Mountain communities on the way to climbing tourist peaks
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Tourism Organization (WHO) have launched a new publication on the occasion of World Mountain Day 2021 to help promote sustainable and inclusive tourism in mountain communities.
Sustainable tourism is playing a key role in boosting livelihoods, reducing poverty and preserving the environment in mountainous areas, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UNWTO.
Mountain tourism is moving towards a more sustainable path, jointly developed by the FAO, the Secretariat for Mountain Partnership and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
This publication provides examples of innovation, best practices and initiatives from around the world, as well as practical guidelines and recommendations for creating better conditions for sustainable mountain tourism.
“For many mountain communities, tourism is a way of earning a living,” said Qiu Donggio, FAO’s director general. Promoting sustainable ecotourism, agricultural tourism and health tourism can help create new jobs, diversify incomes, build strong micro-economies and revitalize products and services. “Mountain tourism must be transformed in favor of mountain communities, global prosperity and global health.”
Sustainable tourism can act as an important stimulus for socio-economic development in mountainous areas. “Community-oriented tourism can diversify household incomes, increase employment and livelihood opportunities, support traditional systems, create flexibility, and preserve and promote natural and cultural heritage,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization. Assist throughout cultural, historical and natural landscapes. “Sustainable tourism can serve as an important stimulus for socio-economic development in mountainous areas.”
The theme of World Mountain Day 2021
The United Nations has designated December 11 as World Mountain Day, and the FAO is the main coordinating agency. Celebrated every year, the event raises awareness of the importance of mountains for life, emphasizes the opportunities and limitations of mountain development, and creates incentives that bring about positive change for people and mountain environments around the world.
Given that mountain destinations account for about 15 to 20 percent of global tourism, the theme of World Mountain Day 2021 for Sustainable Mountain Tourism focuses on the role of this sector in valuing the natural and cultural heritage of mountains and mountain people, promoting sustainable food systems. And emphasizes the protection of mountain ecosystems.
This year’s issue also draws attention to the effects of the Corona epidemic and how this crisis could be an opportunity to rebuild mountain tourism in a greener, more sustainable and inclusive way. This means ensuring community empowerment, measuring the impact of tourism in the mountains, effectively managing resources and waste, and defining carrying capacity for destinations.
A joint effort
The World Mountain Day ceremony was inaugurated at a high level by Kyo Dongyo, Director-General of the FAO, and Zurab Polulikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization. Other participants include Andorran Foreign Minister Maria Obach, Christine Bollard-Marbach, Member of the Swiss Parliament, Member of the National Assembly and President of the Swiss Association for Mountainous Areas, Roberto Natali, Plenipotentiary Minister and Director General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Was the Executive Director of Tourism in the Philippines and a member of the Reinhold Messner Propaganda and Mountaineering Board. FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Samado delivered the closing remarks at the meeting.
The event emphasized the need to promote dialogue and cooperation to harness the full potential of mountain tourism to contribute to sustainable development. The move will help many members of the Mountain Partnership and UNWTO member countries work to bring mountain communities into the spirit of the UN 2030 program and to align with other communities.
Sustainable best practices
According to this study, sustainable mountain tourism products and services should change from destructive tourism to cautious and climate-sensitive tourism, creating new opportunities and bringing tangible benefits to local communities while preserving the mountain’s unique heritage. help. These services must also be inclusive and provide communities with a good quality of employment and decent work. It highlights projects from around the world that do just that, including in the Cordillera region of the Philippines, where the Department of Tourism, the Partnership Secretariat and Slow Food connect tourism service providers to small-scale producers rather than visitors. Be able to discover high-quality mountain products called “Astrostas” in the Himalayas, a local community-run accommodation that includes stellar observation activities.
FAO and UNWTO
FAO and UNWTO have a long history of working together, reinforced by a recent memorandum of understanding between the two sides. This creates a greater commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, promoting sustainable development and strengthening livelihoods through rural tourism, agricultural tourism, nature tourism, outdoor activities and other forms of landscape tourism. The program envisages, among other things, joint activities within the framework of FAO’s Global Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), the Fragile Ecosystem Coalition, and the Green Cities Initiative.