The Convention on Biological Diversity of the United Nations has chosen ‘Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism’ as the theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated today 22 May 2017. On this occasion, UNWTO is launching a capacity building programme on sustainable tourism and biodiversity protection, to be implemented in West and Central Africa.

The programme will build on previous tourism and biodiversity seminars that UNWTO successfully delivered in The Gambia, Ghana, and Tanzania and will address biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, taking into account the importance of this topic to safeguard future opportunities for local people to generate income from sustainable tourism development.

The seminars to be held staring June 2017 will focus on building capacities of tourism stakeholders and on maintaining and improving the quality of the tourism product to enhance client satisfaction in the following countries: Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea (Conakry), and Niger.

Primary beneficiaries of the capacity building programme are tourism employees and small entrepreneurs at the grass root level who will be encouraged to act as champions for biodiversity conversation and environmental protection in their enterprises and communities. 

The contribution of tourism to conservation is increasingly recognized by the international community. The Cancun Declaration on Mainstreaming the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity for Wellbeing was released on the occasion of COP 13, (the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity) held in Mexico last December. The Declaration recalls that “tourism is an excellent vehicle to use in spreading environmental awareness worldwide, not to mention the livelihood support it provides for communities living in and around reserves and natural areas” and recognises that tourism can be an enabling agent of change.

Through these training seminars, UNWTO continues its long-standing work in strengthening capacities of tourism stakeholders in gaining a better understanding of the relationship between tourism and environmental protection, developing tourism products based on the unique biodiversity in a destination and using tourism development as an incentive to invest in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection. 

PR No.: PR 17051

Attended by 21 tourism Ministers from the African continent, the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa has become the best platform to discuss tourism trends in the continent and the potential that Chinese tourism can induce at regional level. The attendees also included Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Entertainment of Jamaica and Hongtao Wei, Vice Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration

The 59th edition of the Commission was complemented by a key interactive session on the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development which is being celebrated worldwide through 2017.

“We all come out of Africa, and went on to inhabit the world, making Africa the first source market in history. Africa is the future and Ethiopia is the soul and heart of Africa” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, opening the event. UNWTO Secretary-General received a Recognition Award from H.E. Mr. Muktar Kedir, Minister of Good Governance of Ethiopia to highlight his legacy to promote tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability.

During his intervention, Mr. Muktar Kedir, described his country ´as a unique land where the earliest ancestors of human beings first walks upright, we honestly expect Ethiopia to be one of the prime choices of tourists in the near future that makes them feel safe and enjoy their stay in this yet un explored land´, he said. The Commission served to motivate African Member States to undersign the African Charter on Sustainable and Responsible Tourism as well supporting the African Caravan on Sustainable and Responsible Tourism led by Morocco through activities to be organized and celebrated during the campaign of the International Year.

China has become a major investor in the African continent, contributing to infrastructure development and reshaping the economic landscape, and is the world´s largest outbound market since 2012 after recording double digit growth in expenditure every year since 2004. The meeting witnessed a high level of participation not only from African governments but also private sector stakeholders who discussed the dynamics of the Chinese outbound market together with ways to provide guidance for policies and strategies to African Member States, Chinese stakeholders and African businesses. 

The event was a combination of keynote presentations from UNWTO, IVY Alliance Tourism Consulting, AVIAREPS and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), interactive panels and roundtable discussions.

The Commission was informed that the 60th CAF will be hosted in Chengdu China within the framework of the 22nd Session of the General Assembly, to be held in September 2017. In addition, members of the Commission unanimously welcomed Nigeria´s expression of interest to host the 61st CAF to be held in 2018.

Useful links:

Programme of the 59th UNWTO Commission for Africa

Webportal of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

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

PR No.: PR 17033

Morocco has become the latest partner of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017.

On the occasion of the Moroccan Day of Sustainable and Responsible Tourism on 20 March, the government of Morocco committed to support the International Year and advance the promotion of the first African Charter on Sustainable and Responsible Tourism.

The African Charter on Sustainable and Responsible Tourism, signed last November in Marrakesh during the Ministerial Forum on Tourism and Climate in Africa, on the sidelines of the COP22, aims at becoming an instrumental tool for the continent to engage in sustainable tourism best practices by reconciling social and economic growth, the preservation of the environment and the respect for the cultural diversity of each country.

“The commitment of the Kingdom of Morocco with the tourism sector is remarkable, not only by joining now the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, but also by other gestures done in the past such as partnering with the World Tourism Organization in promoting more responsible practices and leading the process of adoption of the African Charter” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

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 behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector than can contribute to the SDGs.

The IY2017 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; and (5) Mutual understanding, peace and security.

Additional information:

International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

Become a partner of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017

African Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Charter

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

PR No.: PR 17022

On the occasion, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, praised the efforts done by the Ministry of Tourism of Algeria to place the sector at the core of the economic development policies and recalled the importance of tourism statistics for tourism development.

“Statistics are essential as they are the basis to shape efficient tourism policies, very needed in a region where the sector has so immense potentials,” said Mr. Rifai.

Measuring the impact of the tourism sector through statistical data has been one of the key areas of work of UNWTO in the last decades. The Tourism Satellite Account is one of the pillars of this approach.

In parallel to the workshop, the Secretary General held bilateral meetings with government authorities including H.E. Abdelmalek Sellal, Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. The discussions were focused on tourism’s potential in Algeria and the necessity to develop human capital.  The Prime Minister acknowledged the declaration by the United Nations of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and confirmed that his country shares the same vision, especially in the development of sustainable tourism which can guarantee each nation the realization of common objectives on the economic, environmental and cultural sustainability. Mr Rifai discussed at length with H.E. Abdelouahab Nouri, Minister of Land Management, Tourism and Handicrafts the strong potential that the country has in tourism and the technical assistance that UNWTO may provide to Algeria.

“Algeria is truly committed to creating a more competitive and sustainable tourism, a sector that can become one of the pillars of Algeria’s economy and a tool for diversification and inclusive growth,” he said. 

The improvement of air connectivity of the country was praised by the Secretary General who also commended the support of the Algeria to Tunisia. “We hugely acknowledge the support that Algeria has provided not only through long-stay tourists in Tunisia, but through significant tourism expenditure in Tunisia as well. Standing together is the best thing we can do in the face of crisis to help recovery,” he mentioned.

Useful links:

Programme of the Workshop

Website of the Workshop

Regional Programme for Africa

UNWTO Statistics and Tourism Satellite Account Programme

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

INVESTOUR 2017 gathers over 20 African Ministers of Tourism in Madrid

• Africa
• 20 Jan 2017

PR No.: PR 17008

In the last eight years, INVESTOUR has become a unique platform for exchange of information and for business opportunities in the African continent. The event has counted in its 8^th edition with the participation of more than 20 Ministers of Tourism of different African countries who debated the opportunities that the sector can bring to the continent.

INVESTOUR 2017 focused on two main topics: ‘Technology and design of new touristic products’ and ‘Capacity development for youth and women in tourism.’

“INVESTOUR has demonstrated not only the high relevance of such platforms to advance business, but also the immense potential of the tourism sector in the Africa as reflected in the very positive results that the region had in terms of international tourism in 2016” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“For Casa Africa is a privilege to be one of the joint partners of INVESTOUR as this event has become a major reference for African tourism investors,” said the Director General of Casa Africa, Luis Padrón. “Our goal is to promote exchanges and to create a platform in which tourism professionals from both shores can meet, discuss, understand each other, and to look for ways to cooperate and to grow,” he said.  

Mr. Eduardo López-Puertas, Director General of IFEMA said: "INVESTOUR has not only become a reference for FITUR but a key milestone for investors and parties involved in the development of the tourism sector in Africa". 

As 2017 will be celebrated worldwide as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, sustainable practices have been particularly addressed by the initiatives presented at INVESTOUR.     

In 2016, Africa welcomed 58 million international tourists, up 8 % from 2015. According to UNWTO’s forecast, this figure will reach 134 million by 2030. The interest in tourism business in the continent has also risen. For instance, the number of Spanish companies based in sub-Saharan Africa has multiplied by seven in the last five years. As highlighted by the World Bank in 2015, the fast economic growth and the significant improvement of the business climate in Africa opens new perspectives for international companies.

Since the first edition in 2010, INVESTOUR has brought together over 1500 participants from 46 African countries and more than 900 projects have been presented.

Useful links:

Photo Album

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

 

PR No.: PR 17004

The agreement, undersigned by UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, and JICA Executive Senior Vice President, Kazuhiko Koshikawa, opens important opportunities of collaboration as JICA is one of the largest global donors in terms of international cooperation for development in tourism.

As underlined in the document, the agreement aims to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through tourism. A particular focus is given to assisting developing countries to reduce poverty through tourism as well as to improve public policies and business practices in order to ensure sustainable and responsible production and consumption patterns along the tourism supply chain.

“To work together with a development agency that has 40 years of experience is a privilege and a unique opportunity for UNWTO, particularly now that we are launching the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017,” said UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai on the occasion of the signature of the agreement conducted at the Organizations’ Headquarters in Madrid.

Other areas of cooperation include research and knowledge-sharing in themes such as tourism and poverty reduction, tourism development in developing countries, tourism and climate change and tourism and security.

In addition, both Organizations will cooperate in technical assistance projects addressing policy and strategy development, institutional strengthening, quality standards, human resource development as well as capacity building.

Additional information:

Visit the portal of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017

UNWTO Technical Cooperation

Tourism for Development Guidebook

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