UNWTO
июль-август, 2012
World Tourism Day 2012
tourism & sustainable energy
Launching the World Tourism Day
2012 (27 September) campaign, UNWTO
Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, has called on
all tourism stakeholders to play their part in
reaching the United Nations goal of achieving
sustainable energy for all by 2030.
World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012 will
be celebrated under the theme ‘Tourism &
Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable
Development’, inviting everyone involved in
tourism – from governments
to businesses and tourists
themselves – to learn more
about the sustainable energy
initiatives in place in the tourism
sector, debate what more
should be done and advance
the use of sustainable energy in
tourism.
- Tourism is leading the way
in some of the world’s most
innovative sustainable energy
initiatives, - says Mr. Rifai in his
official WTD message. Energy
efficient upgrades to aircraft,
the shift to renewable fuel
for aviation and cruise liners,
energy technology solutions in hotels, as
well as countless other initiatives are placing
tourism at the forefront of the clean energy
transformation.
These initiatives are crucial for sustainable
development, continues Mr. Rifai, helping
to cut tourism’s carbon emissions, enabling
businesses to grow and create jobs, and
bringing modern and affordable energy
services to some of the world’s most
vulnerable communities – goals in line
with the 2012 UN International Year of
Sustainable Energy for All.
The Secretary-General’s message is part
of the WTD 2012 campaign, which also
includes the annual WTD photo competition,
the upcoming Twitter competition and access
to resources on the relationship between
tourism and energy. This year, UNWTO is also
inviting everyone to visit the «online energy
school», as part of Hotel Energy Solutions,
a UNWTO-initiated project designed to help
hoteliers cut their carbon emissions and costs.
The launch of the WTD campaign comes one
week after governments, the private sector,
civil society and other groups meeting at the
UN Conference on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20) committed US$ 323 billion to
achieving sustainable energy for all by 2030.
Official WTD celebrations will take place
on 27 September in Maspalomas, Gran
Canaria, Spain, and include a Think Tank on
the 2012 theme with the participation of
top experts and policy makers in the field
of tourism and energy. The Think Tank will
be one of hundreds of events taking place
around the world in celebration of WTD.
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