The United Nations General Assembly announced
2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
Tourism contributes to all the three
dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental –
and each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Not only does the sector
spearhead growth, it also improves the quality of people’s lives. It can
bolster environmental protection, champion diverse cultural heritage, and
strengthen peace in the world.
World Tourism Day, celebrated
annually on 27 September, presents a unique opportunity to raise awareness about
the contribution of sustainable tourism to development among public and private
sector decision-makers and the international community, while mobilizing all
stakeholders to work together to make tourism a catalyst for positive change.
The theme for 2017 World Tourism Day is Sustainable Tourism: A Tool for Development.
MARTINA NICOLLS is an international
aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different
in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament
(2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a
Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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