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World Tourism Day 2008

UNWTONEWS - SPECIAL EDITION

Tourism Responding to the Challenge

of Climate Change
Adaptation, Mitigation, New Technology & Finance

27 September
Lima, Peru
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Message from the UNWTO Secretary-General

for World Tourism Day 2008

Tourism: Responding to the Challenge

of Climate Change

Climate change is one of the greatest
global challenges in general, and to sus-
tainable development and the UN
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
in particular.
Catalyzing grassroots action by the
tourism sector to face this challenge is at
the centre of this year’s World Tourism
Day Theme, Tourism: Responding to the
Challenge of Climate Change.
WTD2008
ommendations “should not discriminate
against developing countries by creating
obstacles to their economic development
and in particular of those developing
countries located at long distance from
tourists generating markets”.
Our call to action is to change habits and
position renewable energy at the fore-
front of international response by pro-
moting the action oriented Davos
consensus measures for the tourism sec-
tor to address climate change without
losing sight of all other priorities, espe-
cially poverty alleviation and tourism
contribution to the MDGs.
Our call to respond to the challenge of
climate change consists of a year long
campaign during 2008, with World
Tourism Day on 27 September in Peru as
one of its highlights. A global high-level

Declaration Process, encouraging meeting around this subject will gather

Tourism is one of the few sectors that cuts
across a whole range of economic and so-
cial activities, and a key economic and job
driver in the developing world. We there-
fore can and must play an active role to
tackle the double challenge of climate re-
sponse and poverty alleviation.
As the leading UN agency for tourism,
UNWTO’s input from Davos to Bali 2007
has shown our determination to carry out
rigorous action to implement a carbon-
neutral roadmap in tourism. We encour-
age urgent adaptation of a range of poli-
cies which promote sustainable tourism
that incorporates environmental, socio-
economic and climate responsiveness.
As agreed during UNWTO’s General
Assembly in November 2007, these rec-
tourism stakeholders to adapt, to miti- public and private stakeholders and con-
gate and use new technology and secure tribute to the evolving planning and ac-
financing for the poorest countries to tion towards overall sustainability.
face the challenge of climate change.
I am certain that we all share these con-
UNWTO is part of the UN roadmap to cerns. Now is the time to work effective-
climate response and has been develop- ly and respond to these challenges.
ing guidelines for the tourism sector
since 2003, in collaboration with the UN I look forward to celebrating World
Environmental Programme (UNEP) and Tourism Day with you!
the World Metheorological Organization
(WMO). This is an example of our active
involvement in the UN’s “Delivering as
One” initiative on UN System-wide co-
herence. “One UN” aims at ensuring a
faster and more effective development
of operations and accelerate progress to
achieve the MDGs.
Francesco Frangialli
It is here where UNWTO has identified UNWTO Secretary General

2 UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

Mje. World Tourism Day 2008 Ingle?s:Maquetación 1
Message from Mercedes Araoz Fernández,
Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru
Tourism, Climate
Change and Sustainable Development
Today’s world faces two great challenges:
extreme poverty and climate change. The
solution to these problems requires an ur-
gent change of behaviour in the general
population. Tourism can encourage such a
change through the responsible use of
energy and natural resources.
The growth of tourism has increased
considerably. In the countries of the
southern hemisphere, tourism has
proven to be a prominent element of
their economies, as well as an activity
that uses a great deal of labour and
opens up opportunities for small enter-
prises that provide products and services
to the sector:
N In poor rural areas, it often constitutes
the only alternative to subsistence
farming.
N In some regions of Peru, several com-
munity-based tourism initiatives are
beginning to be developed with a
view to incorporating them into more
consolidated tourism circuits, thus be-
coming an opportunity to improve
the quality of life and welfare of
Peru’s most excluded peoples.
N In this way, tourism contributes to
poverty reduction, an indispensable
condition for the conservation of the
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environment and sustainable devel-
opment.
Tourism flows travel from the developed
countries via long-haul flights that ac-
count for 2.7% of total emissions--ex-
tremely harmful--whose combustion
takes place at high altitude. In addition
to this we must take into account the
domestic trips generated by tourism,
which lead to increased emissions of pol-
lutant gases, as well as excessive con-
sumption of water and energy.
Although tourism contributes to climate
change, restrictions on long-distance
tourism would be counterproductive in
the fight against poverty, as it is the way
through which expenditure by devel-
oped countries is carried out in less-ad-
vantaged countries:
N Tourism in areas where communities
exist ensures that such communities
become guardians of their own habi-
tat; in our case, the indigenous com-
munities are the primary protectors of
the Amazon rainforest, a tourism re-
source par excellence.
N Another factor to consider will be the
change in tourism destinations owing
to the destruction of natural resources
UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals
due to climate change: the disappear-
ance of glaciers, coastal alterations,
prolonged periods of drought, and
floods, among others.
The way to maintaining the benefits of
tourism and moderating its contribution
to climate change entails the responsible
use of the natural resources and the en-
ergy that is currently available, while at
the same time encouraging a shift to re-
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newable energy sources--and this with-
out forgetting the necessary measures to
make tourism a factor for stimulating the
economy at the local level.
Therefore, it is necessary to draw up an
Environmental Policy for Tourism; and
such a policy, in its role as a promoter of
best environmental practices, must pro-
vide for handbooks and guides that can
serve as tools to help tourism operators
incorporate environmentally responsible
business policies in their operations. In
Peru we have initiated these actions be-
cause we consider that the long-term
growth of the economy and of tourism
can go hand-in-hand with proper envi-
ronmental sustainability.
Mercedes Araoz Fernández
Minister of Foreign Trade and
Tourism of Peru
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World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day (WTD) is commemorated on
27 September each year - coinciding with the
anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO
Statutes on 27 September 1970 - and was designated as World Tourism Day
by the UNWTO General Assembly.
The main purpose of World Tourism Day environmental sustainability and the
is to foster awareness among the inter- proclamation of 2008 as the
national community of the importance International Year of Planet Earth which
of tourism and its social, cultural, political will extend to 2009.
and economic values. A Think Tank on Climate Solutions is the
main event during WTD 2008. Debates
WTD2008
plemented in the short and long
term to adapt, to mitigate, to use
new technology and secure financ-
ing for the poorest countries: as well
as to provide coordinated sectoral in-
put into the evolving UN System re-
sponse to climate change, coherent
with the Millennium Development
Goals.
3. List the ten most practical solutions
that can be started in the immediate
term.

The timing of World Tourism Day is
indeed particularly appropriate in that it
comes at the end of the high season in
the northern hemisphere and the begin-
ning of the season in the southern hemi-
sphere, when tourism is of topical inter-
est to hundreds of thousands of people
worldwide from all walks of life and to
tourists and the operational sector in par-
ticular.
around “Tourism & Climate Change
Solutions” and “Climate & Development
Agenda” aim at:
1. Informing representative stakehold-
ers of the state of the art global
thinking on Tourism and Climate
Change and its local applications.
2. Discuss in an open exchange and
clarify the measures that can be im-
Previous WTD celebrations have taken
place in Sri Lanka (2007) under the
theme “Tourism Opens Doors for
Women”, Portugal (2006) with
“Tourism Enriches”, and Qatar (2005)
“Travel and transport: from the imagi-
nary of Jules Verne to the reality of the
21st century”.
For more visit: www.UNWTO.org/wtd/

WTD 2008
This year’s WTD is hosted by Peru under
the theme “Tourism: Responding to the
Challenge of Climate Change”. Climate
change is one of the greatest global chal-
lenges in general, and to sustainable
development and the UN Millennium
Development Goals in particular.
Catalyzing grassroots action by the
tourism sector to face this challenge is at
the centre of this year’s World Tourism
Day Theme, “Tourism: Responding to
the Challenge of Climate Change”.
The theme matches the 7th UN
Millennium Development Goal: Ensure
A year long campaign
The 2007 General Assembly underscored the importance of WTD to be
conceived as a year long campaign to raise awareness on the positive
role of tourism in sustainable socio-economic development.
The 2008 campaign focused on tourism sector’s constructive response to the
challenge of climate change.
N Advancing Tourism in the UN global response to the challenges of cli-
mate change and poverty alleviation.
N Promoting the Davos Declaration Process for the Tourism Sector.
N Encouraging tourism stakeholders to adapt, to mitigate and use new
technology and secure financing for the poorest countries.

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Mje. World Tourism Day 2008 Ingle?s:Maquetación 1
TOURpact.Gc
Corporate Social Responsibility for the Tourism Sector
The UN Global Compact and UNWTO
are creating the first tourism Global
Compact initiative - TOURpact.gc. UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has
welcomed this as a leadership initiative
with potential for other sectors.
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, labour, the
environment and anti-corruption. As
the world's largest, global corporate cit-
izenship initiative, the Global Compact
is first and foremost concerned with
Towards Climate Neutral Tourism!
The tourism sector, public and private,
is embarked on a proactive response to
climate change and UNWTO’s 2007
Davos Declaration Process lays out the
guiding framework for a climate neu-
tral strategy.
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exhibiting and building the social legiti-
macy of business and markets.
The special programme for the tourism
sector builds on the aligned principles of
the Global Compact and the Global
Code of Ethics for Tourism.
TOURpact.gc is a voluntary mechanism
open to Companies, Associations of
Companies and other Tourism
Stakeholders who are Affiliate Members
of UNWTO and who register their par-
ticipation. It is complimentary to other
corporate and public private partnership
initiatives.
www.ClimateSolutions.travel launched
coinciding with World Tourism Day
2008, is a web site with the mission to
be the central gateway for information
on solutions available to help the
tourism sector respond to climate
change.
Users can learn about Climate Solutions
that are available and to share their
own, and to access resources such as
RSS feeds, useful links and a Climate
Solutions wiki.
The ClimateSolutions.travel initiative is
developed within the framework of
UNWTO’s eTourism for Development
Programme of Work and the new
Affiliate Public Private Partnership
strategy.
UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals
Participants will make four commit-
ments on which they will be required
to report annual progress:
1. To embrace the Principles and
Practices of the UN Global Compact
and of the UNWTO Global Code of
Ethics.
2. To promote their adherence with
customers, staff, business partners
and the wider public.
3. To use the logo and the collateral in
their corporate social responsibility
and product promotional cam-
paigns where appropriate.
4. To report annually on their plans
and achievements.
TOURpact.gc will help to drive a
responsible tourism business agenda.
We will promote the sound framework
of Global Compact engagement models
and the UNWTO ST-EP and Davos
Declaration Process.
World Tourism Day
2009
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The 2009 theme “Tourism celebrating
Diversity” will celebrate tourism diver-
sity and implement a campaign to high-
light the importance of tourism and
globalization. This will mark the 30th
celebration of World Tourism Day,
which will be hosted in Ghana.
This campaign will highlight tourism’s
role dual as a catalyst for globalization
on the one hand, and as an opportuni-
ty to reaffirm and preserve the identity
at the destination level, on the other.
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Encouraging Tourism Innovation

for Climate Neutrality
UNWTO issued its 2008 Report on
“Climate Change and Tourism,
Responding to Global Challenges” de-
veloped in cooperation with the UN
Environmental Programme (UNEP) and
the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO).
“The evidence is clear that the time is
now for the tourism community to ad-
vance its strategy to address what must
be considered the greatest challenge to
the sustainability of tourism in the 21st
century”, says the report.
“Climate Change and Tourism,
WTD2008
managers to foster the sustainable growth
of the industry:
N The report analyzes the relations be-
tween tourism and climate change,
the impact of climate change at desti-
nations, the adaptation options and
strategies as well as the implications
for tourism demand patterns.
N The report contains the first detailed
assessment ever made of greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions from tourism re-
lated activities, together with an
analysis of mitigation policies and
measures.
tion in poor countries. It identifies institu-
tional change directions for transport, ac-
commodation and all tourism service
providers, as well as the users – business
and leisure. Last year’s Davos Declaration
Process provided the broad directions for
all the tourism stakeholders. Now it’s all
about implementation. We will increase
our collaboration within the UN family
and our efforts to bring the public and
private sector’s full capacity to bear on this
issue. Innovation is the big opportunity”,
said UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General
Geoffrey Lipman.
For a summary and the full version of

Responding to Global Challenges” pro- “Climate Change and Tourism:

vides the basis for the sector to address “Our report confirms the fact that tourism Responding to Global Challenges”, go to:
the global phenomenon of climate contributes some 5% of greenhouse gas –
change. It suggests ways to develop prac- in line with its global economic impact
tical tools for tourism policy-makers and and way below its development contribu- www.UNWTO.org/sdt/

“Our Climate Solutions” -

Online Global Photo Competition
UNWTO’s 2008 Photo Competition highlights the World I Examples: Airlines testing new fuel, hotels installing solar ener-
gy, villages educating guests on good practice or tourists offset-
Tourism Day theme: “Tourism Responding to the ting their impacts.

Challenge of Climate Change” Prizes & winners:

The competition will showcase climate solutions in tourism –
business and leisure travel – from around the world:
I Focus: Communities, companies and individuals –visiting or vis-
ited - acting to help respond to climate change as tourism stake-
holders.
I Prizes will include a trip to Machupicchu in Peru – the Host Nation
for World Tourism Day and cameras for runners up.
I Winners will be notified before 30 December 2008.
I Winning photos will be displayed on UNWTO’s website and at
major Trade Fairs in 2009.
Information, rules & guidelines, registration & submission of photo-
graphs: www.UNWTO.org/wtd/

Deadline is 30 November 2008

6 UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

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The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

The Global Code
of Ethics for
Tourism sets
a frame of
reference for
the respon-
sible and sus-
tainable devel-
opment of world
tourism. It adds new
thinking that reflects our changing soci-
ety at the beginning of the 21st century.
The Code is a comprehensive set of
principles whose purpose is to guide
stakeholders in tourism development:
central and local governments, local
communities, the tourism industry and
its professionals, as well as visitors, both
international and domestic.
The Code includes ten articles outlining
the "rules of the game", but also
involves the redress of grievances. For
the first time a code of this type has a
mechanism for enforcement providing a
voluntary implementation mechanism
through the World Committee on
Tourism Ethics.
The official recognition by the UN
General Assembly to the Global Code
of Ethics for Tourism came on 21
December 2001.
“With international tourism forecast to
reach 1.6 billion arrivals by 2020, mem-
bers of the World Tourism Organization
believe that the Global Code of Ethics
for Tourism is needed to help minimize
the negative impacts of tourism on the
environment and on cultural heritage
while maximizing the benefits for resi-
dents of tourism destinations. The
Global Code of Ethics for Tourism is
intended to be a living document. Read
it. Circulate it widely. Participate in its
implementation. Only with your coop-
eration can we safeguard the future of
the tourism industry and expand the
sector's contribution to economic pros-
perity, peace and understanding among
all the nations of the world."
Francesco Frangialli,
UNWTO Secretary-General
For more visit:
www.UNWTO.org/ethics/

WTD2008
The Code
1. Tourism's contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples
and societies

2. Tourism as a vehicle for individual and collective fulfilment

3. Tourism, a factor of sustainable development

4. Tourism, a user of the cultural heritage of mankind and contributor to its en-
hancement

5. Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities

6. Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development

7. Right to tourism

8. Liberty of tourist movements

9. Rights of the workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry

10. Implementation of the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals 7

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Ministers’ Summit
11 November 2008, Excel grounds, Conference Set, Platinum Suite, 4, level 3

What?
N 2008 Minister’s Summit organized by ®
UNWTO in partnership with the
World Travel Market, a forum for the
most pressing issues for tourism with
its leading policy-makers.
N The Summit follows on from past
ExCeL London 10-13 Nov 2008
The Global Event for the Travel Industry
landmark meetings on climate
change, including now the short term
economic dimension.

Objective
To take stock of the impact of the dra-
matic recent economic shifts, consider
industry responses and at the same time Capitán Haya, 42
28020 Madrid, Spain
ensure that this doesn't adversely impact
Tel.: +34-91-567-8100, Fax: +34-91-571-3733
the commitments on poverty and climate comm@unwto.org
change. www.UNWTO.org

Where and when?

World Travel Market 2008, London, UK, For more visit:
11 November www.UNWTO.org
and www.wtmlondon.com/

“Responding to the Economic Downturn & Staying on Course with the Climate & Poverty
Reduction Agenda”

UNWTO will once again work in part-

WTD2008

nership with World Travel Market

(WTM) to host a one day Minister’s
Summit at this year’s event in London
on Tuesday 11 November. The theme
will be “Responding to the Economic
Downturn and Staying on Course
with the Climate and Poverty
Reduction Agendas”.
The short term economic outlook has
turned downward. Tourism however
remains an undisputed economic
growth engine for rich and poor
nations alike, a force for social and countries that are home to the pla- ditiously reacting to the impacts on its
cultural cohesion, and a vehicle for net’s poorest populations, which in own operations.
environmental stewardship – particu- turn stand to benefit the most from Present and future action requires dif-
larly in emerging and least developed international tourism. Climate change ferentiated approaches, acknowledg-
markets. Consequently, global efforts response, therefore, must avoid pun- ing that developing countries tend to
to address poverty and climate imper- ishing travel. bear a disproportionate share of the
atives within a 30-year framework of With some 900 million international burden of climate change. Sustainable
change must continue to progress. flight arrivals last year and 1.6 billion development is the best form of
Communities in developing countries, forecast in 2020 the challenge is to adaptation.
where the capacity to adapt is weak- consolidate and focus on the benefits The 2008 WTM Ministers’ Summit
est, will be the first victims of global of air travel, while continuously will build on from the past landmarks
warming and these populations will reducing its carbon footprint. on climate change, encapsulated in
be doubly affected if we also deprive The tourism sector must act now if it the 2007 Davos Declaration on
them of the economic contribution is to develop a truly sustainable Climate Change and Tourism, but
from tourism. future, reducing its own greenhouse now including the short term eco-
Many long-haul trips are often to gas emissions intelligently and expe- nomic dimension.

8 UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals