Tourism responding to the challenge of climate change

LIMA, Peru – World Tourism Day (September 27, 2008) – TOURpact.GC was launched by the UN Global Compact and UNWTO, on the occasion of the official World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations in Lima, Peru.

LIMA, Peru – World Tourism Day (September 27, 2008) – TOURpact.GC was launched by the UN Global Compact and UNWTO, on the occasion of the official World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations in Lima, Peru. It was welcomed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as a leadership initiative with a potential for other sectors. It is a voluntary mechanism to provide a corporate social responsibility framework, open to Companies, Associations and other Tourism Stakeholders who are Affiliate Members of UNWTO. TOURpact.GC reflects the aligned principles of the Global Compact and UNWTOโ€™s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. The Global Compact is a voluntary initiative designed to mainstream ten key principles of social responsibility in business activity and to catalyze action to support the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Participants will make four Commitments:

1 – To embrace the Principles of the initiative, which will be drafted on the basis of the UN Global Compact principles and the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

2 – To promote their awareness and implementation with business partners, in their supply chain, with customers and staff.

3 – To use the logo and the collateral in their corporate social responsibility campaigns.

4 – To report annually on their plans and progress.

The complex interfaces within tourism markets and supply chains call for widespread coordination between institutions at local, national and international levels, if quality products and services are to be delivered. This is even more challenging in poor countries, developing markets and small island states.

The Global Compact

Human Rights
o Support Framework & Respect Rights
o No Abuses

Labor Standards
o Support Association & Bargaining
o No Compulsory Labor
o No Child Labor
o No Employment Discrimination

Environment
o Support Precautionary Principle
o Respond proactively
o Encourage new Technology

Anti-Corruption
o Oppose all forms of corruption

The Global Code of Ethics
o Mutual Understanding & Respect
o Collective & Individual Fulfillment
o Sustainable Development
o Protector of Cultural Heritage
o Beneficial for Host Communities
o Obligations of Stakeholders
o Rights to tourism
o Liberty of Tourism Movement
o Rights of Workers & Entrepreneurs
o Commitment to Implementation

UNWTO is the leading international tourism body. It advances responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism and in so doing promoting socioeconomic growth and people-to-people understanding. As the central and decisive tourism agency in the UN it strongly supports the MDGs. Its State Members as well as its Private Sector, Academic, Community and NGO Affiliate Members are committed to a Global Code of Ethics (GCE) and to Public/Private Partnerships (PPPโ€™s) to deliver this kind of tourism.

The UN Global Compact is a framework for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally-accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. As the world’s largest, global corporate citizenship initiative, the Global Compact is first and foremost concerned with exhibiting and building the social legitimacy of business and markets. Tourism is not only a major economic sector; it is one of the mainstays of international trade and a dynamic catalyst for many other sectors. Its role in environmental protection, in preserving biodiversity, in conserving cultural heritage, in promoting mutual understanding among peoples and peace among nations, is highly significant. Moreover it is a massive job creator with a particularly important role in building infrastructure and market opportunities in local communities in poor and developing countries.

Tourism responding to the challenge of climate change

Berlin/Madrid – The conference “Tourism – Responding to
Climate and Poverty Imperatives”, held in the context of ITB 2008, focused on tourism’s role in the global climate response in solidarity with other sectors.

As one of the principle services exports in the world’s poorest and

Berlin/Madrid – The conference “Tourism – Responding to
Climate and Poverty Imperatives”, held in the context of ITB 2008, focused on tourism’s role in the global climate response in solidarity with other sectors.

As one of the principle services exports in the world’s poorest and
emerging countries, tourism has the potential to act effectively on the common cause of climate change response, linking it closely with the fight against poverty.

As the UN agency in charge of tourism, UNWTO is leading the positioning of the sector within the global efforts on climate response and poverty alleviation. UNWTO’s approach matches the road map laid out by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the broader UN System Agenda.

The Davos Declaration Process promoted by UNWTO “urges action by the entire tourism sector to face climate change as one of the greatest challenges to sustainable development, and to the UN Millennium Development Goals in the 21st Century.”

“Climate change response and poverty alleviation are complementary goals. All tourism stakeholders will very soon support concrete consensus measures to address these challenges. Our focus on climate change and the broader development agenda coincides with the active support of the UN Millennium Development Goals”, UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General Geoffrey Lipman.

This is the message presented by UNWTO during the thematic debate
‘Addressing Climate Change: The United Nations and the World at Work’, held in February at UN Headquarters in New York. UNWTO will mobilize its more than 150 Member States and its Affiliate Members in the private and academic community, representing a network of thousands of stakeholders in the tourism family.

World Tourism Day 2008

In this context, this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) will focus on Tourism’s response to the challenges of climate change. It will be a year long campaign that will focus on increasing awareness of the Davos Declaration Process and encouraging its implementation by all stakeholders at a global level.

In raising awareness on the positive role of tourism in sustainable
socio-economic development UNWTO aims to:

* Advance – Tourism in the UN global response to the challenges of climate change and poverty alleviation
* Promote – the Davos Declaration Process for the Tourism Sector
* Encourage – tourism stakeholders to adapt, to mitigate and use new
technology and secure financing for the poorest countries.

WTD 2008 will be hosted in Peru on 27 of September and celebrated in all UNWTO member states.

For further details on the WTD campaign, go to:
http://www.unwto.org/wtd/index.php

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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