MANILA, (PNA) — One week is all that is left until World Tourism Day, which this year will be hosted by Maldives.
With the theme “Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future”, Maldives has geared up for Sept. 27, which is considered the most important international observance day for tourism.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a special message on the occasion of WTD 2013 this year will highlight the responsibility of the tourism industry to safeguard and intelligently manage water.
“In this International Year of Water Cooperation, I urge tourism establishments to cut consumption and improve waste management and I call on individuals to play their part by making environmentally conscious choices when they travel,” Ki-moon said in a statement.
Meanwhile, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said that WTD also offers an opportunity to shine a spotlight on water both as an asset and as a resource.
“I urge all those involved in the tourism sector to join our global World Tourism Day campaign and continue to devise innovate solutions to ensuring tourism contributes to sustainable access to water resources worldwide,” Rifai said.
As part of the WTD celebrations in the Maldives, a high-level Think Tank on Tourism and Water will bring together public and private sector tourism stakeholders, leading experts on water preservation and media experts.
They will debate key issues encompassing the global water challenge as well as on many other related topics to foster awareness among the international community.