UNCTAD to hold expert meeting on sustainable tourism with support from French Government
Geneva, 23 June 2010 - UNCTAD will hold a high-level international meeting of experts on sustainable tourism and development in the least developed countries (LDCs) from 12-14 October 2010 in Caen (France). The French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs will contribute €80,000 to cover the costs of participants from LDCs.
A protocol agreement was signed to that effect today in Geneva by Jacques Pellet, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations Office at Geneva, and UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Petko Draganov.
The meeting is one of several preparatory events being held in the run-up to the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (Istanbul, May 2011). Held under the auspices of the UNCTAD Task Force on Sustainable Tourism for Development, the meeting will be attended by approximately 30 representatives of LDCs, together with international experts and stakeholders in the public and private tourism sectors. The aim is to make those in charge of tourism more aware of what can be done, and what policies can be implemented, to develop tourism in LDCs and make it a sustainable factor in poverty reduction.
UNCTAD´s work to develop this sector is fourfold: (i) institutional capacity-building in LDCs, in order to facilitate the development of sustainable tourism, on the basis of a master plan that focuses on making the best possible use of each country´s assets; (ii) encouraging local companies to become involved in the tourism economy, not only in the tourism industry itself, but also in directly related sectors; (iii) encouraging civil society to become involved in making important decisions and implementing sustainable tourism projects; and (iv) facilitating new forms of cooperation and partnership, including at the regional level, between LDCs and developed countries. The work carried out in these four areas includes advisory services, direct technical support and the development of human resources in the beneficiary countries.
The UNCTAD meeting will be held at the headquarters of the Regional Council of Basse Normandie, at the Abbaye-aux-Dames. In addition to the financial support from the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Basse Normandie region will be making its facilities available to UNCTAD and providing logistical support.
