22 May 2017 \u2013 Tourism must not undermine the nature that attracts tourists in the first place, said the head of the United Nations-backed treaty on biological diversity, marking International Day for Biological Diversity.<\/p>\n
\u201cTourism grows, so does the risk of harming the environment
Many natural areas with rich biodiversity, such as beaches, coasts and islands, mountains, rivers and lakes, are popular tourism destinations. Roughly half of the leisure trips taken globally are to natural areas, she noted.<\/p>\n
It is therefore important to understand that the way tourism is managed will impact biodiversity and conversely, the way ecosystems are managed will impact the sustainability of tourism, as tourists will not come to polluted or degraded destinations.<\/p>\n
The Convention was adopted on 22 May 1992 as the international legal instrument for \u201cthe conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources\u201d that has since been ratified by 196 nations.<\/p>\n
In 2010, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly proclaimed 22 May as the International Day for Biological Diversity.<\/p>\n
In his message for the Day, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ World Tourism Organization (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵWTO) Secretary General Taleb Rifai said: \u201cTogether we can make tourism an ally in fighting loss of biodiversity and achieving the Global Goals for a better world.\u201d<\/p>\n
In that regard, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵWTO is encouraging more destinations to set up sustainable tourism observatories, he said.<\/p>\n
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵESCO<\/a>) has also been working with all its partners to explore pathways for ensuring the long-term sustainability of tourism while also ensuring that it contributes positively to biodiversity.<\/p>\n \u201cBiodiversity is as necessary for nature and humankind as cultural diversity, to build stronger, more resilient societies, equipped with the tools they need to respond to the challenges of today and tomorrow,\u201d said<\/a> Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in her message for the Day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n