WTO
AND UNEP
LAUNCHING A
JOINT
PUBLICATION:
MAKING
TOURISM MORE
SUSTAINABLE:
A GUIDE FOR
POLICY
MAKERS
More
WTO
Links
MADRID: The
World
Tourism
Organization
(WTO) and
the United
Nations
Environment
Programme
(UNEP)
combined
their
efforts to
condense all
aspects of
the
sustainability
of tourism
into a
single
publication:
Making
Tourism More
Sustainable:
a Guide for
Policy
Makers. It
will be
launched
simultaneously
by the two
organizations
in Madrid
and Paris on
6
September.
The
purpose of
the new
WTO-UNEP
publication
is to
provide
tourism
decision
makers with
guidance and
a framework
for the
development
of policies
for more
sustainable
tourism, a
toolbox of
instruments
that they
can use
toimplement
these
policies,
and some
selected
case
studies.
"The two
organizations
wish to
encourage
all
countries to
ensure that
their
policies and
actions for
the
development
and
management
of tourism
fully
embrace the
principles
of
sustainability,"
says Eugenio
Yunis, Head
of WTO
Sustainable
Tourism
Development.
According
to how it
will be
planned,
developed
and managed,
the massive
growth
predicted
for tourism
in the
forthcoming
years could
provide
excellent
opportunities
for
spreading
prosperity
but could
also
represent
considerable
challenges
and
potential
threats to
the
environment
and local
communities.
There is
also an
increasing
appreciation
of the role
oftourism in
addressing
world
poverty,
through
bringing a
source of
income to
The heart of
some of the
poorest
communities.
Aim of
the new
Guide
This new
Guide is a
basic
reference
book and
provides a
blueprint
for
governments
to formulate
and
implement
sustainable
tourism
policies. It
builds on
UNEP and
WTO's
previous
work on
different
aspects of
sustainability.
The
conclusions
drawn and
the policies
and tools
recommended
in this
Guide are
therefore
based on
real cases,
collected
from around
the world,
that have
proven to be
effective
and
successful
in achieving
the aims of
sustainable
development.
The Guide
is aimed
primarily at
governments,
at national
or local
level, while
being also
relevant to
other public
and private
organizations
to the
extent
that they
are affected
by, and can
affect,
tourism
policies and
their
implementation.
Indeed, all
tourism
stakeholders
can benefit
from the
sector being
made more
sustainable:
- Tourism
enterprises,
which, while
seeking long
term
profitability,
should be
concerned
about their
corporate
image, the
relationship
with their
staff, and
their impact
on the
global
environment
and that
immediately
around
them.
- Local,
host
communities,
which are
seeking
increased
prosperity
and new
employment
opportunities,
but without
exploitation
or damage to
their
quality of
life,
including
their
culture,
beliefs and
traditions.
-
Environmentalists,
who are
concerned
about the
harmful
impacts of
tourism upon
the natural
environment,
but also
recognise
that it is a
valuable
source of
income for
conservation
and a
unique,
effective
tool for
further
developing
environmental
awareness
among the
general
public.
-
Tourists,
who are
seeking a
high quality
experience
in safe and
attractive
environments,
in which
they can
appreciate
different
cultures or
simply enjoy
different
climates.
"Sustainability
is the
responsibility
of all those
involved in
tourism, but
governments
must play a
leading
role,"
underlined
Mr. Yunis.
"They should
provide an
environment
that enables
and
encourages
the private
sector,
tourists and
other
stakeholders
to respond
to
sustainability
issues.
Structure
of the
publication
First,
the Guide
introduces
some key
principles
and an
agenda for
more
sustainable
tourism,
framed
around a set
of 12 Aims.
These 12
Aims for
more
sustainable
tourism are
then
discussed in
turn and
policy areas
relevant
toeach of
them are
identified.
In a next
step, it
presents the
right
structures
through
which
governmentscan
work with
others
towards more
sustainable
tourism, and
the
strategies
that are
required to
develop and
drive
policies and
actions.
Then it
looks at the
process of
developing a
tourism
strategy
that
embraces
sustainability
and
identifies
some of the
strategic
choices that
need to be
made. It
looks at
product and
market
selection,
and
introduces
the tools
that may be
used to
influence
tourism
development,
the
operation of
tourism
enterprises
and the
behaviour of
visitors.
Finally,
a detailed
description
is given of
a set of
instruments,
and of how
they can be
applied by
governments.
They include
the use of
sustainability
indicators,
planning,
infrastructure
provision,
legislation
and
regulations,
and a set of
voluntary
and
facilitating
instruments.
In
addition to
these
guidelines,
the
publication
presents
selected
case studies
from the
following
countries:
Australia,
Bulgaria,
Costa Rica,
Egypt,
Ghana,
Mexico, New
Zealand,
South
Africa,
Spain and
United
Kingdom.
The two
organizations
are
confident
that, in
applying and
adapting
guidelines
on
sustainability
in tourism,
such as the
ones
included in
the
publication
"Making
Tourism more
Sustainable:
a Guide for
Policy
Makers", the
growing
tourism
sector can
contribute
to the
construction
of a
moresustainable
future.
For more
information
please
contact:
WTO Press
and
Communications
DepartmentT.:
(34)
91-567-8191F:
(34)
91-567-8218Email:
comm@world-tourism.orgwww.world-tourism.org
UNEP
Media
and
Communications
Unit,
ParisTel.
(33) 1 44 37
76 32Fax.
(33) 1 44 37
14
74Email:
mona.feghali@unep.fr
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