Dear friends,
I write to you as I begin my final year
as UNWTO Secretary-General, a position I have been privileged to hold
for almost seven years at an Agency I have been proud to serve for
the past decade.
During this time I have seen tourism
become one of the world’s most important and impactful
socio-economic sectors of our times. I have seen its growing
relevance to the lives of millions around the world, to the
preservation of our common values and to greater understanding among
people of all walks of life.
I have seen increasing commitment from
the international community, with many countries realizing the
potential for tourism to become a pillar of their development. This
commitment is attested to by the inclusion of tourism in the
universal 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed upon by 193
nations in 2015.
And now I am very privileged and
grateful to be celebrating 2017 as the International Year of
Sustainable Tourism for Development. The UN General Assembly’s
decision to dedicate 2017 to tourism’s contribution to sustainable
and inclusive growth was no coincidence. Tourism is increasingly and
rightly being recognized as a sector that can help usher in a better
world.
2017 is a unique opportunity for us to
promote the contribution of tourism to achieving the future we want –
and also to determine, together, the exact role we will have tourism
play in the sustainable development agenda, to and beyond 2030.
Of course, many challenges remain
before our sector. Yet if there is one thing I will always remember
from my time in this captivating and rewarding sector, it is that
tourism is a sector of hope. Not only is it one of the most resilient
economic sectors, but it also unites people across backgrounds,
cultures and continents every day. Through travel, we gain
understanding, tolerance, and empathy for our fellow man –
essential in the globalization era, where our global village can only
prosper through harmonious living.
The tremendous hope that our sector
provides should inspire us all to act for the good of people and
planet. Together we can be the change we want to see.
Let us all remember that whatever we do
in life; our core business is to make this world a better place.
I wish you a very happy International
Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017.
Taleb Rifai
Secretary-General, World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO)
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