News for the Hospitality Executive |
Tourism Can Help in Global Action on Climate Change and
Poverty /
World Tourism Organization
.
Bali, Indonesia, 13 December 2007 - The Secretary-General
of the World Tourism Organization, Francesco Frangialli, addressing the
UN Climate Change Conference committed the sector to the common cause of
climate change response, linking it closely with the fight against poverty.
�We are all part of the great global economic pattern of tourism� Mr. Frangialli said. �Whether we come here to enjoy the beaches or the conference halls � or both, we are contributing to local commerce, to jobs, to investment and to export income. In so doing we are providing sustainable livelihoods through a long supply chain which we must increasingly help to make carbon clean. And we must start now.� Mr. Frangialli said that in the past year the tourism sector - private and public stakeholders - had begun to unite in its support of the UN Secretary-General�s roadmap for a more climate responsible world. Francesco Frangialli gave three clear messages to the Summit 1. Tourism � business or leisure travel � and all of its accommodation, transport and service activity, is significantly affected by climate change as well as being a contributor to global warming. Destinations are under pressure around the world from ski resorts, to beach resorts: from city breaks to island retreats. Tourism would not shrink from its responsibilities to respond through adaptation and mitigation, as well as by technology and financing for poor countries. We are part of the problem and will be part of the solution.UNWTO has undertaken two side events at the Summit in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia to underscore the interrelated impacts of climate change and tourism. It presented
For the past 5 years, three United Nations Agencies � UNWTO, UNEP (UN Environmental Program) and WMO (World Meteorological Organization) � have been cooperating to advance the thinking on the relationship between tourism and climate change. These continuing initiatives in the Tourism sector are part of the overall UN effort to develop a common framework in tackling the climate change challenge. |
Contact:
UNWTO
|
Also See: | How Global Warming Laws Will Affect Hotels; Will California�s New Legislation Set The �Standard� For The Country? / JMBM / October 2007 |