UNWTO in close cooperation and collaboration with the Lithuanian State Department of Tourism successfully organized an international conference on the theme “Past – Present – and Future: Cooperation along the Historical Amber Road” on June 26th -27th 2012, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The conference was attended by representatives from several European countries, the European Commission and the European Institute of Cultural Routes, as well as high officials and amber experts.
The participants agreed that the cultural, historical and natural assets of the cities, countries and regions provide abundant opportunities for the creation of different tourism products and services connected to amber. The need for close cooperation between the involved Member States, regions, cities, public and private entities in creating tourist Amber Road was emphasized during the international conference.
As a result of this significant event, the Declaration has been developed in order to encourage the creation of the European Amber Road which can further develop into a worldwide Amber Road Initiative. The Declaration is foreseen the creation of an Executive Committee with the basic aim of elaborating an Action Plan for the future development of the European Amber Road project under the political support and umbrella of UNWTO.
PR No.: PR12045
Whether kayaking in the Iberá Marshes in Argentina or bird-watching at Ba-Be Lake in Vietnam, tourists are providing income for the conservation of wetlands worldwide, as demonstrated in a new publication launched by the Ramsar Secretariat and UNWTO.
Besides providing essential services such as water, food and energy, wetlands offer significant opportunities for tourism, which can in turn deliver economic benefits for local communities and the sustainable management of wetlands, according to the publication Destination Wetlands: Supporting Sustainable Tourism.
Growth in sustainable tourism not only reflects environmental realities, but also a desire from tourists themselves to embrace green tourism. “There is a trend among tourists of turning towards green forms of tourism, towards destinations that offer wildlife and heritage,” said Cristian Barhalescu, State Secretary, Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism of Romania. “As wetlands, with their diversity and richness, become subject to tourism development, the interconnection between tourism and wetlands should be given special attention by all actors involved.”
Through 14 case studies, covering different wetland types around the world, the publication demonstrates how sustainable tourism practices in and around wetlands can contribute to conservation, economic growth, poverty reduction and support to local cultures.
The publication was launched at the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP11) in Bucharest, Romania (6-13 July 2012). Held under the theme Wetlands and Tourism, COP11 will debate a landmark Resolution on Wetlands and Tourism, urging sound tourism practices in wetlands.
"The adoption of this Resolution on Tourism and Wetlands will provide an important framework to help countries better recognize the linkages between wetlands and tourism so as to develop sustainable tourism in wetlands and other ecosystems. It proposes measures that they can take in the short and long term to ensure sustainable wetland tourism," said Anada Tiéga, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention. "Of course it is important to consider tourism in all wetlands – not just those designated as Ramsar Sites – since the Contracting Parties to the Convention are committed to managing all wetlands and promoting their wise use."
“For Romania, the development of eco-tourism in the wetlands is a priority, and an example in this respect is the Danube Delta. Ramsar Sites in Romania must be placed at the very centre of our attention and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, together with the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism, will ensure that this becomes a reality,” stated Corneliu Mugurel Cozmanciuc, State Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests of Romania.
The focus on tourism at COP11 comes on the back of increasing collaboration between UNWTO and the Ramsar Secretariat. Since 2010, both have been working together towards the development of sustainable wetland tourism, with World Wetlands Day 2012 (2 February) celebrated under the theme “Wetlands and Tourism: A Great Experience”.
“Wetlands are one of tourism’s greatest assets, attracting millions of tourists each year,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “Working in close partnership with the Ramsar Secretariat, UNWTO is determined to sustainably manage wetland tourism through sound polices and planning, thereby conserving them for the enjoyment of generations to come.”
International tourist arrivals reached 982 million in 2011 and are expected to top one billion in 2012, generating over US$ 1 trillion in international tourism receipts. It is estimated that half of all tourists travel to wetlands, particularly coastal areas.
Useful links:
“Destination Wetlands: Supporting Sustainable Tourism”
UNWTO Sustainable Development of Tourism Programme
Contacts:
UNWTO
Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
Ramsar Convention Secretariat
Communications Officer: Oana Barsin
Tel (mobile/Romania): (+40) 74 921 25 22
PR No.: PR033
Celebrating World Environment Day, UNWTO has launched a biodiversity project in Georgia to protect mountain and freshwater ecosystems through tourism.
Biodiversity is tourism’s natural capital, motivating millions of people to travel the world each year. Yet biodiversity is at risk on a global scale due largely to unsustainable human activities.
“Biodiversity is central to all our lives, yet is being lost at an alarming rate,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “Through developing sustainable tourism we can help to change attitudes and increase conservation. This particular project will raise awareness of Georgia’s great biodiversity, generate income for nature conservation and preserve precious species and habitats for future generations.”
“Georgia, as part of the Caucasus region, is a biodiversity hotspot. These hotspots are recognized globally as priority sites, based on criteria such as the diversity of species and plant types, and this rich biodiversity increases Georgia’s attractiveness as a tourist destination,” said the Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, Maia Sidamonidze. “Ecotourism can fund conservation, contribute to the protection of endangered ecosystems and promote development in poor areas. However, there are also examples of tourism having a negative impact on the environment. In light of these contradictory impacts, this project aims to reduce such conflicts by raising awareness of these areas for protection.”
“Ecotourism has a great future and there is huge potential for the development of ecotourism in protected areas in Georgia. We hope that in the near future Georgia will have an ecotourism country label,” said Giorgi Shonvadze, Chairman of the Agency of Protected Areas.
The project, to be carried out by the UNWTO Consulting Unit on Tourism and Biodiversity, will develop tourism products in mountain and freshwater ecosystems in four protected areas in the country, in order to raise awareness of these areas, as well as generate income for their conservation.
Potential products to be developed include a zip-line route, a canopy rope walk and a canoeing trail. A marketing strategy will also be devised to promote the new products, as well as training workshops for nature protection authorities, tourism officials and other local stakeholders.
Launched in Tbilisi, Georgia on the occasion of World Environment Day (5 June), in the presence of the Georgian Minister for Environment, the Chairman of the Georgian Agency of Protected Areas and the Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, the project will run until spring 2014, by which time a number of sustainable, biodiversity-based tourism products will be in place and run by local stakeholders.
The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and will be implemented by the Georgian Agency for Protected Areas, the Georgian National Tourism Administration and the Centre for Research and Sciences (NACRES).
Useful links:
UNWTO Consulting Unit on Tourism and Biodiversity
World Tourism Day 2010 – Tourism and Biodiversity
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
PR No.: PR 12023
24 April 2012 (Vienna) - Taking a firm stand against human trafficking, especially child trafficking, in the tourism sector, the heads of two United Nations bodies today pledged to stamp out this hidden scourge through joint efforts. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), also called for concerted global action at every level of society.
"Today, our two organizations are conveying a strong message to the world that we will not be party to activities that exploit women and children," said Mr. Fedotov at an event taking place this week during the 21st United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ).
Mr. Rifai said: “We are here to reiterate the tourism sector’s commitment to combating human trafficking, an unacceptable affront to human rights and dignity, and to set out clear steps for stronger cooperation in fighting one of the most dreadful crimes of our time.”
Yesterday, UNODC and UNWTO signed a memorandum of understanding to step up cooperation against this form of exploitation.
A staggering one billion tourists, or one in 7 of the world’s population, will travel abroad in 2012 - and the sector is expanding. While this expansion drives economic growth, job creation and development, there is evidence that the tourism infrastructure is also being used for the exploitation of and trafficking in persons - and children are especially vulnerable.
Victims of trafficking are most often enslaved for sexual purposes, but they might also be found in kitchens or cleaning guesthouses, restaurants and bars. Tourism infrastructure can, in turn, create markets for forced and exploitative begging and street hawking. Even organs from victims of trafficking are used today to attract people who need a transplant.
The tourism sector can and should play a vital role in preventing human trafficking linked to tourism, including sexual exploitation, said Mr. Fedotov. Codes of conducts for tourism companies have been developed - based on the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism approved by the UN General Assembly in 2001 - and laws enacted that allow for the prosecution in their homeland of tourists who engage in sexual conduct with children. These efforts need to be strengthened and built upon, he added.
In India, for example, the Ministry of Tourism, UNODC, the private sector and Save the Children have jointly developed and adopted a national Code of Conduct for Safe and Honourable Tourism, based on the Global Code. Hoteliers and tour operators have pledged to abide by the Code to make sure that no one involved in the hospitality industry is forced to use drugs or is sexually exploited. The model is ready to be replicated in other countries.
Hotel companies are carrying out awareness campaigns and providing vocational training for trafficked persons. Marriott International, for instance, has taken a comprehensive approach since 2006 to such human rights abuses through policy commitments and staff training. Marriot also runs community outreach programmes which helps vulnerable young people, including rehabilitated victims of human trafficking, providing them with new life opportunities and training skills at their hotels.
Dr. Thomas Mayr, National Expert in the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth, highlighted an initiative by Germany, Switzerland and Austria to fight cross-border child abuse with a tri-national awareness campaign targeting child sex tourism and pornography, while aiming to reinforce the networks that protect minors.
By enhancing their public image, ethical companies and destinations can ultimately benefit from more business. “We must raise awareness of human trafficking in the tourism sector. Consumers should be able to make an informed choice about where they choose to spend their money- and crucially, how it will be used,” said Mr. Fedotov.
“It is appalling to see tourism infrastructure being used by traffickers to victimize the vulnerable, yet our sector is firmly committed to reclaim this same infrastructure and use it for awareness raising in the fight against trafficking”, said Mr. Rifai.
Contacts:
UNOCD
Public Information Officer: Preeta Bannerjee
Tel: (+43-699) 1459-5764 | M: (+43-699) 1459-5764
UNWTO
Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
PR No.: PR 12017
The Flemish Community of Belgium has become one of the first regions worldwide to determine the contribution of tourism to its economy using the United Nations approved Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). Results were announced during the official visit of the UNWTO Secretary-General (12-13 March 2012).
By implementing the TSA, the Flemish Community was able to measure exactly how much of the region’s economy is based on tourism. Results show tourism in the Flemish Community and Brussels-Capital contributed 12.6 billion euros, or 5.3% of total gross value added to the economy.
“The results of the TSA have confirmed tourism as one of the region’s most vibrant sectors and a vital contributor to economic growth,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, commending the initiative.
“Over the past few years, UNWTO has been working to address the specific challenges facing regional tourism, including how to analyze tourism flows and measure their economic impact at this level. Adapting the TSA at the regional level is a major step forward in this regard and I congratulate the Flemish Community on becoming one of the first regions in the world to do so,” he added.
“Flanders is the first region from the European Union with TSA-figures. To determine the value of these figures and percentages it is important to compare them with similar figures from other countries. For the gross added value of tourism, Flanders is above average. Countries with a higher proportion of added value are typical tourist countries such as Spain and Portugal,” said the Flemish Minister of Tourism, Geert Bourgeois.
On the occasion of his visit, Mr. Rifai addressed the Flemish Parliament and gave a guest lecture at the University of KU Leuven. Meeting with Minister Bourgeois, Mr. Rifai praised the Flemish initiative ‘Tourism for All’ which aims to make tourism more accessible, especially for vulnerable groups including persons with disabilities or people living on or below the poverty line.
“Making tourism more accessible for all is at the heart of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the mandate of UNWTO,” said Mr. Rifai. “The Code calls on public authorities worldwide to support the development of social tourism so that all can enjoy traveling. In this respect, the Flemish Community has proved a shining example.”
Useful links:
From global to local: Towards the sub-nationalization of tourism measurement
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
PR No.: PR12016
The role of new technologies in snow and mountain tourism will be the focus of the 7th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism, held by UNWTO in collaboration with the Principality of Andorra (La Massana, Andorra, 11-12 April 2012).
Leading experts will discuss the new technologies that have emerged over the past years and their role in revolutionizing tourism marketing, as well as consumer behavior before, during and after a trip. Under the title, Mountain Tourism 2.0: New Strategies for Success, the Congress will outline the strategies needed to attract new visitors and open up mountain destinations to the world market.
“Snow and mountain tourism is an extremely popular market, but one that faces a number of challenges,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “Innovation and new technologies can play an exciting role in helping these destinations to remain competitive and diversify their tourism product, ensuring year-round tourism, and should be put to greater use.”
Mountain resort professionals from 10 countries will share their experiences on integrating new technologies in their marketing strategies to attract and maintain visitors. Key speakers include the Director of Yongpyong Resort, Republic of Korea, Mr. In Jun Park, and the Managing Director of France Montagnes, Mr. Jean-Marc Silva. Technology experts, including the Managing Director of Google Travel Spain, Mr. Javier González-Soria, will present the latest technologies in areas such as web positioning and satellite communications.
Held since 1998, the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism has emerged as the principal forum for addressing the major issues and challenges for mountain tourism in all its forms and seasons. The International Mountain Report, compiling the latest figures and trends in snow and mountain tourism, will be presented at the Congress.
Registration and more information
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