SUSTAINABLE tourism can be understood as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.

It is projected that international tourist arrivals will reach 1.8 billion by 2030, with an average annual growth of 3.3 %, and that the Asia-Pacific region will gain most of these arrivals. Shifting to sustainable models of tourism matters greatly given that for all its positive image, tourism causes harmful impacts to the environment and also communities. Sustainable tourism is seen as a development tool, and when done in this manner, it can drive economic growth and alleviate poverty through job creation and the promotion of local culture and products.

Holding onto this belief, UCLG ASPAC and the Jeju International Training Centre (CIFAL Jeju), with the support from the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, organized the first-ever training on “Sustainable Tourism: Policies for Delivering Social, Environmental, and Economic Benefits in the Asia-Pacific Region” on 17-20 November 2015 in Jeju. Participants shared their case studies and learned from experts in the field, one takeaway that can be further explored is how In the end, central and local governments, and other stakeholders should look more closely into developing and setting high standards for sustainable tourism. With the positive evaluation for this training, dates have been plotted out to continue the training workshop in 2016.

In June 2016, the ASPAC Culture Committee launches the training on cultural tourism development, exclusive to members of UCLG ASPAC. The Asia Pacific region is a melting pot of diverse cultures, each distinctly enriching the world and is essential to human development. A cultural dimension integrated in local development planning reinforces and maximizes the opportunities found in the intersections of citizenship, culture, and sustainable development. Concrete commitments and actions identified in the Agenda 21 for Culture can serve as a guide for cities and local governments to shape policies in line with emphasizing the essential role of culture in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Knowledge-sharing on the value of preserving and promoting the different cultural assets of cities and local governments, and in relation to sustainable tourism, is a clear objective of the training, together with boosting the Culture Committee’s efforts to support an active cultural network in the region.

Visit CIFAL Jeju online.

Know more about the Agenda 21 for Culture here.