UNWTO participates at UN Open Day in Bonn
Every year in anticipation of UN Day (24 October), the German city of Bonn, host to the UNWTO Consulting Unit on Tourism and Biodiversity and number of other organizations, UN programmes and offices connected by the contribution they make to sustainable development, organizes a public event to mark the occasion.
The 14th edition of the festivities took place on 19 October 2013. The Unit, also celebrating its 7th anniversary during the month of October, took the opportunity to present its work and interact with the more than 2,500 people that stopped by the UN Tent during the day.
Visitors to the UNWTO booth could learn more about the mission and work of the UNWTO in general and the Unit in particular, with an emphasis on two of the Unit’s running projects; Destination Flyways and STREAM. In addition, the visitors could pick up practical tips on how to make more sustainable and responsible choices as tourists
In line with The UN Water for Life Decade and 2013 being the UN International Year of Water Cooperation, the theme for this year’s celebrations was “8.0 for development – Water connects!”. The UNWTO Consulting Unit also informed visitors about the many links between tourism and water - one of tourism’s main assets and most precious resources – and the theme for this year’s World Tourism Day. Water powers all tourism industries, from hotels and restaurants to leisure activities and transport. Water destinations are also enjoyed by millions of people every year - coastal and beach tourism remains the dominant segment in terms of number of tourists. Managed sustainably, tourism can support water preservation, an important element in all projects carried out by the Unit.
Together with the other UN organizations in Bonn, UNWTO also contributed to a Water Quiz put together for the occasion, challenging the visitors’ knowledge on UN’s work with water issues and the purposes of the UN entities based in Bonn.
In total over 20 000 people, both locals and tourists, attended the event, celebrating the unifying spirit of the UN.
Photo: Britt Jennes/UNWTO
