Earlier this month, the United Nations made quite an exciting declaration for the world of tourism, and here at Altruvistas, we couldn’t be more pleased about it.

The United Nations declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

What exactly does sustainable tourism mean? Sustainable Tourism helps sustain livelihoods, support local communities and conserve the world’s natural and cultural heritage.

At Altruvistas we know that responsible tourism is a powerful tool in poverty reduction. We’re committed to sustainability and have a passion for ensuring that the benefits of responsible tourism are achieved globally. So it’s exciting to learn that the United Nations (UN) General Assembly approved the adoption, which recognizes “the importance of international tourism, and particularly of the designation of an international year of sustainable tourism for development, in fostering better understanding among peoples everywhere, in leading to a greater awareness of the rich heritage of various civilizations and in bringing about a better appreciation of the inherent values of different cultures, thereby contributing to the strengthening of peace in the world”.

Here’s what UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai had to say about its decision:

“The declaration by the UN of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is a unique opportunity to advance the contribution of the tourism sector to the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environmental, while raising awareness of the true dimensions of a sector which is often undervalued.”

Rifai added:

“As the lead UN agency for this initiative, UNWTO is very much looking forward to proceeding with the organization and implementation of the International Year, in collaboration with Governments, relevant organizations of the UN system, other international and regional organizations and all other relevant stakeholders.”

The decision to declare 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development follows the recognition by global leaders at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) that “well-designed and well-managed tourism” can contribute to the three dimensions of sustainable development, to job creation and to trade. The declaration comes at a particularly important moment as the international community embraces the new Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), approved by the UN General Assembly last September.

Tourism is included as targets under these three SDGs in particular:

  1. SDG 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  2. SDG 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production
  3. SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Though 2017 is a year away, we eagerly look forward to seeing the world’s attention focused on sustainable tourism, because travel is one of the most important social activities and economic sectors  in the international political economy. In the meantime, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing–helping travelers travel ethically–because when it comes to travel, we’ve always believed that sustainable tourism is the only way to go.

TAKE ACTION!

  • Interested in learning more about the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017? You can read the UN’s complete adopted resolution here.
  • Learn more about tourism’s role in the UN-approved SDGs: Find out more about in the three Sustainable Development Goals in which tourism has been featured here.
  • Altruvistas and Sustainable Tourism: Altruvistas encourages best practices for ourselves, for our travelers and for those we partner with. Click here to learn about our Codes of Conduct and resources on how to be a socially responsible and ecologically sensitive traveler–two key components of sustainable travel.