BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- As the world marks Tourism Resilience Day on Tuesday, a Spanish tourism industry leader said the global tourism sector continues to demonstrate resilience in the face of crises, while warning that climate pressures require faster adaptation.

"The sector has always shown resilience when confronted with crises and environmental challenges," Domingo Morilla, president of the Interregional Federation of Hospitality, Catering and Tourism (FIHRT), told Xinhua.

A 2023 United Nations General Assembly resolution on tourism resilience highlighted the sector's vulnerability to global shocks and the need to strengthen its capacity to recover. While acknowledging the industry's ability to reinvent itself, Morilla said the pace of change poses a growing challenge. "The real issue is the speed of adaptation. Not all companies have the same capacity to respond," he noted.

Climate change is increasingly affecting tourism operations, he said, citing more frequent extreme weather events. According to Morilla, many companies are already taking steps to reduce their environmental footprint, including investing in renewable energy such as photovoltaic systems.

Tourism accounts for around 10 percent of global economic output, according to World Bank data based on figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council. Against this backdrop, Morilla stressed the need to build "a tourism model that is more respectful of nature and more responsible in consumption." ■