The
power of tourism to induce poverty reduction and development
constituted the main focus of the UNWTO Workshop held in Guangdong,
China. The workshop was conducted under the framework of the
agreement signed between UNWTO and the Chimelong Group in 2016
designed to support sustainable tourism and wildlife protection
through tourism.
Raising
awareness on the relevance of the tourism sector in the reduction of
poverty and promoting knowledge sharing on best practices constitute
the major objectives of the Workshop for Poverty Reduction and
Tourism Development held in Guangdong. The event takes place in a
highly relevant momentum as 2017 is celebrated as the International
Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, a global campaign lead
by UNWTO.
"Guangdong,
one of the top economic hubs in China, is one of the best examples of
what is happening in China in terms of the links between development
and tourism and therefore it is a perfect location to conduct this
event" said UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai.
“We
sincerely appreciate the agreement with UNWTO that includes a number
of initiatives in the field of sustainable tourism and wildlife
conservation, which are very much in line with our philosophy
‘Wherever Chimelong goes, the happiness follows’ as our CEO, Su
Zhigang highlights,” said Chen Wancheng, President of Guangdong
Chimelong Group.
Accounting
for 6.3% of GDP, tourism is one of the most important sectors in
Guangdong. The province receives more than 300 million domestic
tourists annually and around 35 million international tourists.
The
workshop included case studies from the UNWTO ST-EP Project Great
Himalaya Trail Development Programme, the UNWTO Network of
Sustainable Tourism Observatories and from activities conducted by
Chimelong in the Guangdong Province. Representatives of Provincial
Tourist Authorities and Provincial Tourism Organizations, in
particular from the Guangdong Province, stakeholders from the private
sector and Chinese NGOs attended the event.
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