UNWTO
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United Nations World Tourism Organization | |
| Global | |
| Tourism | |
World Tourism Organization
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| http://www.unwto.org |
Description
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO/OMT) is a specialized agency of the United Nations and the leading international organization in the field of tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.
UNWTO plays a central and decisive role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, paying particular attention to the interests of developing countries.
The Organization encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, with a view to ensuring that member countries, tourist destinations and businesses maximize the positive economic, social and cultural effects of tourism and fully reap its benefits, while minimizing its negative social and environmental impacts.
Its membership includes 160 countries and territories and more than 350 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.
Direct actions that strengthen and support the efforts of National Tourism Administrations are carried out by UNWTO's regional representatives (Africa, the Americas, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia) based at the Headquarters in Madrid.
UNWTO is committed to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, geared toward reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development.
UNWTO carries out 11 programmes to achieve its goals, including inter alia, its Development Assistance and Sustainable Development Programmes.
Mission/Mandate
The mission of the Development Assistance and Sustainable Development Programmes are as follows:
- Development Assistance Programme
The Department of Development Assistance dedicates itself to meet the specific needs of the Member States and to support them in their efforts to develop and promote the tourism industry as an engine for socio-economic growth and poverty alleviation through the creation of employment.
- Sustainable Development Programme
To promote the sustainable development and management of tourism globally in Member states, regions and specific types of destinations involving both public and private sectors for the generation of social, economic and cultural benefits for host communities commensurate with global development interests, for ensuring the supply of quality tourism products and avoiding or reducing negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural environments. To accomplish this mission, the programme of work builds on the Plan of Implementation agreed upon at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, Johannesburg, 2002), in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals, in the framework of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and in collaboration with the other United Nations bodies concerned and as part of the respective international and regional policies and processes.
Information Resources/Tools/Materials
Publications
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Work on the Ground
Amongst it's 11 programmes, UNWTO executes programmes on Development Assistance and 'Sustainable Development.
- Development Assistance Programme
Acting on requests from Member States, the Department of Development Assistance carries out a wide range of development projects – long-term as well as short-term – aimed at the promotion and development of tourism in developing and transition countries. These projects are implemented through funding obtained from a variety of major donor agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, the European Union, the Asian Development Bank, several bilateral donors and others. The Department deploys the world’s leading experts and firms to implement Development Assistance missions and projects.
Specifically, ST-EP projects focus on the contribution of tourism to poverty alleviation and are aimed at improving the capacities of national tourism administrators and local authorities in least developed and developing countries to devise and implement poverty reduction policies, plans and projects, through the development of sustainable forms of tourism.
- Sustainable Development Programme
The Sustainable Development Programme focuses on Coasts and Islands as one of its four project focal areas. Aligned with this, UNWTO has been promoting tourism development as part of Integrated Coastal Zone Management practices, through international and regional collaboration, technical cooperation, research and capacity building activites.
UNWTO produced [Awards for improving the coastal environment: The example of Blue Flag]] jointly with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 1997 to disseminate the Blue Flag Programme in non-European countries. Today, The Blue Flag campaign has expanded to the Caribbean, South Africa and other regions. UNWTO is actively collaborating in this process, and is also a Member of the Blue Flag International Jury.
UNWTO has also been coordinating with UNIDO and UNEP a project on Sustainable Development of Coastal Tourism in Africa, financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project involves 9 countries (Cameroon, Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Seychelles and Tanzania), and aims at reducing environmental impacts of tourism and providing alternative livelihood to coastal communities through introducing policy changes and strengthening public-private partnerships. A full project proposal has been developed through an initial grant provided by GEF during 2004-05, which is currently under approval process. The full project is expected to take place during a 5-year period. Click Here for the project documents.
For further information on UNWTO's work on the ground Click Here
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References
