Home page photos: Addis Ababa Kampala, Nairobi, Calabar, Abuja- some of the 33 cities to be featured in our Great Cities of Africa Editions starting in May.

SKAL 1st International Forum on Sustainable Tourism "BIT" Milan ,24th February 2007"   "The challenges of Sustainability in Tourism & Best Practices in the Mediterranean" In line with the Presidential theme of "Sustainable Development" in Tourism, Skål International together with Skål International Italy will host a Forum on Sustainable Development in Tourism on 24th February 2007. The Forum will be held in conjunction with BIT Milan in the Sagitarius Room at the Centro Congressi Stella Polare. All Skålleagues and visitors attending BIT Milan are invited to participate in this Forum which will look to the future and help to create an awareness to develop sustainable tourism.   Programme: 1000h Welcome Coffee offered by Biosphere Hotels of Lanzarote 1030h  Opening of the "1st International Forum on Sustainable Development" Welcome Address Sandra Biasutti, President, Skål International Italy Litsa Papathanassi, President, Skål International 1045h  Key Note Speakers: Eugenio Yunis, Head of Sustainable Development of Tourism, UNWTO Arab Hoballah - Head of the Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch in UNEP 1130h Best practices in the Mediterranean Region: Spain: Francisco & Hugo Munoz &endash; Biosphere Hotels, Lanzarote Italy: Alessio Satta &endash; Head of Tourism Unit &endash; Ambiente, Italy "Sustainable tourism in Sardinia" Croatia: Srecko Leiner, Ecologist in Croatian Natural History Museum, Sustainable Tourism: Croatian Example Greece: Michael Toanoglou, President of Skål International Lindos, "Measuring Sustainability in Tourism in the South Aegean". Turkey: Nihat Gokyigit &endash; President, TEMA Foundation; Best Practices in Turkey Moderator Hulya Aslanta?, Vice President, Skål International The Forum will end at 1330h. Speeches will be in English with simultaneous translation to Italian. In a statement following her election as President of Skål International, Litsa Papathanassi commented that sustainability in tourism is a way of development that applies to all forms of tourism and that this is the first of a number of relevant projects which will be organised during her Presidential year. Skål, founded as an international association in 1934 is the largest organisation of travel and tourism professionals in the world, embracing all sectors of the travel and tourism industry, in five continents, 87 countries and at over 500 locations, with 22,000 members from hoteliers to travel agents, airlines, tourism media, tourism academicians etc. Skål International is aiming at quality in tourism and values sustainable development in tourism as the key to the industry's future success and considers Ecotourism but one area of the various components of sustainable development and responsible tourism. To encourage the conservation of the environment and help to promote the development of responsible and sustainable tourism, Skål International is conducting an awards programme since 2002, launched during "The Year of Ecotourism and the Mountains" as declared by United Nations. While the purpose of these awards is to highlight best practices in ecotourism around the world, they are also created with the aim of acquainting the world with this new concept that puts emphasis on the importance of the interaction of the physical, cultural and social environment, the traveller's responsibility and the need for active community participation for Ecotourism. More information at skal@skal.org Skål International website: www.skal.org