Abu Dhabi--Monday saw the launch of the World Green Tourism conference in Abu Dhabi, a three-day event seen as the first global event in the Arabian Gulf devoted to the development of--and investment in--sustainable tourism. The conference aims to bring together key regional and international players in the industry--including tourism authorities and associations, city planners, hotels and resorts, property developers, airlines, tour operators and green products suppliers--to discuss the environmental challenges facing the global tourism sector. Participants highlighted the green initiatives, technologies and solutions that are currently being integrated into mainstream practice industry-wide. The event is being organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and is co-hosted by the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency. The event will feature over 50 speakers from around the world, including sustainability pioneers, tourism ministers, heads of tourism bodies and UN representatives. The last day of the conference--Wednesday, 24 November--has been dubbed “Green Tourism Careers Day,” when attendees will discuss human resource capital and offer university students a chance to discover how local and global businesses are integrating sustainable practices into the tourism industry. In his welcome address, ADTA Chairman Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan called on the local, regional and international travel industry to prioritize sustainability efforts in order to leave a lasting legacy for future generations. “There is much at stake,” he said. “Future generations will not easily forgive us if we do not endeavor to leave them a legacy on which they can build.” Sultan went on to describe the event as a “watershed” for regional and global tourism. It is, he said, “a vehicle for us all to pool our knowledge, expertise and energy to build an industry--whether on a local, regional or international level--that will live up to the highest levels of responsibility.” He added: “Whether our challenges be social, financial or environmental, a focused approach on sustainability across the board is vital to ensuring that we deliver on our individual mandates and for the benefit of generations of travelers and our citizens to come.”
