Tourism sustainability efforts to be assessed
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is set to assess the global tourism sector’s commitment to sustainable development with the launch of a survey.
In a statement, the UNWTO said it has partnered with the UNWTO Affiliate Members Working Group on SDGs Support for the conduct of a major new survey to assess how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been incorporated into tourism, practices, plans and strategies in destinations across the world.
“2020 will mark the beginning of the decade of action towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and we have 10 years left to make the future we want,” UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said.
“Tourism plays a vital role in the achievement of the SDGs and we believe the outcomes of this survey will contribute to further empower tourism stakeholders to incorporate sustainability measures and policies in their daily work and objectives,” he added.
As the United Nations specialized agency responsible for promoting tourism as a tool for sustainable development, the UNWTO is supporting the tourism sector to become an effective contributor to the SGDs.
The 17 SDGs are geared towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development worldwide.
“With the sustainability agenda an increasingly important part of tourism practice, this new study from UNWTO will analyze how the SDGs are influencing practices and policies among its global network of affiliate members, drawn from the private sector, civil society, NGOs and academia, to provide their unique insights into the advances being made right across the sector,” the UNWTO said.
The survey aims to determine the current levels of awareness and engagement of the tourism sector regarding the 2030 Agenda and achieving its 17 SDGs as well as identify current business policies and strategies addressing the SDGs.
It also aims to identify best practices and activities in addressing the SDGs.
“The private sector, academia, civil societies and associations play a significant role in the achievement of the SDGs and they are invited to be part of the momentum for the achievement of the SDGs and share their work through this survey,” the UNWTO said.
Pololikashvili earlier emphasized the growing power of the tourism sector has in pushing for sustainable development with the number of global tourists continuing to rise.
Tourist arrivals to worldwide destinations reached 1.1 billion in the nine months of the 2019, the UNWTO said in a report.
Based the latest results of the UNWTO World Tourism barometer, a total of 1.1 billion tourists arrived to worldwide destinations in January to September this year, 43 million higher than tourist arrivals in the same period last year.
“As world leaders met at the UN Climate Summit in Madrid to find concrete solutions to the climate emergency, the release of this latest World Tourism Barometer shows the growing power of tourism, a sector with the potential to drive the sustainability agenda forward,” Pololikashvili said.
“As tourist numbers continue to rise, the opportunities tourism can bring also rise, as do our sector’s responsibilities to people and planet, he added.