In recent months, reports from all around the world have spoken of ‘tourism-phobia’, with pictures of citizens protesting against the ‘invasion of tourists’ and the expulsion of locals by tourism businesses.
Travel and tourism has become a sector central to our societies. Today, tourism generates 10% of the world’s GDP, 1 in every 10 jobs and 30% of world trade in services. It is key to many countries’ balance of payments and livelihoods.
Recognising how tourism can help address many of our common challenges, the United Nations declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and included the sector as part of the objectives set in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A sustainable tourism sector is one that promotes environmental preservation and protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and promotes the engagement, commitment and respect for local communities.
Managing the growing number of visitors to many popular destinations is crucial for both hosts and visitors. Tourism growth can and should lead to economic prosperity, jobs and resources while contributing to environmental protection and cultural preservation, as well as community development and progress.
Ensuring that demands strong, sustainable tourism policies, practices, and the engagement of national as well as local governments and administrations, private sector, local communities and tourists themselves.
The sector needs to:
- 1.Diversify visitor activities;
- 2.Effective and integrated mechanisms and policies to manage visitors at sites;
- 3.Policies to reduce seasonality;
- 4.Incentives for the private sector to invest in new areas and new products,
- 5.Incentives and policies to reduce energy and water consumption and address other community needs, shortcomings and deficits.
The above will be essential to allow tourism to continue capitalising on its benefits in terms of job creation, economic development and cultural interaction, while curbing its negative effects and impacts.
The 2017 edition of the UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit will focus on the following issues:
- 1.With international tourists reaching 1.2 billion in 2016, and expected to rise to 1.8 billion by 2030, how can we ensure the sustainable development and management of tourism making growth and sustainability go hand in hand?
- 2.What public policies and strategies can be designed to address challenges of congestion management and pressure on natural and cultural resources from tourism?
- 3.How to foster the dialogue between the tourism and local communities to strengthen effective engagement and coordination?
- 4.How to address the public perception of tourism as a “bad” sector?
- 5.What is the role of the private sector and how to build public/private sector partnerships to promote tourism as an effective tool to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
