PR No.: PR12074
In its on-going effort to cut global tourism emissions, UNWTO brought together experts from United Nations agencies and Oxford University at UN climate change talks in Qatar to present the latest strategies helping to reduce tourism’s contribution to global warming.
Cutting-edge alternative aircraft fuels, emissions trading schemes for aviation, water recycling systems on cruise liners and improvements in hotel insulation were among the innovations presented during the UNWTO side event, The Tourism Sector Response to Climate Change, at the 18th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18) in Doha, Qatar (29 November 2012).
“As tourism continues to grow, providing economic opportunities and jobs for millions worldwide, its carbon dioxide emissions are also on the up,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, ahead of the event. “We have a window of opportunity right now to move away from business as usual policies and to put the right strategies in place to significantly reduce our emissions.”
On the occasion of the event, which counted on the participation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Oxford University Centre for the Environment and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UNWTO officially launched the publication Tourism in the Green Economy.
The publication builds on the tourism chapter of the 2011 UNWTO/UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Green Economy Report, which finds that an investment of just 0.2% of global GDP per year between now and 2050 would allow the tourism sector to grow steadily over the coming decades, contributing to much-needed economic growth, employment and development while ensuring significant environmental benefits such as reductions in water consumption (18%), energy use (44%) and CO2 emissions (52%), as compared to a business as usual scenario.
Relevant links:
UNWTO Press Release: Investing in sustainable tourism will stimulate the Green Economy and job creation, says UN report
UNWTO Sustainable Development of Tourism Programme
Contacts:
UNWTO Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
UNWTO Communications Programme
Tel: +34 91-567-8100
Fax: +34 91-567-8218
The Report is based on a wide-ranging study carried out by the UNWTO Affiliate Members Programme among 21 of the world’s most-visited cities, providing insight into their urban tourism strategies and priorities. These 21 cities represent an international reference in urban tourism.
The exponential growth in international tourism arrivals seen over recent decades wouldn’t have been possible without the innovation and expansion of the air transport industry, which today accounts for more than half of cross-border tourist arrivals worldwide. Over the next twenty years, growth in international arrivals is forecasted at 3.3% annually. However, for this to happen, policy makers, Official Tourism Organizations (OTOs), airlines, airports and tourism service providers will have to develop and intensify their relations. This report outlines how such partnerships are taking shape around the world.
The report explores some of the following areas:
The fifth in the series of AM Reports, this Global Report on Aviation was published by UNWTO in collaboration with ASM (a division of UBM Live), and Everis Tourism.
UNWTO would like to thank all Affiliate Members and other selected partners who contributed to this report.
For more information please contact the UNWTO Affiliate Members Programme:
Email: am@unwto.org
Tel: +34 915 678 167/243
The second in the series of reports looking at specific areas of the tourism sector, The Power of Youth Travel features commentary from specialists, UNWTO Affiliate Members and other selected organizations on the importance of Youth Travel for economic development, global development and young travellers themselves.
UNWTO estimates that around 20% of the 940 million international tourists travelling the world in 2010 were young people. With outbound travel from the world’s emerging economies being boosted by new, affluent travellers and the age bracket for youth travel expanding across the world, this is increasingly a consumer group to take seriously.
Among the subjects covered in The Power of Youth Travel, you can discover:
The report was produced in collaboration with the World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation (WYSETC), a UNWTO Affiliate Member and has been distributed to all UNWTO full and Affiliate Members in advance of the 19th UNWTO General Assembly.
PR No.: PR12043
UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, has congratulated Mr. Muhammad Morsi on his election as Egypt’s new President and applauded his support for the tourism sector, as expressed in the President’s first speech after taking office.
“We will work together to encourage investment in all sectors, and restore the role of tourism for the benefit of the Egyptian economy and every citizen in Egypt,” said Mr. Morsi in his first speech as Egyptian President.
“I warmly congratulate President Morsi on his recent win and welcome his strong commitment to tourism, a major pillar of the Egyptian economy,” said Mr. Rifai. “Tourism to Egypt, one of the leading foreign exchange earners and job creators in the country, is showing clear signs of recovery, boosted by political support at the highest level. UNWTO offers its full support to the Egyptian tourism sector and will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities towards its full recovery.”
14 million international tourists arrived into Egypt in 2010, generating US$ 13 billion in tourism receipts. While arrivals were down 32% in 2011, following the pro-democracy movement that swept across North Africa and the Middle East, results for the first five months of 2012 show arrivals up 29%.
Contacts:
Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
UNWTO Communications Programme
Tel: +34 91-567-8100
Fax: +34 91-567-8218