Lisbon (TAN): The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) was here recently along with city representatives from all over the world to discuss ways in which cities may be made more tourism friendly in a sustainable manner.
The first UNWTO Mayors Forum for Sustainable Urban Tourism, co-organized by the UNWTO, the Ministry of Economy of Portugal and the Lisbon Municipality, concluded here on April 5.
Mayors and high-level city representatives from all over the world attended the event to design a way to ensure that tourism helps create cities for all.
[ALSO READ: Korea Festival in Mumbai to woo Indian tourists]
Worry over overtourism in cities has been growing in recent times. There is intense debate over the growing number of tourists and the livability and sustainability of cities. The forum exchanged ideas to design and maintain innovative tools for urban tourism and incorporate measures at the national and local levels such that tourism in cities may be made conducive to tourists, urban dwellers and the environment.
“The income generated from tourism contributes significantly to the socio-economic and cultural development of many cities and its surroundings. Yet, the growth of urban tourism also creates important challenges in terms of the use of natural resources, socio-cultural impact, pressure on infrastructure, mobility, congestion management and relationship with host communities. Tourism policies should thus be designed as integrated urban policies that promote a well-balanced city economically, socially and environmentally,” said UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili.
[ALSO READ: Like something at your Airbnb? You may be able to buy it now]
The forum adopted the Lisbon Declaration on Sustainable Urban Tourism, in which participants reinforced their commitment to align urban tourism policies with the United Nations New Urban Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, namely Goal 11 – ‘Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’.
During the event, the UNWTO secretary-general and mayor Bakhyt Sultanov of Nursultan (Kazakhstan) signed an agreement for the hosting of the 8th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism, to be held on 9 to 12 October 2019.
