UN General Assembly Hosts Tourism for Sustainable Development Event
New York, U.S.A., 17 April, 2024 – The United Nations General Assembly has held a second thematic event focused on tourism and the sector’s critical role in critical role of tourism in advancing sustainable development and resilience.
Organized by the President of the General Assembly in collaboration with UN Tourism, the event was held at the UN Headquarters within the framework of Sustainability Week. The presence of Member States, Observers, civil society organizations, and UN agencies reflected a growing collective commitment to harnessing the transformative power of tourism for inclusive and sustainable development.
Addressing the General Assembly, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The growing significance of the tourism sector for our societies and our economies brings with it extra responsibility. We cannot allow the lifeline of tourism to be cut again. Resilience in the tourism is not just a matter of planning or reacting to crises. It is also about proactively addressing the underlying factors of those crises. Unsustainable consumption is leading to biodiversity loss, climate change and the emergence of pandemics. It's vital that we adopt policies that accelerate transformative change.”
Jaya House River Park Siem Reap and advisor to the
UN’s One Planet Network spoke on the
High-Level Thematic Event on Tourism panel at the United Nations General Assembly.
During the session, Christian called for the tourism industry to go Single Use Plastic free by 1st January 2025.
As part of UN’s
Sustainability Week, this panel aimed to advnce a concerted approach on strengthening tourism resilience at the highest level and maximising its contribution to the sustainability agenda.
