25 Oct 04

The World Tourism Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development will be vitally important for the future of the fastest growing economic sector and even more, for the environmental, cultural and social awareness of tourism in the international community, stressed the World Tourism Organization (WTO) on Monday.

The first Annual Summit of the Forum is scheduled for 1-6 December of 2004 in Salvador de Bahía, Brazil. This ongoing, permanent global initiative, was launched in November of 2003 in Brasília by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and will be hosted by Brazil until 2006. Besides WTO, key partners include UNESCO, the United Nations Development Program and the Brazilian Tourism Ministry, with support from a host of global institutions and non-government organizations. The executive partner is Brazil's "Instituto de Hospitalidade".

By pursuing the sustainable development of the tourism industry, the Forum works to generate conditions for peace, sustainable development - environmental, social and economic - and the preservation of cultural diversity throughout the planet.

WTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli underlined that "the Forum aims to promote creation of millions of new jobs and income-generating activities, particularly in the developing world. The goal is to contribute significantly towards social integration and the reduction of poverty". The Forum´s objectives will be accomplished through concrete initiatives, or "illustrative projects", in which the knowledge and solutions developed through meetings and discussion are put to into practice.

The importance of the Forum for the WTO will be highlighted on 2 and 3 December, when the Executive Council of the Organization will be summoned on its 74th session. Also in the context of the Forum, a WTO meeting will be held on the prevention and fight against the sexual exploitation of children in tourism.

The Forum's efforts develop primarily through five interactive networks with global participation. The results of meetings and discussions are consolidated in a series of Annual Summits, to be held in Brazil while it hosts the Forum.

At the summits, practical results from around the world - obtained from the use of concepts and solutions developed through the Forum - will be presented in detail. The summits also include an arts and entertainment agenda, and a "best practices" fair featuring ideas and solutions in sustainable tourism.