5 November 2014: An event organized by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Consulting Unit on Tourism and Biodiversity, in collaboration with the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), highlighted key initiatives with the potential to harness tourism for the conservation of migratory species.

The event was organized at the margins of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP11).

Participants considered the preliminary phase of the Destination Flyways project, implemented by UNWTO in collaboration with Wetlands International and BirdLife International, among others. They also discussed the findings of the UNWTO Briefing Paper ‘Towards measuring the economic value of wildlife watching tourism in Africa.’ Representatives from various UN agencies and international organizations then engaged in a round table discussion on creating synergies between sustainable tourism and multilateral environmental agreements, with the goal of linking sustainable tourism with the management of protected areas, wetland conservation and the fight against poaching and illegal trade in wildlife. [IISD RS coverage of CMS COP11] [UNWTO News]