12 MONTHS OF SUSTAINABILITY

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, recalling the potential of tourism to advance the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 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 that can contribute effectively to the SDGS. Accounting for seven percent of worldwide exports, one in 11 jobs and ten percent of the world’s GDP, the tourism sector, if well managed, can foster inclusive economic growth, social inclusiveness and the protection of cultural and natural assets, the assembly said. The International Year promotes tourism’s role in the following five key areas: inclusive and sustainable economic growth; social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction; resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change; cultural values, diversity and heritage; and mutual understanding, peace and security. #travelenjoyrespect