COVER STORY
Sustainable Tourism and
How to Achieve It
Aleksandar Celeski,
Executive Director,
DUEL Consulting
W
orld Tourism Day is being celebrated
on September 27. The purpose of this
day is to raise awareness about the role
of tourism and to demonstrate how it affects
social, cultural, political and economic values
worldwide. In 2019 it was for the first time that
World Tourism Day was hosted by India under
the theme ‘Tourism and jobs: a better future for
all’.
The 2030 Agenda - Tourism and the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Tourism has the potential to contribute, directly or
indirectly, to all of the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). In particular, it has been included
as target in Goals 8, 12 and 14 on inclusive and
sustainable use of oceans and marine resources,
respectively.
Sustainable tourism is firmly positioned in the
2030 Agenda of the United Nations (UN). A clear
implementation framework, adequate financing
and investment in technology, infrastructure and
human resources is required to achieve this
agenda. Tourism is one of the driving forces of
global economic growth, and currently accounts
for 1 in 11 jobs worldwide. By giving access to
decent work opportunities in the tourism sector,
society - particularly youth and women - can
benefit from enhanced skills and professional
development. The sector’s contribution to job
creation is recognized in target 8.9 “By 2030,
devise and implement policies to promote
sustainable tourism that creates jobs and
promotes local culture and products”.
Tourism grows faster than merchandise trade.
Tourism is the world’s third largest export
category after chemicals and fuels, and ahead of
automotive products and food.
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EMERGING MACEDONIA
Adventure Tourism
Adventure tourism, according to the Adventure
Travel Trade Association, is a tourist activity
that includes a physical activity, a cultural
exchange, or activities in nature. Adventure travel
is a type of niche tourism, involving exploration
or travel with a certain degree of risk, and
which may require special skills and physical
exertion. Adventure tourism is defined as the
movement of the people from one to another
place outside their comfort zone for exploration
or travel to remote areas, exotic and possibly
hostile areas. This may include activities such
as mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping,
mountain biking, cycling, canoeing, scuba
diving, rafting, kayaking, zip-lining, paragliding,
hiking, exploring, canyoneering, sand-boarding,
caving and rock climbing. Adventure tourism
is one of the fastest growing sectors of the
tourism sector, attracting high-value customers,
supporting local economies, and encouraging
sustainable practices. The continued growth of
this sector creates net positive impacts not only
for tourism, but also for destination economies,
their people, and their environment. Some
importance and benefits of adventure tourism
are as follows: Employment Generation, Foreign
Exchange, Economy Development, Support
Local Communities, Conservation of Natural
Resources, Creating Business Opportunities,
Local and Foreign Investment.
Macedonia - Emerging Destination on Global
Adventure Tourism Market
Adventure tourism is one of the fastest growing
tourism sectors in the world. In only two years,
the sector grew globally by 195%, and emerging
markets are attracting more tourists than