage sites) while learning about desert ecology. Day 2 included the Mountain of the Dead necropolis and interactive sessions in a traditional Siwan house. Campers also held a children’s climate workshop: local Siwa kids learned about water conservation, recycling and Siwa’s legends. Each child drew their vision of a healthy environment, to be published in an illustrated book. YLE environmental engineers inspected Siwan wells and farms to propose water-saving and waste solutions, and volunteers cleaned up local sites. In all, the camp merged eco-tourism with community service – visiting archaeological and natural sites, while training youth to protect them for future travelers.
- Fayoum Eco-Camp and Nature Reserve Awareness: YLE also engages youth in Egypt’s Fayoum region, another eco-tourism hotspot (Wadi El-Rayan, Lake Qarun), YLE volunteers ran an extensive awareness campaign in Fayoum’s protected areas. Over 125,000 visitors to Wadi El-Rayan and Qarun Lake received on-the-spot environmental education. Volunteers boarded tourist buses, talked to families by waterfalls (see photo), and warned them about safety and protecting the reserve[16]. They explained why feeding plastics to goats and chasing the so-called “color war” (throwing dye in ponds) harms wildlife. The team placed trash bins at key viewpoints and advised street vendors and boat operators to keep within designated zones. The result was real change: after the campaign the notorious “color war” was stopped. This Fayoum Eco Camp blended volunteering with learning – youth taught tourists about ecology and in turn built pride in local heritage.
- Other Youth-Led Green Campaigns: YLE’s scope extends beyond camps. For example, its Clean Shores project tackled plastic pollution on Egypt’s coasts. YLE led campaigns to declare Red Sea islands “completely free of plastic” by collecting over 3 tons of waste. In 2017 it launched “Egyptian Islands Free of Plastic”, cleaning beaches and sea around several Nile Delta and Red Sea sites[19]. On World Environment Day 2018 YLE organized one of Egypt’s largest cleanup events (#BeatsPlastic) to combat river and beach litter. YLE also promotes climate-friendly transportation: in 2024 it ran a “Climate Justice” bicycle marathon in Alexandria (15 km ride) with hundreds of riders, highlighting cycling as sustainable urban travel. Through such actions – marshaling youth volunteers for cleanups, educational sessions and green events – YLE proves that youth environmental organizations can lead community-based eco-tourism and conservation.
The Power of Youth in Green Travel
Youth-led organizations like Youth Love Egypt show that young people are essential drivers of sustainable tourism. They create opportunities for cultural exchange (e.g. by homestays or local guides), they act as eco-ambassadors in their communities, and they innovate new green travel services. In the MENA region, where tourism and climate challenges both loom large, this youth empowerment is vital. By involving local youth, projects in Siwa, Fayoum and beyond not only protect Egypt’s natural and cultural treasures, but also give young people skills and ownership. As the next generation of travelers, they champion climate-friendly travel – from choosing eco-lodges to cycling tours – and they ensure tourism benefits people and planet. On this World Tourism Day 2025, we celebrate the growing role of green, youth-driven tourism and the inspiring work of Egyptian organizations like Youth Love Egypt. Their example reminds us that a sustainable future depends on engaged communities, empowered youth, and travel that honors both environment and culture.
