THE United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly has officially adopted the International Convention on Tourism Ethics.
This is a big step forward as UNWTO works to make the global tourism sector fairer, more ethical and more transparent.
This treaty will be open to signature by member states from October 16th. Pascal Lamy, the Chair of the World Committee of Tourism Ethics, who has long been been advocating the transformation of the existing code of ethics of tourism said: ” In the name of the Committee, I can only congratulate the countries who took this historic decision to elevate ethics of tourism into a binding legal instrument. Globalisation needs to be harnessed by principles that make it better, not worse, for humankind.”
At the 23rd General Assembly today, leaders of the public and private sector will debate the challenges the tourism sector faces – and explore how innovation can deliver solutions to these.
Private sector speakers due to speak at the High-Level Summit on Innovation and Sustainable Development include Mr Javier Hidalgo, CEO, Globalia Mr Ahmed Yehia, Founder & CEO, Eco Nubia and Ms Nancy Bautista Mudd, Co-Founder, Nenemi. Also contributing to the debate on how to scale-up ideas for a more sustainable tourism sector will be Ms Natalia Bayona, Senior Expert, Innovation & Digital Transformation, UNWTO, and Mr Adam M. Goldstein, Chair, Cruise Lines International Association.