The United Nations 70th General Assembly has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. In the context of the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behaviour towards a more sustainable tourism sector that contributes to the SDGs.

Main responsibility to perform activities in the International Year for Sustainable Tourism for Development lays with UNWTO. They have the following information for the launch of the International Year, which will be organised alongside the Spanish travel fair Fitur:

“The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, to be launched in January in Madrid, is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the contribution of sustainable tourism to development among public and private sector decision-makers and the general public, while mobilizing all stakeholders to work together in making tourism a catalyst for positive change,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

The year will promote tourism’s role in the following five key areas:

(1) Inclusive and sustainable economic growth

(2) Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction

(3) Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change

(4) Cultural values, diversity and heritage

(5) Mutual understanding, peace and security.

A full programme of activities will be unveiled on 18 January on the occasion of the Opening of the International Year.

More information:

International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

Join the Celebrations

Sponsorship opportunities

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / rgomez@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org

LT&C is connected with UNWTO by its partnership with the Sustainable Tourism Programme of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP STP), which UNWTO is leading. LT&C just recently participated actively with delegation headed by LT&C Co-founder Sergio Chiarandini and complemented by LT&C Members  Eike Otto, a senior consultant in sustainable tourism ( http://www.sustainable-tourism.com/) and the film-maker Catherine Cunningham ( http://www.eikosphere.com/) in their sustainable tourism conference in Marrakech: The 22^nd session of Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP22), had been convened in the City of Marrakech from 7-18 November 2016. As part of the activities of the 10YFP STP, the Ministry of Tourism of Morocco had hosted a three-day Tourism Side Event simultaneously with the UNFCCC COP22, with the theme “Advancing Sustainable Tourism in a Changing Climate”. 

Sergio Chiarandini  presented the LT&C vision, mission and best LT&C-Examples at the Annual Conference of the 10YFP STP in the Focus Group 3 : Advancing Tourism in a changing Climate – innovation in endangered sites. The Focus Group was chaired by  10YFP Director of Sustainable Development for Tourism Programme  of UNWTO, Dirk Glässer

 

Mr Glässer complemented her message with a statement that “the Travel and Tourism sector, when conducted sustainably and responsibly, can be a major driver for positive change”. LT&C-delegation leader Sergio Chiarandini in his presentation amplified the concept expressed by the Chairman by presenting  concrete examples where tourism is already a driver of change through contributing to the creation and  effective management of nature and protected areas. Chiarandini also expressed his firm convinction that the freedom of being a player in tourism does not come with a free lunch or a licence to extract and pollute nature, rather it comes with a burden of duties and responisbilities wether you are an individual, a tour operator or a government organization, He concluded showcasing technical innovation and appropriate technologies that tourism enterprises have implemented to prevent and mitigate climate change impacts.

The 10YFP is a concrete and operational outcome of Rio+20. The 10YFP is a global framework that enhances international cooperation to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in both developed and developing countries. It provides capacity building and technical and financial assistance to developing countries, and encourages innovation and cooperation among all countries and stakeholders, so as to shift to SCP patterns in this sector.(http://www.unep.org/10yfp/Portals/50150/downloads/publications/10YFP/Brochure_10YFP%20Sust%20Tour%20Prog_EN_updated_27July2016.pdf)

The Tourism Side Event targeted the global tourism sector to promote increased action and contributions to national commitments of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

The International Year for Sustainable Tourism for Development should come up with concrete and convincing examples, where tourism is actively contributing to achieve the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals. LT&C wants to play a role here, in particular regarding the biodiversity SDGs 14 and 15, and therefore will participate January 18 in Madrid with some of its members running activities in developing countries to launch the International Year. We will there also explain, how we and tourism in general can contribute to reach the climate goal (SDG 13).