WTO Lauds UN Efforts to Promote Ethical Tourism

During a conference held last week in Rome, Italy, the World Committee on Tourism Ethics lauded UN efforts to promote ethical behavior in the travel industry, including initiatives on accessible tourism, trafficking and illegal trading.

Italian Minister for Culture and Tourism, Dario Franceschini, said, “In these difficult times, characterized by economic and financial instability, natural disasters and unpredictable socio-political events, we are well aware that development can only be addressed with a shared ethical framework.”

Pascal Lamy chairman of the committee also noted that tourism can make a great contribution to economies but added that on occasions it can be damaging at a local level.

The World Committee on Tourism Ethics is an impartial body responsible for interpreting, application and evaluating the provisions of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Code of Ethics Tourism. The code consists of ten principles including that tourism should be a beneficial activity for host countries and communities and a vehicle for individual and collective fulfillment.

During the two day event the committee also voiced its support for a UN campaigns to end human trafficking, illegal trade in wildlife artifacts and drugs and a forthcoming study on the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.

At the meeting it was also noted that more companies and trade associations are adhering to the private sector commitment to the code. As of November some 356 industry players from 51 countries have committed to promoting and implementing the code in their business operations.