The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) is delighted to announce its status as Friend to the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
The United Nations’ International Year aims are very much in tune with ITP’s and its member hotel groups. In this its 25th anniversary year, there was a synchronicity to align ITP’s work with those of the UN and UNWTO and become a Friend of the Year.
With 14 leading international hotel groups as ITP’s members, with 30,000 hotels between them spread across the globe, ITP is the voice of the sector’s commitment to sustainable development and the forum for collaboration across the key issues of carbon, water, youth employment, and human rights.
For years recognition has grown of tourism’s ability to positively impact communities worldwide and how it has a role to play in poverty alleviation, the protection of the environment, and socio-economic development and growth. Increasingly destinations are aware of their need to manage tourism to protect heritage and biodiversity and alert tourists to their wider role as responsible travellers. The sector continues to grow faster than other industries, but many, including ITP’s members, recognize that growth needs to be responsible and sustainable.
The International Year (2017) aims to promote tourism’s role in the following areas:
- Inclusive and sustainable economic growth
- Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction
- Resource efficiency, environmental protection, and climate change
- Cultural values, diversity, and heritage
- Mutual understanding, peace, and security.
ITP is happy to work with its members to support the Year’s aims and share examples of the hotel sector’s best practices as part of the online platform that gathers knowledge and solutions to help others improve their actions. Others are encouraged to do the same.
Later this year, ITP will be celebrating its anniversary with a call to action for the wider hotel sector. Led by its Executive Committee of dedicated CSR professionals, this frames their work in the future and urges the hotel industry to act now for sustainable growth and positive impact.
This is a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the contribution of sustainable tourism to development among public and private sector decision-makers and the public while mobilizing all stakeholders to work together in making tourism a catalyst for positive change,” said a spokesperson for the UNWTO.
ITP is pleased to play its part with its members to make the year a driver for change and a great success.
