Travel and tourism on UN agenda for sustainability and poverty alleviation
Following the publication last week of a UN report on sustainable development across 22 industries (‘Industry as a Partner for Sustainable Development’), the UN environmental agency, UNEP, has agreed to specifically highlight tourism at the final preparatory meeting in Bali for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) welcomed the decision, saying it is a major breakthrough toward recognising the potential of the travel and tourism industry as an effective means to enable sustainable development and alleviate poverty in many parts of the world.
Graham Wason, WTTC Vice President of Strategy and Development said: “The industry has already made much progress in ensuring their commitment to sustainable development and poverty alleviation and stands ready to make the initiative work for all involved. It is now vital to engage all stakeholders, industry and governments, NGOs, unions and consumers in constructive dialogue which we hope to do further through the preparatory meeting.”
The Tourism Industry Report published and facilitated by UNEP, presents the perspectives of the travel and tourism industry in meeting the challenges of the 1992 Earth Summit over the past decade and into the future. The process included dialogues with various NGOs and the WTO to ensure that the report offered an open, self-critical assessment of the industry.
WTTC says the report represents a breakthrough in multi-stakeholder dialogue and is the first step to establishing a process by which all parties involved in travel and tourism can work together to make the sustainable growth of the industry work for everyone. A copy is available from the UNEP and WTTC websites: www.uneptie.org and www.wttc.org.
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