Climate Change and Tourism Summit

For Immediate Release
NEWS FROM THE World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

Climate Change and Tourism Summit

Madrid, 17 July 2007 – UNWTO will hold the Second International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism in Davos, Switzerland, from 1-3 October 2007. The Conference is organized together with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and supported by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

There is now a wide recognition of the urgent need for society, at all levels, to implement strategies to face the changing climate conditions and to take preventive actions for future effects.

UNWTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli said that: “UNWTO as the lead tourism organization in the UN family is collaborating with UNEP as the key environment Agency, to ensure that the tourism sector plays its part in this matter. It is also delighted that with the support of the Swiss Federal Government and with the World Economic Forum as a supporting partner, Davos will host this conference - where so much global reflection takes place. The Davos International Conference and the follow-up Ministerial Summit in London will trigger research and policy measures that will enable tourism to respond to the challenges of climate change and at the same time reduce the industry’s own contributions to global warming.”

The message that climate change and development must be tackled together has also been identified by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as a global priority.

UNWTO’s commitment to sustainable development and the fight against poverty plays a crucial role when considering the wider implications of climate change. Furthermore the Organization’s special structure, which includes private sector affiliates and their representative international organizations, integrates important stakeholders in these crucial areas.

Climate change is a key issue for policymakers worldwide and tourism is an important element of discussions. The Second International Conference welcomes stakeholders from the public and private sector, and representatives from the civil society.

In 2003 UNWTO held its first International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism in Djerba, Tunisia. Attended by governments, industry and civil society it produced the Djerba Declaration which reflected UNWTO’s longstanding work in the field of sustainability and set a proactive agenda for sector response to the challenge of climate change.

UNWTO will review its Djerba Declaration in Davos and explore ways for Tourism to respond to today’s climate imperative, while still advancing other priorities, such as the Organization’s commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals.

The second International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism will followed by a Ministerial Summit, supported by the Government of the United Kingdom at the World Travel Market in London on 13 November 2007.

See also:
http://climate.unwto.org/

ENDS

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