The United Nations declared 2010 to be the
International Year of Biodiversity. It is a
celebration of life on earth and of the value of
biodiversity for our lives. The tourism industry
and travelers at large are invited to take
action in 2010 and beyond to safeguard the
variety of life on earth: Biodiversity.
In
joining and consolidating this global campaign,
UNWTO and the international tourism community
will be celebrating the 30th World Tourism Day (WTD)
in Guangdong Province of China on 27th September
2010 under the theme Tourism and Biodiversity.
It
is not too late for Governments, the private
sector, academia, civil societies and media to
act upon the challenges of safeguarding
biodiversity, and I am confident that the
tourism community will work hand in hand with
the scientific community and forge ahead to
develop viable solutions, innovative ideas and
strategic adaptations that can close the divide
between tourism socio-economic pursuits and
conservation of biodiversity.
While ecotourism plays an important role as a
socio-economic driver to boost local economies
and communities, ecotourism industry
stakeholders from both the public and private
sectors are strongly urged to assess ecological
impacts, embrace best practices in sustainable
tourism development and rise as true champions
of tourism and biodiversity.
On
this note and preceding the celebratory launch
of Tourism and Biodiversity on World Tourism Day
2010 in China, I must congratulate DISCOVERYMICE,
an affiliate member of UNWTO on organizing the
2nd World Ecotourism Conference 2010 in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia from 8th to 10th July 2010.
UNWTO lauds noble initiatives that bring global
tourism players together to network, collaborate
and share their experiences, best practices,
technologies for the betterment of nature
conservation, environment protection,
preservation of communities and consequently the
advancement of sustainable tourism around the
world.
UNWTO endorsed the Vientiane Declaration on
Ecotourism for Developing Countries in 2009 on
the occasion of the World Ecotourism Conference
held in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
I
am confident that with the participation of
eminent speakers and delegates from over 30
countries, the discussions and proceedings of
the Kuala Lumpur Conference will help to assist
countries that are in need of global knowledge
and leverage to champion, position and support
ecotourism policies and initiatives that will
bring transformational changes for the
betterment of their economies, people or
environment.
I
wish the Conference every success.
H.E.
Dr Taleb Rifai
Secretary-General
World
Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)
15th June 2010
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