Ethics and Tourism in the UNWTO focus

Poland hosts UNWTO Congress on Ethics and Tourism

The 3rd International Congress on Ethics and Tourism, to take place in Krakow, Poland on 27-28 April 2017, will discuss ways to advance the commitment of tourism towards sustainable and responsible practices. The event is one of the major components of the ‘Enhancing the Understanding of European Tourism’ Project, conducted by UNWTO in cooperation with the European Commission.

Social responsibility champions, academics, private sector and representatives from national tourism administrations will meet in Krakow with civil society and international organizations to discuss how advance in the shared responsibilities of tourism development. The Congress acquires particular relevance as it takes place during the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, which is being celebrated worldwide throughout 2017.

The event, with the presence of Rajan Datar host of Fast Track – BBC World News’ flagship travel programme, will feature the views of policy makers and companies such as NH Hotel Group, TripAdvisor, ClubMed, TUI, and Amadeus IT Group. National, regional and international organizations like the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), European Destinations of Excellence Network (EDEN), UNESCO World Heritage Centre and VisitScotland will also share their best practices.

Topics under discussion include strategic policy frameworks and models of governance as well as innovative and multi-stakeholder management models for the development of a more responsible and inclusive tourism sector.

Special attention will be devoted to the Tourism for All – incidentally the campaign slogan for UNWTO SG Candidate Alain St. Ange – the preservation of natural and cultural resources and best practices that contribute to socio-economic empowerment of local communities, women and youth.

The 3rd International Congress on Ethics and Tourism is organized by UNWTO in partnership with the Government of Poland and the European Commission.

Additional information:

The ‘Enhancing the Understanding of European Tourism’ Project is a joint project by UNWTO and the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission (DG GROW). The project aims to improve the socio-economic knowledge of the tourism sector, enhance the understanding of European tourism and contribute towards economic growth and job creation, thus improving the competitiveness of the sector in Europe. The project includes three components: 1) increased cooperation and capacity building in tourism statistics; 2) assessment of tourism market trends; 3) promotion of cultural tourism through the Western Silk Road; and 4) promoting sustainable, responsible, accessible and ethical tourism. The project is co-financed with COSME funds and will run until February 2018.

And while at it, Ethics in tourism reporting too should be taken seriously given the misleading statements made by one particular news organization about recent events in Addis Ababa and the purported endorsement by current UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai of one particular candidate for the upcoming elections.

But then, those with eyes to see do probably see what is going on and find their own explanation over the blatant misreporting and figure what induced that …