UNWTO, ATTA Announced New Partnership Agreement

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the specialized agency of the United Nations in the field of tourism, and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, a global organization dedicated to responsibly growing the adventure travel market, announced a new partnership agreement concerning global sustainable tourism development. “The reason why we need to work together, is that adventure tourism is what tourism should be today, and is definitely what tourism will be tomorrow,” said Mr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General. Both parties have agreed that this partnership serves to drive forward a cooperation between the UNWTO and ATTA with a mission to support common advocacy of the value of sustainable tourism development, increase and promote the knowledge and value of the adventure travel, and to contribute to the quality enhancement and sustainable development of adventure travel products amongst UNWTO Member States. “The adventure travel segment may not be the biggest piece of travel today, but it’s one in which the people who operate it are on the front lines and they know that if they do not protect their local wildlife, environments and their cultures and make sure that local people are involved and benefitting from tourism, then their business is gone,” said ATTA President Shannon Stowell.