The-Global-Goals-For-Sustainable-Development
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Asian Hotelier

Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment, while being closely linked to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of many countries, especially developing countries.

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the importance of sustainable tourism is highlighted and the need to integrate sustainability into tourism policies, business practices and tourist behavior. Describing tourism as a driver of sustainable development, the WTO explains that tourism benefits economic growth, quality of life, environmental protection, diverse cultural heritage and world peace and spells out tourism’s links to each of the 17 SDGs:

  • SDG 1 (no poverty):
    Tourism can be linked to national poverty reduction strategies and entrepreneurship through low skills requirements and local recruitment;
  • SDG 2 (zero hunger):
    Tourism can spur sustainable agriculture by promoting production, supplies to hotels, and sales of local products to tourists;
  • SDG 3 (good health and well-being): tax income generated from tourism and visitors fees collected in protected areas can be reinvested in health care and services;
  • SDG 4 (quality education):
    capacity and skills need to be built to ensure the tourism sector can prosper and provide job opportunities for youth, women and those with special needs;
  • SDG 5 (gender equality):
    tourism can empower women, particularly through the provision of direct jobs and income generation in tourism and hospitality-related enterprises;
  • SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation):
    tourism investment requirement for providing utilities can play a critical role in achieving water access and security, hygiene and sanitation;
  • SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy):
    tourism can help reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs), mitigate climate change and contribute to energy access by promoting clean energy investments;
  • SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth):
    decent work opportunities in tourism, particularly for youth and women, and policies that favor better diversification through tourism value chains can enhance tourism’s positive socioeconomic impacts;
  • SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure):
    tourism can influence public policies aimed at upgrading and retrofitting infrastructure to make it more sustainable, innovative and efficient;
  • SDG 10 (reduced inequalities):
    sustainable tourism can engage local populations and all stakeholders in tourism development, and contribute to urban renewal and rural development;
  • SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities):
    tourism can, inter alia, promote urban regeneration, and preserve cultural and natural heritage;
  • SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production):
    adopting sustainable consumption and production (SCP) models can help monitor sustainable development impacts for tourism, including for energy, water, waste, biodiversity and job creation;
  • SDG 13 (climate action):
    tourism stakeholders can play a critical leading role in fighting climate change by reducing their carbon footprints;
  • SDG 14 (life below water):
    tourism development can help preserve marine ecosystems and promote a blue economy and the sustainable use of marine resources;
  • SDG 15 (life on land):
    sustainable tourism can help conserve and preserve biodiversity, and generate revenue as an alternative livelihood for local communities;
  • SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions):
    tourism can help foster multicultural and interfaith tolerance and understanding, and peace in post-conflict societies; and
  • SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals):
    Tourism can strengthen public-private partnerships (PPPs) and engage all stakeholders to work together to achieve the SDGs.

Source: UNWTO – Tourism for Development: Key Areas for Action – 2018

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