Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals

RX, WTM Responsible Tourism 2016, 8 November 2016

World Travel Market Responsible Tourism Day is now the largest day of responsible tourism action in the world, which in 2016 took place at WTM London on Tuesday 8 November.  In 2016, WTM WRTD commemorated two key anniversaries:

  • 20 years of Responsible Tourism
  • 10 years of World Responsible Tourism Days

WTM London hosts the world's most comprehensive, searching and thought-provoking agenda on responsible tourism. The WTM Responsible Tourism Programme runs for the duration of the exhibition, centering on the pioneering WTM World Responsible Tourism Day, in association with the UN WTO. The 2016 programme explored how well the travel industry has embraced responsible tourism, celebrating best practice and asking if responsible tourism has come of age after 20 years, while also attempting to predict what the industry will look like in 2036.

14:00-15:15  Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals Platinum Suite 3

2017 is the UN’s International Year of Sustainable Development through Tourism, the spotlight is going to be shone on the industry’s contribution to sustainable development in destinations. Businesses in the sector, in originating markets and destinations, often talk about the contribution that the industry makes to development in destinations. But when the spotlight is shone what evidence will we have to share with the UN and other sectors? How convincing is our case? What evidence can we provide that out contribution is real and significant?

Moderator: Harold Goodwin
Márcio Favilla, Executive Director UNWTO
Jane Ashton Director of Sustainable Development, TUI GroupPeter Burrell Managing Director Exodus
Kate Gibson, VP for Corporate Responsibility at IHG,
Glynn O’Leary CEO Transfrontier Parks Destinations