The 1st International Forum on “Sustainable Development in Tourism” organized by Skål International and Skål International Italy, held during BIT in Milan on February 24, 2007 highlighted some important suggestions on how to recover and to further create awareness of sustainable development.
The guide published by UNWTO, referred to 12 basic guidelines for sustainable development in tourism together with a suggested action plan. The role of the governments were also stressed. They were expected to cooperate with local authorities and to make the legislative changes in order to provide the platform for the private sector to perform on sustainable grounds.
Eugenio Yunis, Head of Sustainable Development of Tourism at UNWTO, and Arab Hoballah, Head of the Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch in UNEP referred to the complexity of the subject but stressed that if all stakeholders assumed equal responsibility, we could start seeing some positive results. Both speakers referred to the role which Skål International is playing and recommended more ways in which the organization could become even more involved.
Skål International is aiming at quality in tourism and values sustainable development in tourism as the key to the industry’s future success. It considers ecotourism but one of the components of sustainable development and responsible tourism.
For information on 2007 Ecotourism Awards program can be found at http://www.skal.org/
Report by Chitra Mogul
