Recognizing that ecotourism can promote job creation and education, the draft recognizes its potential to improve livelihoods in local communities and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
It also emphasizes that ecotourism can contribute to the sustainable development and protection of biodiversity by encouraging communities and tourists to preserve “natural and cultural heritage.”
30 November 2012: The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has approved draft resolution A/C.2/67/L.30/Rev.1 on the “Promotion of ecotourism for poverty eradication and environment protection.” The draft, approved on 30 November 2012, in New York, US, stresses that ecotourism is a “cross-cutting activity” that can contribute to ending poverty and environmental protection.
Recognizing that ecotourism, within the framework of sustainable tourism, can promote job creation and education, the draft recognizes its potential to improve livelihoods in local communities and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It also emphasizes that ecotourism can contribute to the sustainable development and protection of biodiversity by encouraging communities and tourists to preserve “natural and cultural heritage.”
The text underlines the importance of establishing national policies and investments for promoting ecotourism, and encourages governments to use it as a tool for poverty alleviation and environmental protection. It calls on international financial institutions and the UN system to provide adequate support for programs relating to ecotourism, and for a strengthened partnerships for providing adequate capacity-building and training for people involved in the sector.
Stressing that “indigenous cultures, traditions and knowledge” are to be fully respected and promoted in sustainable tourism policy development, the resolution notes the importance of indigenous participation and empowerment of women in ecotourism initiatives. [Draft Resolutions in Second Committee]