On February 26, the UN General Assembly unanimously approved the resolution “2027 - International Year of Sustainable and Viable Tourism”. The document was put forward by Uzbekistan and co-authored by more than 80 countries, the presidential press service reported.
The United Nations website reports that the Maldives is also an initiator.
The main purpose of the document is based on Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s views expressed at the UN World Tourism Organization General Assembly session held in Samarkand in October 2023 regarding the stability and flexibility of the tourism sector in the face of new problems and modern threats, the report says.
The resolution affirms the principles that tourism plays an important role in preserving the rich cultural heritage of different civilizations, strengthening peace and tolerance, and respecting the values of peoples.
Special attention is paid to the development of “green” tourism in order to preserve ecology, biodiversity and reduce atmospheric pollution.
The resolution decides to declare 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Viable Tourism and calls on the UN World Tourism Organization to take comprehensive measures for the successful implementation of the year together with the governments, structures of the UN system, and regional organizations.
The document emphasizes the importance of developing sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, which serves to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, economic growth, full employment, development of rural areas, and improvement of the living conditions of rural residents.
The resolution recommends that all stakeholders actively promote sustainable and viable tourism as an important tool to alleviate poverty, promote the participation of women, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities, expand economic opportunities, and create decent jobs and sources of income.
UN Secretary General António Guterres said that tourism, as one of the largest sectors of the world economy, has great potential to bring cultures closer together, create new opportunities and contribute to sustainable development.
Although the tourism industry has suffered the most from the coronavirus pandemic, the sector is recovering very quickly. According to the UNWTO, the turnover of the international tourism industry will be 88% of the pre-pandemic level by the end of 2023.
Experts from leading countries such as Russia, China, the USA, Turkey, Germany, Great Britain, the European Union delegation, Japan, Korea, Egypt, Brazil, and Argentina actively participated in the consultations on the coordination of the text of the document.
