Global summit tackles issues on over-tourism

World leaders from various tourism sectors are set to meet later this month to discuss the challenges of sustainable tourism.

The United Nations World Tour- ism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel Market have organized the 11th edition of the UNWTO/WTM ministers summit to be held in London on Nov. 7. Tourism ministers from 60 countries

as well as leaders from private sector companies and associations will gather to tackle the topic of over-tourism.

Among the issues to be addressed by the summit are congestion management and the measurement of the impacts of tourism or the role of the private sector in promoting tourism as an effective tool to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UNWTO earlier said the number of global tourists continues to grow, with a total of 598 million international tourists registered in the first half, up six percent from the year ago.

“Tourism figures for the first six months of 2017 confirm that the sector is set for its eighth straight year of consecutive growth since the economic crisis of 2009,” the UNWTO said.

UNWTO secretary-general Taleb Rifai earlier urged the global tourism market not to fear the rising number of tourists, but rather work together to ensure the sustainable management of the sector.

“Tourism growth can and should lead to economic prosperity, jobs and resources to fund environmental protection and cultural preservation, as well as community development and progress needs, which would otherwise not be available,” Rifai said.

Rifai earlier cited the need to debunk the concept of ‘tourism-phobia’, where people are afraid of the sector’s growth as it would lead to certain destinations struggling to maintain a fair and inclusive sector while managing exponential tourism growth.

“The wrongdoing of illegal companies, damage to marine and terrestrial ecosystems or misbehaviour of a small number of travelers do not represent a dearth of tourism ethics by the sector as a whole,” Rifai said.