World Travel Market Latin America launches World Responsible Tourism Programme

Rapid growth in tourist arrivals but at what cost?
 

The challenge of how to make a major sporting event, such as the World Cup or the Olympics, sustainable and whether Latin America’s forests can be used to boost ecotourism are high on the agenda of the inaugural WTM Latin America (www.wtmlatinamerica.com), which takes place in 2013.

The sessions are part of the World Responsible Tourism Programme at WTM Latin America, organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), which takes place at the Transamerica Expo Center, São Paulo, Brazil from 23 to 25 April 2013.

Programme curator Dr Harold Goodwin, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management at Leeds Metropolitan University (United Kingdom) who is speaking on Monday 18^th June at the 6th International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations, São Paulo, said, “It is often said that the forests of Latin America are a major resource for tourism. There are already some well-known and profitable ecotourism businesses in the region but is there scope to create mass tourism opportunities in the forests?”

A panel at WTM Latin America will also discuss the sustainability implications of Brazil’s hosting of the World Cup and the Olympics in the next few years. “Sport gives destinations the opportunity to showcase their culture and their built and natural environment as well as being a commercial opportunity but they need to ensure that the legacy is sustainable,” said Dr Goodwin.

The programme also includes sessions on the contribution that certification can make to creating sustainable tourism and the case for greener hotels.

Ensuring that tourism to fast-growing destinations in Latin America is a key challenge for travel companies and tourism organisations in the region. Tourist arrivals in Latin America increased by 10% in 2011 over the previous year, the biggest increase of any region according to the UN’s World Tourism Organisation.

Travel and tourism organisations are also recognising that sustainability is a powerful tool in helping them market their businesses. Consumers are increasingly looking for new travel experiences that take into account concerns for the planet and indigenous peoples.

RTE Managing Director Richard Mortimore said, “Latin America’s position as the fast growing destination for tourists carries with it an enormous responsibility.

“The region has some highly fragile ecosystems as well as some of the most at-risk local communities anywhere in the world. Tourism plays an important role in bringing new investment into such regions but it must not do so at the detriment of the environment or by damaging the lives of those that have lived there long before the arrival of the international tourist.”

World Travel Market London introduced its highly successful World Responsible Tourism Day (Wednesday 7 November 2012) five years ago in association with UNWTO. More than 200 companies from around the world, both small and large, proudly displayed the World Responsible Tourism Day logo on their stands and in their marketing materials as part of the initiative.