Launching of the “Green Passport”
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched an online ‘Green Passport’ campaign to raise tourists’ awareness of their ability to contribute to sustainable development by making responsible holiday choices.The new campaign, launched at the Berlin Tourism Fair, is aimed at shrinking the environmental footprint of vacation travellers, according to UNEP.
Among many tips on the Green Passport website, the campaign encourages tourists to choose responsible service providers, reduce the consumption of energy in transit or in hotels and buy locally made, environmentally-friendly souvenirs.
The website, developed in English, Portuguese and French, together with additional communication tools, is available for dissemination among other partners in the tourism community, UNEP stated.
“Packing a Green Passport along with airline tickets, the swimming costume and the sun lotion means tourists no longer need to leave their green credentials at home but can make them part of the holiday of a lifetime,” UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said.
Stressing that tourism had great potential for development, he noted that by 2020 the number of international arrivals by air and by sea could reach 1.6 billion annually.
He further added that as tourist numbers grow, so will their demands for energy, water and natural resources to support their holidays.
Pointing that the challenge is to manage this growth sustainably, Steiner said that governments have a key role to play, but so too do individuals and families when planning and going on holiday.
The French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning, and the Brazilian Ministries of Environment and Tourism co-sponsored the campaign launch, UNEP stated.
Add comment 11 mars 2008
