The Hindu Business Line : `Map out course of action for sustainable tourism'

Kuala Lumpur June 4 Poverty alleviation and climate change must be tackled simultaneously to develop sustainable tourism. The Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Mr Geoffrey Lipman, stressed this in his keynote speech at the World Tourism Conference that began here today.

Elaborating on the theme, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato SriMohd Najib Bin Tun HJ Abd Razak, called on countries that have a successful tourism industry to assist those still developing theirs.

"This is where tourism success stories can help us nurture new shooting stars. It is a competitive business. But that is not to say that we cannot work together to promote global tourism as a whole," he said. More than 800 participants, including 18 heads of tourist organisations from 72 countries, are attending the conference.

The UNWTO will review its Djerba Declaration at a conference in Davos, Switzerland, from October 1-3 and explore ways for tourism to respond to the climate change problem while, at the same time, ensuring commitment to the Millennium Development Goals. This will be a follow-up of the first summit on climate change and tourism in 2003. A ministerial-level conference will follow the Davos meeting at the World Travel Market in London on November 13, said Mr Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General, UNWTO.

"A heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders of tourism's public and private sector decision-makers to discuss issues of strategic nature and map out the course of action for a healthy and sustainable growth in the future," Mr Frangialli added.

Tourism growth

Global tourism, which broke the 800-million barrier in international arrivals in 2005, was 842 million last year, translating to an average growth of about 7 per cent over the past five years. This is despite the regional conflicts and economic upheavals in recent years contributing to zero growth in 2001-03.

The UNWTO estimates that by 2010, international arrivals would reach 1.1 billion with the Asia Pacific region being the new focal point for global tourism. Asian countries must take advantage of this emerging trend and maximise their potential, Dato Sri Mohd Najib said.