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ITB Berlin stresses on sustainable development of tourism

Monday, March 19, 2018

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ITB BerliIn 2017, the number of tourists globally increased to an all-time record of 7 percent to reach 1.3 billion. Tourism accounts for 10 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), 10 percent of the world’s jobs, and 7 percent of the world’s total exports.

 
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in September 2015 was also discussed at ITB this year.

 
More than 10,000 companies and organizations from 186 countries and regions exhibited their products to around 110,000 trade visitors from Germany and other countries in 26 halls spread on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, Messe Berlin, which has been hosting the event since 1966.

 
Along with ITB, the ITB Berlin Convention has developed into a leading travel industry think-tank – becoming the travel trade industry’s central knowledge platform.

 
The ITB Berlin Convention in March hosted around 150 sessions featuring over 300 eminent speakers. It secured Zambia as the Convention and Culture Partner. Other partners of the ITB Berlin Convention included the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) as the co-host, Ctrip.com International, the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Ministry for Culture and Tourism of Turkey.

 
In the event, Zurab Pololikashvili, the Secretary-General of the UNWTO spoke on how tourism not only needs to strengthen current growth rates, but “to grow better” by way of decoupling growth from resource exploitation. He also stressed that climate change should be at the heart of the global development agenda.

 
“Tourism’s sustained growth brings immense opportunities for economic welfare and development,” said the UNWTO Secretary-General opening the five-day ITB 2018 on March 6, while warning at the same time that it also brings in many challenges. “Adapting to the challenges of safety and security, constant market changes, digitalization and the limits of our natural resources should be priorities in our common action,” Pololikashvili added.

 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “Tourism is an example of the opportunities of globalisation. Tourism brings people closer together and creates the foundation for growth. We are committed to the Agenda 2030. We are committed to sustainable tourism.”

 
The UNWTO Secretary-General stressed on the role of education and job creation, innovation and technology, safety and security and sustainability and climate change as the priorities for the tourism sector to strengthen its contribution to sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda, against the backdrop of its expansion globally.

 

Pololikashvili emphasized the “huge potential” of tourism “to create lasting development opportunities in Africa if we manage it in the right way, which is economic, social and environmental sustainability”.

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