The First World Conference on Tourism and Culture,
which began on Cambodia from Feb 4, started discussions aimed to address the
overlap between culture and tourism, tackling the question of how to harness
the power of tourism and culture to alleviate poverty, create jobs, protect
natural and cultural heritage and promote international understanding.
The conference, organized jointly by the UN World
Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) also aimed at bringing together Tourism and Culture to
identify key opportunities and challenges for stronger cooperation between the
fields.
“Today, cultural tourism – the world’s mosaic of art
forms, heritage sites, festivals, traditions, and pilgrimages – is growing at an
unprecedented rate,” said Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General. “Humanity’s
curiosity about cultural heritage is the element that truly differentiates one
destination from another.”
Rifai described the growth of international tourism
since the 1950s and the socio-economic contribution made by tourism, accounting
for one out of every 11 jobs worldwide, as well as contributing nine per cent
to global gross domestic product (GDP) and 30 per cent contribution to total
global exports.
Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General her goal was
to create a positive mutually reinforcing dynamic between the two, working to
build sustainability and to benefit local communities.
She underlined the need to safeguard cultural
heritage while moving ahead with sustainable tourism and said she believed that
was the Conference’s core message, citing that vision as the route to promoting
culture as a driver and enabler of sustainable development.
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