Water one of tourism’s main assets

Water is one of tourism’s key assets, says Regional Director for the Americas of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Carlos Vogeler.

He told the 14th Sustainable Tourism Conference, which took place in Trinidad recently, that each year millions of people travel around the world to enjoy water destinations – both inland and in coastal areas – and Caribbean destinations play a key role in this.

Vogeler stressed that “building a more responsible tourism sector is not only a moral and ethical concern; it also makes clear business sense. Sustainability is no longer an option, but an ever more pressing necessity,” he said.

Stressing the importance of water to  tourism – which is one of the largest economic sectors in the world – Vogeler said it is the responsibility of tourism industries to take a leadership role and ensure companies and destinations invest in adequate water management through the value chain.

“If managed sustainably, tourism can bring benefits to the national and local communities and support water preservation,” he noted.

At the same time, the UNWTO official warned that the global economic situation remains fragile and instability continues in certain parts of the world, affecting consumption and obviously impacting many source markets of tourists.

He said that tourists generate over one trillion US dollars in exports for the countries they visit every year, which is close to 6% of the world’s exports of goods and services; and one in every 12 jobs worldwide is connected to the tourism sector.

According to Vogeler, the UNWTO is forecasting the number of international tourists to reach 1.8 billion by 2030. He further indicated that while these numbers are impressive, the impact of tourism on the ground is far more relevant, as tourism means jobs, business opportunities for small and medium enterprises, the renewal of urban and rural areas and, if managed in a sustainable manner, the preservation and promotion of a country’s natural and cultural heritage.