tourism based ngo

About the Future of Tourism Coalition

We are a coalition of six non-governmental organizations that have come together to stand united in an appeal for change.

Our Coalition

The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to increasing the positive global impact of responsible tourism. CREST assists governments, policy makers, tourism businesses, nonprofit organizations, and international agencies with finding solutions to critical issues confronting tourism, the world’s largest service industry. Learn about CREST’s innovative field projects, research, and advocacy at www.responsibletravel.org .

The Destination Stewardship Center is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the world’s distinctive places by supporting wisely managed tourism and enlightened destination stewardship. We gather and provide information on how tourism can help and not harm the natural, cultural, and social quality of destinations around the world. We seek to build a global community and knowledge network for advancing this goal. Join us at www.destinationcenter.org.

Green Destinations is a non-profit foundation for sustainable destination development and recognition, leading a global Partnership of representatives, expert organisations and academic institutions. We work for the benefit of the Green Destinations Community: destination representatives and stakeholders. Together we make their places better and more sustainable. Learn more at  www.greendestinations.org.

Sustainable Travel International is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and conserving our planet’s most vulnerable destinations. We are transforming tourism’s impact on nature and people by working alongside local communities, engaging travelers and businesses in responsible practices, and strengthening destination management. Through our work, we aim to safeguard nature, combat climate change, and empower communities to preserve the integrity of destinations around the globe. To learn more, visit www.sustainabletravel.org .

Tourism Cares unites the travel industry to advance its positive impact to help people and places thrive.  For nearly 20 years, Tourism Cares has been the travel industry’s nonprofit network bringing its members from around the globe together to create powerful connections and drive action. We believe it is in our best interest to support the destinations we all depend on so that communities, travelers and businesses can prosper.  Learn more at  www.tourismcares.org.

The Travel Foundation is a leading global charity that works in partnership with governments, businesses and communities to develop and manage tourism to maximise its benefits for communities and the environment, so that destinations can thrive. Founded in 2003, it has worked in nearly 30 countries around the world. Its head office is based in the UK and it has a global network of project managers. Learn more at  www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk.

Coalition Advisor

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are two sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators. The GSTC Criteria form the foundation for accreditation of certification bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services, but it accredits those that do. Learn more at www.gstc.org .

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee provides the Future of Tourism Coalition with expertise and guidance on areas that are strategic for the transformation of tourism and may otherwise be under-represented. It provides broader perspectives to ensure the movement remains true to its Guiding Principles, mission, and vision, and that the approach is inclusive, integrated, and representative.

Advisory Committee members serve in an individual capacity, endorsed by their organizations, but not as their representatives. They act on a voluntary, pro bono basis and meet as a full group at least twice each year. 

The Advisory Committee currently consists of 13 members:

Alessandra Alonso

Women In Travel cic

Cristina Blackburn

Director, Private Sector Engagement

World Wildlife Fund

Randy Durband

Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)

Alicia Fajardo

#TurismoRESET

Chris Flynn

President and CEO

World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage

Stephanie Jones

National Blacks in Travel & Tourism Collaborative

Judy Kepher-Gona

Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda

Kelley Louise

Founder and Executive Director

Impact Travel Alliance

Ben Sherman

World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA)

Jeremy Smith

Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency

Anna Spenceley

IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group

(TAPAS Group)

Masaru Takayama

Founding Chair

Asian Ecotourism Network

Executive Director

Travel Unity

Tourism must decarbonise and adapt

Sign the Glasgow Declaration for climate action in tourism today.

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Expedia group partners with travel foundation for destination climate champions initiative, we are an international sustainable tourism organisation.

dedicated to ensuring that tourism has a positive impact on destinations.

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Read our latest blogs and press releases about creating better, more equitable, climate friendly tourism., destination exchange: top five shared challenges for tourism and how to tackle them .

Five key challenges for destination stewardship that were discussed during our destination exchange, plus some of the ideas and solutions used to tackle them.   

From planning to action – creating the right mindset for action

Tips from our recent webinar on how to foster a positive mindset, engage stakeholders and achieve executive-level a involvement in climate action.

“Destinations are everyone’s business – they are the enterprises , the comm unal spaces, the public infrastructure , the culture and history, and the people that we all rely on , and protecting them for the long-haul must be a shared responsibility and industry priority.”

Jeremy Sampson, Travel Foundation CEO

The Future of Tourism Coalition

How can we put destination needs at the heart of our recovery from the Covid-19 crisis? In 2020, six NGOs including the Travel Foundation came together to launch the Future of Tourism Coalition , which now has over 600 signatories.

Read more and get involved

Making a positive impact

Take a look at the latest destinations where our work is changing the impact of tourism, climate action in the netherlands.

Supporting destinations in the Netherlands to build resilience and maximise the benefits of tourism for local communities, while helping to accelerate the travel and tourism sector’s pathway to a Net Zero future.

Sustainability and resilience planning in British Columbia

We're providing training and mentoring opportunities to BC destinations with the aim of supporting a thriving future for tourism across the province.    

Destination Stewardship Planning

We support Destination Management Organisations to answer some of the big questions about how tourism can best deliver both quality experiences for visitors and quality of life for residents, enabling them to create stronger, sustainable plans.

Promoting low carbon travel in Gloucestershire and beyond

We're supporting GCRP to promote rail travel in Gloucestershire (UK) to showcase the potential impact and role of community rail partnerships for tourism.

Decarbonising the Value Chain

Working with a major tour operator (The Travel Corporation) and a destination (Scotland) the Travel Foundation is developing a structured and facilitated process to better understand a company’s emissions at the destination level, and creating a collaborative action plan to reduce and avoid them.

Roadmap to Destination Stewardship

In collaboration with easyJet holidays, we will bring together private, public and local community representation to establish a common set of priorities for tourism management and long-term resilience following the COVID-19 pandemic in five destinations.

Big up Small Business

We're creating new opportunities for small business entrepreneurs in Jamaica, so that more people can benefit from tourism.

Flavours from the Fields

TUI Care Foundation is helping rural communities in Turkey to benefit from tourism by selling locally made products to hotels, restaurants and gift shops.

The Travel Foundation is an independent charity working to ensure tourism benefits people and the environment in destinations.

Explore our interactive map to discover the work we do and where we are.

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Our mission is to be a center of tourism knowledge, empowerment, and action for destination communities.

Transforming the Way the World Travels

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United nations world tourism organization (unwto).

Activity Start date ongoing:  Ongoing Activity End date ongoing:  Ongoing Activity:  UNWTO takes charge of the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. UNWTOpromotes the value of tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmentalsustainability, and offers leadership and support in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.Recognizing the UNWTO’s role in promoting the potential of tourism in fighting poverty and achieving the SDGs,the UN General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development(IY2017) and as of July 2017, UNWTO features on the DAC/OECD’s list of development assistance organizations.Tourism is included in SDG 14: ‘Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources forsustainable development’ (besides the SDG 8: ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth,full and productive employment and decent work for all and SDG 12: ‘Sustainable Consumption and Production’).Nevertheless, given its cross-cutting nature, it can advance on all 17 SDGs.• In recent years, several capacity-building activities have been carried out by UNWTO and its member states(on a bilateral or regional level) and also with the support of some of the UNWTO Sustainable TourismObservatories in various coastal countries. An example of such a successful project could be the COASTproject (http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/documents/Non_recurrent_e_publication_Oceans_final.pdf).• UNWTO pays special attention also to the situation of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and to theirchallenges related to the development of a sustainable tourism.• Given the importance attached by UNWTO to the maritime, coastal and inland water tourism, upon theproposal of the Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness, the 22nd General Assembly adopted in China, inSeptember 2017 the definition of “Maritime, coastal and inland water tourism”. The adopted definitions areavailable on this page: http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/ctc_definitions_en_web.pdf. Objectives:  Promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism including maritime, coastal and inland water tourism Lead Organization/Partners :  United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Scope of Activity:  Global Websites:  http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/documents/Non_recurrent_e_publication_Oceans_final.pdf http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/ctc_definitions_en_web.pdf Activity Start date:  Ongoing Activity End date:  Ongoing Submitted By:  Relevant Stakeholder Relevant Stakeholder:  United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

Leading NGOs form Future of Tourism Coalition

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Six leading sustainable tourism organisations have joined forces to form a Future of Tourism Coalition with the aim of placing destinations at the centre of post-coronavirus recovery.

The Future of Tourism Coalition comprises six non-governmental groups (NGOs) – the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) , Destination Stewardship Center , Green Destinations , Sustainable Travel International , Tourism Cares  and the Travel Foundation – and will act under the guidance of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) .

In a founding statement, the sustainable tourism NGOs said: “Decades of unfettered growth in travel have put the world’s treasured places at risk – environmentally, culturally, socially, and financially.

“The travel and tourism industries face a precarious and uncertain future due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, with international tourist numbers projected to fall 60%-80% in 2020.

“Re-centring around a strong set of principles is vital for long-term sustainable and equitable growth.

The coalition has agreed 13 ‘guiding principles’ which it says “provide a clear moral and business imperative for building a healthier tourism industry while protecting the places and people on which it depends”.

It is calling on tourism agencies, travel companies, governments, investors, NGOs and destination communities to commit to these.

The principles call on signatories to: use sustainability standards, choose quality over quantity, demand fair income distribution, reduce the burden of tourism, redefine economic success, mitigate climate impacts, contain tourism’s land use, diversify source markets, protect the sense of place and operate responsibly.

In a joint statement, the chief executives of the six coalition groups said: “It is imperative every organisation evaluates how they will actively place the needs of destinations and equity within their communities at the centre of tourism development, management, and promotion decisions.

“There is no stable future for tourism if this is not done now – together, responsibly and vigorously.”

They said: “This is not a short-term effort, this is the future.

“Long-term resilient social, economic, and environmental recovery and regeneration will require all sectors of industry to rethink how tourism works, who it works for, and how success is defined.”

Slovenian Tourist Board director Maja Pak said: “The recent crisis in tourism has shown us just how much tourism relies and depends on local and global communities.

“Sharing our experiences and gaining best practice examples from other countries will be the key to successfully navigate the post-corona tourism universe. The role of the Future of Tourism Coalition will be vital.”

Twenty-two industry stakeholders have signed up as founding signatories.

These include: the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), Ecotourism Australia, G Adventures, Global Ecotourism Network, the Government of the Azores, Government of Colombia, Hilton, Innovation Norway, Intrepid Travel, Jordan Tourism Board, Lindblad Expeditions, MT Sobek, Palau Bureau of Tourism, Riverwind Foundation (Jackson Hole, WY), Seychelles Ministry of Tourism, Slovenian Tourist Board, Swisscontact, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, The Travel Corporation, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, Tourism Council Bhutan and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

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UNESCO strengthens cooperation with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

UNWTO is the specialized agency of the United Nations in charge of promoting a responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

A new memorandum of Understanding was signed by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, in the margins of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination in New York. The Agreement provides a framework for cooperation in a range of areas, including:

• Implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme;
• Developing transnational tourism initiatives to promote and safeguard the shared heritage of the Silk Roads Heritage Corridors;
• Identifying, developing and networking of sustainable tourism initiatives and activities in biosphere reserves;
• Promoting sustainable tourism through United Nations partnerships and initiatives, such as the United Nations Steering Committee on Tourism for Development (SCTD) and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism (GPST).

Ms Bokova thanked her UNWTO counterpart for his commitment to reinforcing cooperation between the two agencies so as to achieve a greater impact for the benefit of Member States and to strengthening system wide coherence. "I look forward to furthering this partnership on the basis of shared values and common objectives" said the Director-General.

The MoU is the third agreement between UNESCO and UNWTO, the first going back to 1979.

This renewed cooperation underlines the strength of a partnership that has existed for over three decades.

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Tourism in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was adopted in September 2015 by all UN-member states. The strength of the 2030 Agenda is its universality, its complexity and its vision to transform our world. It addresses the way we are living and challenging the lifestyle of a lucky few, that is harming the opportunities for the sustainable development of the vast majority of people on earth. Its groundbreaking title “Transforming our World” offers a great opportunity towards positive change as it clearly rejects the idea of a passive business as usual-approach. Sustainable tourism is mentioned several times in the 2030 Agenda. This is an acknowledgement of the global significance of the sector, but at the same time an obligation to transform the current tourism model. With this homepage and the Berlin Declaration we want not only encourage further reflection and debate, but activities and actions.

• The following Organizations endorsed the Transforming Tourism Declaration
• ACTNetwork - Action for Climate and Tourism
• akte - Arbeitskreis für Tourismus & Entwicklung , Switzerland
• alba sud , Spain
• Amis de la Nature , France
• Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCAs , Hong Kong
• Associazione Italiana Turismo Responsabile , Italy
• ATLED - Association de Tourisme et Loisirs et Échanges des Jeunes et Developpement Durable , Algeria
• Bulgarian Safer Internet Centre / ARC Fund , Bulgaria
• College of Technology/CLASE, University of San Agustin , Philippines
• Centre of Sport, Tourism and Leisure Studies (COSTALS) School of Sport and Service Management, University of Brighton, UK
• COMUNITUR , Colombia
• Corethics , Australia
• De Natuurvrienden , Belgium
• ECPAT , Albania
• ECPAT , Austria
• ECPAT , Belgium
• ECPAT , France
• ECPAT , Germany
• ECPAT , Netherlands
• ECPAT , Portugal
• ECPAT International , Thailand
• Equality in Tourism , UK
• EQUATIONS , India
• Federación de Asociaciones para la Prevención del Maltrato Infantil (FAPMI) ECPAT , Spain
• Fresh Eyes - People to People Travel , UK
• Fundación Juan Bosch , Dominican Republic
• Fundación Renacer , Colombia
• GATE – Netzwerk, Tourismus, Kultur e.V. , Germany 
• Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker , Switzerland
• Hintalovon Gyermekjogi Alapítvány – Ecpat , Hungaria
• Imagine Peace , South Korea
• Institute of Travel and Tourism of the Gambia
• International Alliance of Inhabitants
• International Centre for Responsible Tourism - West Africa
• Iran Nature Friend, Iran
• Just Act , Gambia
• Kabani - the other Direction , India 
• kate , Germany
• Labor Movens Study Group , Brazil
• Kinderschutz Schweiz / ECPAT, Switzerland
• Mlup Baiton , Cambodia
• Myanmar Responsible Tourism Institute , Myanmar
• National Fisheries Solidarity Movement , Sri Lanka
• Naturfreunde , Germany
• Naturefriends International , Austria
• Naturefriends , Greece
• Projeto Bagagem , Brazil
• Retour Foundation , Netherlands
• Schyst Resande , Sweden
• Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung e.V., Germany
• THE CODE , Portugal
• TourCert , Germany
• Tourism Concern , UK
• Tourism Watch , Germany
• Unite - the Union , UK
• viventura - Ihr Südamerika-Spezialist , Germany
• Vocational School for Trade and Travel, Vienna , Austria
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The Transforming Tourism Initiative is an open global network of NGOs, tourism practitioners and academia that demands a transformation of tourism in line with the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

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UN Tourism’s (formerly UNWTO) leadership vision acknowledges the most pressing challenges facing tourism and identifies the sector’s ability to overcome them and to drive wider positive change, including the opportunities responsible tourism offers for the advancement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UN Tourism’s members have endorsed the Management Vision of the Secretary-General which seeks to position tourism as a policy priority, lead in knowledge creation, enhance the Organization’s capacity through building new and stronger partnerships, and offer better value for existing Members while also expanding membership.

To realize the Management’s Vision, UN Tourism’s work is based around five distinct pillars:

• making tourism smarter through celebrating innovation and leading the digital transformation of the sector
• making tourism more competitive at every level through promoting investment and promoting entrepreneurship
• creating more and better jobs and providing relevant training
• building resilience and promoting safe and seamless travel;
• harnessing tourism’s unique potential to protect cultural and natural heritage and to support communities both economically and socially.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO (now, UN TOURISM) promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

UN Tourism encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, to maximize tourism’s socio-economic contribution while minimizing its possible negative impacts, and is committed to promoting tourism as an instrument in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), geared towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development worldwide.

UN Tourism generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training, and works to make tourism an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in over 100 countries around the world.

UN Tourism’s membership includes 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members and over 500 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.

source： https://www.unwto.org/who-we-are

OUR MANAGEMENT

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili took office in January 2018. Seeking to optimize the efficiency of the Organization, the Secretary-General has introduced a new leadership structure consisting of a Deputy Secretary-General and two Executive Directors, each one overseeing key structural areas and departments of the Organization, for increased efficiency in achieving UNWTO’s goals, including adding value to members, increasing membership and serving the tourism sector as a whole.

The management team works towards a comprehensive vision for development of the tourism sector. This includes positioning tourism as a policy priority, establishing thought leadership in knowledge and policy creation, increasing resources and strengthening UNWTO’s capacity through meaningful partnerships.

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Non-governmental organization, tourism

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• Tania Paola Romero-Brito 3  

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Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are nonprofit groups established to pursue specific purposes. They raise funds from a range of public, private, and community sources. Many of them are established to address human poverty, health, and equity. Others aim to promote and assist in biodiversity conservation. In tourism, some NGOs have established projects and used partnerships with commercial enterprises or community-based ecotourism ventures to promote their aims (Butcher 2007 ).

Compendia of ecotourism case studies compiled by Buckley ( 2003 , 2010 ) and Zeppel ( 2006 ) include over 400 individual projects. Approximately, half of these projects were established by NGOs. The proportion is higher in Latin America than elsewhere. Many of these initiatives are small, but some have received multimillion dollar investments. International NGOs, such as the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International, all support global portfolios of tourism projects. Many...

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Buckley, R. 2003 Case Studies in Ecotourism. Wallingford: CABI.

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Buckley, R. 2010 Conservation Tourism. Wallingford: CABI.

Butcher, J. 2007 Ecotourism, NGOs and Development. New York: Routledge.

Zeppel, H. 2006 Indigenous Ecotourism. Wallingford: CABI.

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Romero-Brito, T.P. (2014). Non-governmental organization, tourism. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_135-1

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The 3 types of travel and tourism organisations

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

There are many different types of travel and tourism organisations. From tour operators to airlines, to tourist boards and conservation activists, each organisation is different. However, most travel and tourism organisations can be grouped into one of three categories: private, public or voluntary. In this article I will explain what’s meant by each type of thew types of travel and tourism organisations.

Types of travel and tourism organisations

What is a private travel and tourism organisation, aims of private travel and tourism organisations, tour operators, travel agents, transport organisations and hubs, visitor attractions, accommodation providers, what is a public travel and tourism organisation, aims of public travel and tourism organisations, tourist information centres, tourist boards, local transport organisations, regulatory bodies, government bodies, what is a voluntary travel and tourism organisation, aims of voluntary travelled tourism organisations, pressure groups, types of travel and tourism organisations: to conclude, further reading.

Travel and tourism is big business and there are many different types of travel and tourism organisations. Many argue that the tourism industry is the biggest industry in the world, employing more people than any other industry! There are many different components of tourism , meaning that there are a wide range of organisations that are involved in the operational logistics of tourism management.

The types of travel and tourism organisations can be broadly separated into one of three categories: private, public and voluntary. Below, I will explain what is meant by each type of organisation.

Private travel and tourism organisations

The first, and most common, types of travel and tourism organisations are privately owned. The majority of the travel and tourism industry is made up of private travel and tourism organisations. This includes many of the well-known companies that most of us are familiar with.

A private organisation is one that is owned by an individual person, a group of people or company.

Sometimes private organisations are public limited companies (PLCs). This means that the company is owned by many people who buy shares in the organisation. These shares are sold on the stock market. The price of shares goes up and down depending on the market value of the company.

Private travel and tourism organisations come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small companies, often known as small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Others are large companies, multinational companies and conglomerates.

Staff who work for a private travel and tourism organisation are generally paid a salary. Although travel and tourism salaries are often quite low, especially in developing countries!

These types of travel and tourism organisations have several aims. First and foremost, most private organisations aim to make a profit. Their most dominant motive is making money.

Many private travel and tourism organisations will also aim to increase their market share. This means that the company wants more customers than its competitors.

Private companies will often aim to grow their business and increase their turnover each year. In other words, they want to make more and more money every year.

Increasing revenue can be difficult and complicated. The infographic below gives you some idea of the aspects that need to be considered by a travel and tourism organisation when planning for growth and development.

Image is an important part of being a successful travel and tourism business. Private organisations will often try to portray a good image and/or improve their image. They can do this through taking on social projects , demonstrating a commitment to environmental conservation or through charitable acts.

This is often referred to as corporate social responsibility.

Another way that private travel and tourism organisations can make more money and increase their profit is to diversify the range of products and services that they offer. In other words, the more different products/services that they sell, the more customers that they can potentially attract.

Examples of private travel and tourism organisations

There are many different private types of travel and tourism organisations. In fact, most organisations in the travel and tourism industry are privately owned! Below are some examples:

A tour operator is an organisations who puts together, or builds, a holiday.

There are many tour operators all over the world in all shapes and sizes. You may be familiar with some of the larger brands, such as TUI and Hays Travel.

A travel agent is the person who sells you a holiday. They can also sell individual travel products, such as flights or ancillaries (e.g. insurance, car hire, attraction tickets). There are several different types of travel agents .

Examples of travel agents that you may be familiar with include Cooperative Travel, Crystal Corporate and Virgin Holidays.

Transport is a key component of tourism and there are different methods of transport depending on the holiday.

A hub is a connecting point, where passengers may change transport options. For examples major airports bus station or a railway station.

Examples of major transport operators that you may be familiar with includes British Airways, Virgin Trains and Mega Bus.

Examples of major hubs include London Heathrow Airport, London Waterloo train station and London Victoria bus station.

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Many, but not all, visitor attractions are private travel and tourism organisations.

The types of visitor attractions vary widely, from theme parks to botanic gardens to historical buildings.

Examples of private visitor attractions that you may have heard of includes Disney Land, Paris, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the Brighton Sea Life Centre.

Most accommodatio providers are privately owned.

There are many different types of accommodations ranging from bed and breakfast to caravans to hotels.

Accommodation providers that you may be familiar with include Hilton Hotel, Travel Lodge and Airbnb. Airbnb is a major player in the tourism industry in recent years- you can learn all about this business (and get a discount off of your first booking!) in this article- what is Airbnb?

Public travel and tourism organisations

Public travel and tourism organisations make up an important part of the travel and tourism industry . Public organisations provide many of the essentials fundamentals that enable the tourism industry to function. These types of travel and tourism organisations are less common than private organisations, but are an important part of the travel and tourism industry.

These types of travel and tourism organisations is an organisation that is owned or funded by the government.

Public organisations can be local organisations, i.e. smaller companies theatre based in specific local areas. Public organisations can also be national organisations, i.e. they operate on a country-wide level.

Public travel and tourism organisations will likely have paid staff as well as volunteers, who are unpaid.

The main aim of these types of travel and tourism organisations is to provide services to the public.

Public organisations are allocated funding by the government. The amount of funding that is allocated to a particular area depends on a number of factors, including a needs assessment and the government budget.

Each year the government will decide where and how to allocate money that is raised largely through taxes. You can learn more about how this is done in the short video clip below.

Public organisations should ensure that the best level of service is maintained. However, public organisations often have limited funds compared to private organisations. Therefore service levels are often lower in public organisations theatre directly comparable with private organisations (i.e. they are the same type of business operating in a similar way).

Unlike private organisations, public travel and tourism organisations are not profit-driven. Whilst many organisations do need to make money to survive, their main focus is not profit, but instead is the level of service. This means that prices can be kept lower for consumers.

Privatisation in travel and tourism Privatisation is a controversial topic within the tourism industry and beyond. Privatisation is the process of selling public organisations to private companies. By selling public organisations, the government can raise money and focus their efforts in alternate areas. However, this means that the government no longer have control over aspects such as pricing and service quality. There are many examples of privatisation in the travel and tourism industry. In the UK, British Airways was improved considerably when privatised- under government control the airline was about to fold. On the other hand, since much of British Rail has been sold to private companies prices have risen significantly and there is a lot of dissatisfaction amongst consumers with regards to service levels.

When public organisations make profit, the intention is that this money is reinvested. The money may be reinvested directly into the same business. Alternatively, the money may be allocated elsewhere within the annual government budget.

Examples of public travel and tourism organisations

Public organisations are some of the most important types of travel and tourism organisations. They are often the backbone of the rest of the industry, without which it could not operate. Below are some examples of public travel and tourism organisations.

A tourist information centre (TCI) is an organisation that provides information to tourists.

Tourist information centres will often be located in tourist areas such as towns and cities and coastal destinations. They are also typically found at airports or major transport hubs.

Tourist information centres often provide free information such as maps, apps, brochures and leaflets about tourism in the area.

A tourist board is an organisation whose responsibility is to provide information about and promote a particular tourist area.

Tourist boards can be regional or national. Their job is to encourage tourism in the are within which they are based.

Tourist boards that you may have heard of in the UK include Visit Britain (the national tourist board), Visit Cornwall and Visit Oxford (regional tourist boards).

There are some visitor attractions theatre publicly owned.

In the UK, we have many museums and exhibitions theatre public organisations. The government subsidises entrance costs at some of the public tourist attractions.

By keeping a tourist attractions as a public organisation it enables protection and preservation of the area and of the attraction itself.It also enables sustainable tourism management by assessing capacity levels and visitor numbers.

Public tourist attractions that you may have heard of include the Natural History Museum in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Great Wall of China .

Many transport providers are publicly owned.

Buses, trains and airports are often public organisations. Although, as I previously stated, sometimes these are privatised.

By keeping public transport publicly owned it generally enables prices to stay lower, although the service may be inferior to private transport companies, who may choose to investor money into their products and services in anticipation of greater financial outcomes.

A regulatory body is an organisation with the purpose of regulating. These organisations will monitor and assess, imposing requirements and rules as needed. Regulatory bodies set standards and enforce compliance.

Regulatory bodies in the UK include the Bank of England and the Financial Policy Committee.

A government body is a group of people who are given the responsibility of exercising governance. These people are responsible for making decisions and agreeing law.

Government bodies are typically separated into sectors of the economy. Examples include the Department of Agriculture and the Department for Education.

Voluntary travel and tourism organisations

The voluntary sector plays an important role in our society. There are many different types of voluntary organisations, some of which can be defined as tourism-based organisations . Lets learn a little bit more about these types of travel and tourism organisations.

A voluntary travel and tourism organisation is a company that is not profit making. For these types of travel and tourism organisations, any profit that is received is directed back into the business, not into the hands of CEOs or shareholders, as would be the case with a private travel and tourism organisation.

Voluntary travel and tourism organisations are often funded through charitable donations or government grants. Sometimes they operate aspart of a legacy.

Some voluntary organisations charge entrance fees to help with maintenance and running costs of the business.

Voluntary travel and tourism organisations will often rely on unpaid volunteers to operate. There will also usually be some paid staff, although salaries in the charitable sector are typically quite low.

For these types of travel and tourism organisations, the aim of a voluntary travel and tourism organisation is to preserve or protect particular areas of society or natural environments.

This can include environmental protection and conservation, such as a turtle breeding programme in Costa Rica or a volunteer tourism project operating in the Amazon rainforest.

Voluntary travel and tourism organisations may focus on the conservation of buildings, particularly if they are of historical or cultural value . They may also work with tourism stakeholders on landscape designs and features, often to ensure that any new development is in keeping with or does not negatively inflict on the current landscape.

Many voluntary travel and tourism organisations will work to lobby or campaign on particular issues. This will likely include cultural preservation, environmental protection and economic distribution. If there is a proposed development thatchy do not approve of, the voluntary organisation will often campaign against it.

Many voluntary travel and tourism organisations will centre around the concepts of conservation and sustainability.

Examples of voluntary travel and tourism organisations

There are many voluntary travel and tourism organisations around the world. Some examples of these types of travel and tourism organisations include:

Some visitor attractions are non-profit, voluntary travel and tourism organisations. Sometimes these are natural attractions and sometimes these are man-made attractions.

Examples include many National Trust organisations and conservation-based projects, such as elephant rescue programmes in Thailand or maorinebiology research programmes in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia .

Some transport is operated on a voluntary basis. This will often be associated with other charitable projects or as an incentive to encourage visitors to visit particular area.

There are a number of charities that are associated with the travel and tourism industry.

Organisations such as World Wildlife Fund and the International Animal Welfare Charity are directly linked with a number of tourism-based projects and initiatives.

A pressure group is an organisation which campaigns for change.

There are a number of pressure groups that are not tourism-based, but that are related to tourism management, such as Animal Aid and Friends of the Earth.

There are also pressure groups that are solely tourism focussed, such as the Aviation Environment Federation or Tourism Concern (note- Tourism Concern has recently ceased operations).

As you can see, there are many different types of travel and tourism organisations. These range from large to small and from profit-making to non-for-profit. There are three main types of travelled tourism organisations, which are private, public and voluntary.

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GREENTOUR KENYA COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM ORGANIZATIONS (CBTOs) INITIATIVES 2022

GreenTour Project (European Union funded under the Switch Africa Green ) has been actively engaging CBTOs since 2018. From the inception with three exemplary CBTOS-  Il Ngwesi Lodge, Twala Tenebo Cultural Center, and Ngare Ndare Forest Trust. the project has engaged CBTOs across the country and even beyond. It is worth noting that CBTOs engaged excel in women and youth integration, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation.

Let’s take a look at the year’s community-centered activities.

April Highlights

A representative from the European Union conducted a project donor official visit as part of monitoring the project’s impact on community enterprises. The CBTOs that were visited were Il Ngwesi Lodge and Twala Tenebo Cultural Center. Both of the organizations were able to show improvements in their operations from engagement with the project. They also identified areas of further engagement and support through the project could support in terms of capacity building for each of their respective areas.

The GreenTour Kenya representatives with Il Ngwesi Eco Lodge staff for a photo.

August Highlights

Four CBTOs in the project namely; Basecamp Maasai Brand, Il Ngwesi Lodge, Twala Tenebo Cultural Center, and Ngare Ndare Forest Trust, were engaged in a unique learning and cultural exchange in Rwanda, at the 10th Cultural Heritage Preservation Festival hosted by the Red Rocks Rwanda. This took place from 29th August 2022 to 2nd September 2022. The theme was Cultural Sustainability and Conservation.

The Kenyan CBTOs, GreenTour Kenya representative, and colleagues at the 10th Cultural Heritage Preservation Festival

Key highlights from the activity were;

-tree planting on the banks of Mukungwa River,

– panel discussion on the challenges and successes of community tourism initiatives.

– forum discussions with Red Rocks Initiatives leaders

– Gorilla Naming KWITA IZINA Ceremony at the Volcanoes National Park

-The inauguration of Rwanda Community Tourism Association (RCTA) Head offices in Musanze

At the Gorilla Naming KWITA IZINA Ceremony 2022

With the objective of improving the competencies, skills, and abilities of the workforce in the community-based tourism space in Kenya, the project rolled out an online survey targeting community-based organizations and enterprises towards the end of the month. It was run on Ecotourism Kenya’s social media platforms and circulated within her networks. This was to help identify areas that could inform better planning and engaging CBTOs.

October Highlights

A three-day capacity-building forum was organized in Nairobi on the 4th-6th of October 2022. This involved a two-day training and one-day coaching at the Magical Kenya Travel Expo(MKTE) 2022 at the Bomas of Kenya. The training topics were Marketing & Communications, Product Pricing, and Sales and Networking techniques. The ten CBTO representatives went through coaching on business linkages with Travelife certified tour operators who are also within the GreenTour Kenya project. They also had the opportunity to meet and connect with other industry players at MKTE 2022.

CBTO representatives and the GreenTour Kenya project team at the Nairobi Training

CBTOs at the Magical Kenya Travel Expo 2022 at Bomas of Kenya

Il Ngwesi Eco-Lodge was nominated for the 29th World Travel Awards in the World’s Leading Eco-Lodge category. They also won the Ecowarrior Awards 2022 in the Best Community Tourism Initiative category. They serve as an encouragement to other community-based enterprises/organizations that responsible tourism is rewarding. We are delighted to have them make such strides in the tourism industry.

Programs Officer Mercy Onyango presenting the Ecowarrior Award trophy to James Kasoo

Administration & Finance Manager Lynnet Kamonde presenting the Ecowarrior Award 2022 Certificate to James Kasoo

November Highlights

The final upskilling activities for CBTOs within the project were done recently in Naivasha and Malindi from the 14th-18th November 2022. A total of seventeen CBTO representatives, 7 in Malindi and 10 in Naivasha underwent an interactive training that was informed by the online survey conducted in August 2022. The capacity building was focused on CBTO Product Development and Diversification, Financial Management, Community-Led Conservation, Organizational Development and Assertive Behaviour, and the Concept of Artisanal Centres and Souvenir Shops.

GreenTour Kenya Trainer Angela Njihia taking the participants through practical exercises using a flip chart at the Naivasha training.

The CBTO representatives gave Angela Njihia their gift to show their appreciation.

The training was complemented by practical coaching through visits to artisanal centers. These locations were Malindi Tourist Market, Bahari Women Group, Anzuki Recycle Designers and MSO Over the World in Malindi, and Cresent Island and Eserian Cultural Center in Naivasha. In addition to the knowledge gained, new networks were formed among the CBTOs, and healthy competition, collaborations, and knowledge sharing were encouraged.

Kate Mwikali(GreenTour Kenya trainer) emphasizes the importance of standing out in the market over replicating the same ideas of tourist souvenirs at the Malindi training.

The CBTO representatives and the GreenTour project assistant

The GreenTour Kenya project has assisted in identifying gaps in the community tourism space and has made considerable efforts to fill them. The number of CBTOs actively engaged in the project has increased over time as well. This signifies the project is delivering quality and timely support. All these activities are highlighted on Ecotourism Kenya’s social media platforms under #GreenTourWednesday.

Are you interested to be a part of community-based tourism organizations/enterprises activities or engagements?

Kindly contact Marxine Waite

P: 07266366080

E: [email protected]

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Am very happy to be amongst the students who learn a lot from Eco tourism and green tour Kenya hopefully we will have more interactive with you thanks

I’m learning a lot from EK and I’m grateful since my view is being widened each day I go through your posts. Thank you

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Green Tour Kenya is a European Commission funded project under the Switch Africa Green Programme Phase II

Project News

ECOTOURISM KENYA (EK)

KATO Place, Longonot Road, Upper Hill P.O. Box 10146-00100 Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: +254 20 529 2078 Mobile: +254 726 366 080 | +254 780 815 683 Email: [email protected]

SustainabilityDegrees.com

July 1, 2014

The 14 Most Influential Sustainability NGOs

Sustainable nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) make essential contributions to the environment, society and the sustainability of the world at large. They’re responsible for important research, aid, consumer awareness, conservation and so much more, and it’s important for you, as a sustainability student, to be aware of the most influential organizations working in sustainability today. These NGOs often offer valuable resources to students, including research, hands-on internships and volunteer opportunities. Read on to find out how 14 of the most influential sustainability NGOs are making a difference, and identify which ones you should get involved with.

• CERES : CERES promotes sustainable business practices and solutions by working with more than 80 companies, from auto companies to financial services providers (a third are Fortune 500 firms), as well as 130 member organizations. In 2003, Ceres launched the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), which has grown to include 100 leading investors collectively managing more than $11 trillion in assets.
• Conservation International (CI) : CI works with scientists, local communities and practitioners in the field to protect nature, global biodiversity and human communities. It strives to protect natural wealth, promote sustainable business and foster effective governance. CI has supported the creation, expansion and improved management of nearly 50 million acres of marine and terrestrial protected areas, and its data collection has led to the discovery of more than 1,400 species new to science .
• Doctors Without Borders : Doctors Without Borders provides emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from health care. Since 1971, the organization has treated tens of millions of people in over 80 countries. In 1999, it received the Nobel Peace Prize .
• Food and Water Watch : Food and Water Watch works to make food, fish and water safe, accessible and sustainable. They’ve raised consumer awareness of the environmental and economic costs of bottled water, and have helped dozens of communities — from Stockton, California to Trenton, New Jersey — fight the privatization of public water supplies.
• Greenpeace : When you think of eco-protest, Greenpeace is likely to pop in your mind. Founded in 1971, it’s the largest nonviolent, direct action environmental organization in the world with 2.8 million members . Greenpeace’s work focuses on climate change , oceans, forests, toxics, nuclear energy and sustainable agriculture.
• Heifer International : Heifer International has provided over 20.7 million families — that’s 105.1 million men, women and children — with animals and training in sustainable agriculture so that they can feed and care for themselves. Founded over 70 years ago by a U.S. farmer, the organization focuses on ending hunger and poverty.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) : NRDC’s more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professionals work with businesses, elected officials and community groups in the U.S. and internationally on issues including curbing global warming, clean energy , reviving the world’s oceans, defending endangered wildlife and wild places, pollution prevention, ensuring safe and sufficient water and fostering sustainable communities.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC) : Focused on conserving land and species around the world, TNC has protected more than 119 million acres of land and thousands of miles of rivers worldwide . It also operates more than 100 marine conservation projects worldwide.
• Ocean Conservancy : Since 1972, the Ocean Conservancy has worked to protect the health and vitality of the world’s oceans, including the species that call it home and the humans whose livelihoods depend upon them. Through its International Coastal Cleanup program, the organization has removed 144,606,491 pounds of trash from the world’s beaches over the last 25 years.
• Oxfam : An international confederation of 17 organizations , Oxfam fights poverty and injustice in more than 90 countries. They work on interconnected issues like human rights, emergency response and sustainable development .
• Sierra Club : Founded in 1892 by conservationist John Muir, the Sierra Club is one of the oldest and largest environmental organizations in the U.S. It has protected millions of acres of wilderness and has helped to pass key environmental legislation , including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. It’s also leading efforts to move away from the use of fossil fuels.
• Slow Food International : As its name implies, Slow Food stands for the opposite of fast food: clean, fair and healthy food for all, regional traditions, gastronomic pleasure and a slow pace of life. Begun in Italy in the 1980s, Slow Food has members in 160 countries and promotes the principles of its Slow Food Manifesto through local and international events, its University of Gastronomic Sciences and more.
• World Resources Institute : WRI works with leaders to turn information into action, with a focus on issues like climate change, energy, food, forests, water, cities and transportation , governance, business and finance. WRI has over 450 experts and staff working around the globe.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) : The WWF works in 100 countries to conserve nature and protect biodiversity. Founded in 1961, it’s now supported by nearly 5 million members worldwide .

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Facing pressure from rights groups, World Bank suspends funding for Tanzania tourism project

KAMPALA, Uganda — The World Bank has suspended funding for a tourism project in Tanzania that caused the suffering of tens of thousands of villagers, according to a U.S.-based rights group that has long urged the global lender to take such action.

The World Bank’s decision to suspend the $150 million project, which aims to improve the management of natural resources and tourism assets in a remote part of southern Tanzanian, was “long overdue,” the Oakland Institute said in a statement Tuesday, charging that the bank’s “failure to take immediate action resulted in serious harms for the local communities.”

At least $100 million has already been disbursed for the project, which started in 2017. The suspension of World Bank financing took effect April 18.

The Oakland Institute, a California-based rights watchdog whose work focuses on marginalized communities, for years led calls for the World Bank to stop funding the project known by the acronym REGROW, documenting serious rights abuses suffered by Indigenous communities in the area.

The group in a report released in November accused the World Bank of failing to hold Tanzanian authorities accountable for extrajudicial killings and sexual assaults relating to the expansion of Ruaha National Park.

The report said the Tanzanian government’s tactics to force communities away and increase tourism in Ruaha National Park, a goal of the REGROW project, were “inextricably tied to its financing by the World Bank.”

The World Bank said at the time that it “has zero tolerance for violence in the projects it finances,” adding that a panel of inspectors was reviewing a complaint related to REGROW “to determine whether a compliance audit into the concerns raised is warranted.”

In recent correspondence between the World Bank and the Oakland Institute seen by The Associated Press, the lender confirmed the suspension of further disbursements to REGROW “until we are confident that the project is upholding our environmental and social standards.”

Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute, said the World Bank’s decision to suspend funding for “a dangerous project” is a victory for marginalized communities in the East African country.

“It sends a resounding message to the Tanzanian government that there are consequences for its rampant rights abuses taking place across the country to boost tourism,” Mittal said. “The days of impunity are finally coming to an end.”

It was not immediately possible to obtain a comment from Tanzanian authorities.

The Oakland Institute documented at least 12 disappearances or extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out by rangers, in addition to multiple sexual assaults of women. Government agencies allegedly seized and auctioned large numbers of cattle, imposing a heavy financial strain aimed at pressuring herders to leave.

“During the first months of 2024, rangers illegally seized and auctioned off thousands of cattle from herders while preventing farmers from cultivating their land -– devastating countless livelihoods as a result,” it said in its statement Tuesday.

Tanzania relies heavily on tourism to finance its budget, and the country has long been trying to develop its extensive national parks to attract more visitors.

Tens of thousands of communities in other parts of Tanzania have been caught up in the efforts, putting local authorities under the spotlight over civilian abuses. These efforts, cited by Amnesty International and others, include the violent eviction of 70,000 Maasai from grazing lands in the Loliondo area to clear vast tracts of land for trophy hunting.

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OVC FY24 Pilot Program for Community Based Organizations in Underserved Communities to Build Capacity and Serve Adolescent and Youth Victims of Trafficking

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OVC seeks to develop and build the capacity of community-based organizations ( CBOs) in underserved communities to provide services to adolescent and youth human trafficking victims through the provision of mentorship and training and technical assistance to these organizations.

The successful applicant will develop a national program to competitively select the CBOs to receive subawards, oversee the provision of capacity-building technical assistance, provide opportunities for peer-to-peer support among the subawardees, and engage in oversight and monitoring of subawardees.

OVC expects to make one award of up to $6 million for up to a 60-month period of performance to begin on October 1, 2024.

OVC FY24 Pilot Program for Community Based Organizations in Underserved Communities to Build Capacity and Serve Adolescent and Youth Victims of Trafficking Pre-Application Webinar

OVC will conduct a pre-application webinar on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., eastern time. OVC staff will review the solicitation requirements and conduct a question-and-answer session with interested potential applicants. Participation in the webinar is optional, but strongly encouraged.

OVC encourages participants to review the solicitation and submit any questions they may have in advance and no later than 2 days prior to the webinar. Submit your questions to  [email protected] with the subject as “Questions for OVC FY24 Pilot Program for Community Based Organizations in Underserved Communities to Build Capacity and Serve Adolescent and Youth Victims of Trafficking Webinar.”

Register Now

Application Mechanics Weekly Webinars

We encourage all potential applicants to register for the weekly “Application Mechanics: Submitting an Application Weekly Training Webinar,” held every Wednesday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., eastern time. Visit the JustGrants Resources website to learn more and register. Participation in these webinars is optional.

Similar Opportunities

• OVC FY24 Anti-Trafficking Housing Assistance Program
• OVC FY24 Preventing Trafficking of Girls
• OVC FY24 Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
• Competitiveness
• Innovation and Investments
• ETHICS, CULTURE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
• TECHNICAL COOPERATION
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Sustainable development

"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"

Sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability.

Thus, sustainable tourism should:

• Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.
• Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.
• Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.

Sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building. Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary.

Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them.

COMMITTEE ON TOURISM AND SUSTAINABILITY (CTS)  

Biodiversity

UN Tourism strives to promote tourism development that supports, in equal measure, the conservation of biodiversity, the social welfare and the economic security of the host countries and communities.

Climate Action

Tourism is both highly vulnerable to climate change while at the same time contributing to it. Threats for the sector are diverse, including direct and indirect impacts such as more extreme weather events, increasing insurance costs and safety concerns, water shortages,  biodiversity loss and damage to assets and attractions at destinations, among others.

Global Tourism Plastics Initiative

The problem of plastic pollution in tourism is too big for any single organisation to fix on its own. To match the scale of the problem, changes need to take place across the whole tourism value chain.

Hotel Energy Solutions (HES)

Hotel Energy Solutions (HES) is a UN Tourism -initiated project in collaboration with a team of United Nations and EU leading agencies in Tourism and Energy . 

Observatories (INSTO)

The UN Tourism International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) is a network of tourism observatories monitoring the economic, environmental and social impact of tourism at the destination level. 

When responsibly planned and managed, tourism has demonstrated its capacity to support job creation, promote inclusive social integration, protect natural and cultural heritage, conserve biodiversity, generate sustainable livelihoods and improve human wellbeing.  As the sector is experiencing tremendous growth, collective efforts to ensure its long-term sustainability are essential.

Resource Efficiency in Tourism

The report aims to inspire stakeholders and encourage them to advance the implementation of the SDGs through sustainable tourism.

Small Islands Developing States (SIDS)

Small Island Developing States face numerous challenges. For a significant number, their remoteness affects their ability to be part of the global supply chain, increases import costs - especially for energy - and limits their competitiveness in the tourist industry. Many are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change - from devastating storms to the threat of sea level rise.

Travel facilitation

Travel facilitation of tourist travel is closely interlinked with tourism development and can be a tool to foster increased demand and generate economic development, job creation and international understanding.

UNGA Sustainable Tourism Resolutions

The UN Tourism is regularly preparing reports for the General Assembly of the United Nations providing updates on sustainable tourism policies both from UN Tourism member States and States Members of the United Nations, as well as relevant agencies and programmes of the United Nations system.

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What a TikTok ban in the US could mean for you

The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban. Here’s what to know.

FILE - A TikTok content creator, sits outside the U.S. Capitol, April 23, 2024, in Washington. TikTok is gearing up for a legal fight against a U.S. law that would force the social media platform to break ties with its China-based parent company or face a ban. A battle in the courts will almost certainly be backed by Chinese authorities as the bitter U.S.-China rivalry threatens the future of a wildly popular way for young Americans to connect online. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, file)

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A TikTok content creator, speaks to reporters outside the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Washington, as Senators prepare to consider legislation that would force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Jennifer Gay, a TikTok content creator, sits outside the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Washington as Senators prepare to consider legislation that would force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

FILE - The TikTok Inc. building is seen in Culver City, Calif., March 17, 2023. The House has passed legislation Saturday, April 20, 2024, to ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake, sending it to the Senate as part of a larger package of bills that would send aid to Ukraine and Israel. House Republicans’ decision to add the TikTok bill to the foreign aid package fast-tracked the legislation after it had stalled in the Senate. The aid bill is a priority for President Joe Biden that has broad congressional support. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

No, TikTok will not suddenly disappear from your phone. Nor will you go to jail if you continue using it after it is banned.

After years of attempts to ban the Chinese-owned app , including by former President Donald Trump , a measure to outlaw the popular video-sharing app has won congressional approval and is on its way to President Biden for his signature. The measure gives Beijing-based parent company ByteDance nine months to sell the company, with a possible additional three months if a sale is in progress. If it doesn’t, TikTok will be banned.

So what does this mean for you, a TikTok user, or perhaps the parent of a TikTok user? Here are some key questions and answers.

WHEN DOES THE BAN GO INTO EFFECT?

The original proposal gave ByteDance just six months to divest from its U.S. subsidiary, negotiations lengthened it to nine. Then, if the sale is already in progress, the company will get another three months to complete it.

So it would be at least a year before a ban goes into effect — but with likely court challenges, this could stretch even longer, perhaps years. TikTok has seen some success with court challenges in the past, but it has never sought to prevent federal legislation from going into effect.

WHAT IF I ALREADY DOWNLOADED IT?

TikTok, which is used by more than 170 million Americans, most likely won’t disappear from your phone even if an eventual ban does take effect. But it would disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores, which means users won’t be able to download it. This would also mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes, and over time the app would likely become unusable — not to mention a security risk.

BUT SURELY THERE ARE WORKAROUNDS?

Teenagers are known for circumventing parental controls and bans when it comes to social media, so dodging the U.S. government’s ban is certainly not outside the realm of possibilities. For instance, users could try to mask their location using a VPN, or virtual private network, use alternative app stores or even install a foreign SIM card into their phone.

But some tech savvy is required, and it’s not clear what will and won’t work. More likely, users will migrate to another platform — such as Instagram, which has a TikTok-like feature called Reels , or YouTube, which has incorporated vertical short videos in its feed to try to compete with TikTok. Often, such videos are taken directly from TikTok itself. And popular creators are likely to be found on other platforms as well, so you’ll probably be able to see the same stuff.

“The TikTok bill relies heavily on the control that Apple and Google maintain over their smartphone platforms because the bill’s primary mechanism is to direct Apple and Google to stop allowing the TikTok app on their respective app stores,” said Dean Ball, a research fellow with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. “Such a mechanism might be much less effective in the world envisioned by many advocates of antitrust and aggressive regulation against the large tech firms.”

SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT USING TIKTOK?

Lawmakers from both parties — as well as law enforcement and intelligence officials — have long expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over data on the 170 million Americans who use TikTok. The worry stems from a set of Chinese national security laws that compel organizations to assist with intelligence gathering - which ByteDance would likely be subject to – and other far-reaching ways the country’s authoritarian government exercises control.

Data privacy experts say, though, that the Chinese government could easily get information on Americans in other ways, including through commercial data brokers that sell or rent personal information.

Lawmakers and some administration officials have also expressed concerns that China could - potentially – direct or influence ByteDance to suppress or boost TikTok content that are favorable to its interests. TikTok, for its part, has denied assertions that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government. The company has also said it has never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities and won’t do so if it’s asked.

More From Forbes

Emerging markets lag on gender gaps, but lead on pay reporting.

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Gender inequality remains systemic and rampant across companies based in emerging markets.

Gender inequality remains systemic and rampant across companies based in emerging markets. But new research shows that employers in those countries are broadly doing a better job of disclosing their gender pay gap than organizations in developed nations.

New data compiled by Equileap —a provider of gender equality, diversity and inclusion intelligence—shows that, at 32%, the average gender equality score of companies based in countries classified as emerging markets is more than ten percentage points lower than the score across developed economies.

In those emerging markets, women are vastly outnumbered by men at all levels of organizations. They comprise just 18% of board positions, 14% of executive teams, 21% of senior management and 32% of overall workforces. In total, only three companies examined across all of the emerging markets in the sample size had achieved gender balance, defined as having between 40% and 60% women at all four corporate levels.

But the research also found that transparency on the gender pay gap is comparably high in emerging markets: Some 38% of companies publish enumerated gender pay data compared to just 33% of organizations across developed markets. And 14 companies in emerging markets have succeeded in closing their gender pay gap altogether—defined by Equileap as publishing a mean, unadjusted pay gap of no greater or less than 3%. In the U.S., six companies have accomplished that.

A Precursor to Progress?

Over the past decade, gender pay gap reporting mandates and guidelines have been introduced in a growing number of countries and regions around the world. In 2017, the U.K., for example, introduced a sweeping gender pay gap reporting mandate, requiring all companies with 250 or more employees to publish annual data, by pay quartile, on their gender pay gap.

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According to research by the OECD , “national-level pay gap reporting rules do not have a consistently positive effect on closing gender pay gaps across all countries with these systems.” But separate evidence indicates that—especially at a company-level— transparency and reporting mandates can lead to a narrowing of the gender pay gap, and can counteract systemic inequities, suggesting that the relatively high disclosure rate across emerging markets might be a precursor to progress towards smaller pay gaps.

The results of one study from 2019 showed that from 2003 to 2008, the gender pay gap at firms which were compelled to report their gaps fell by 7%, from 18.9% to 17.5%, while the gap at control firms stayed the same at 18.9%.

“Transparency around the gender pay gap is not merely a matter of corporate disclosure or compliance; it's a catalyst for progress,” said Diana van Maasdijk, CEO of Equileap. “By shedding light on disparities in compensation, companies not only foster a culture of accountability but also lay the groundwork for meaningful change. Equileap's commitment to disclosing public information on gender equality stems from our recognition of its transformative potential,” she added.

The Equileap research found that only 13% of companies in the U.S. currently disclose gender pay information, compared to rates as high as 65% and above in India and Taiwan. In South Korea, 88% of companies publish gender pay information without any legal obligation to do so, according to Equileap. Overall, eight emerging markets in the data set had a gender pay gap disclosure rate of over 50%.

To be sure, though, notable progress is likely to be slow. Equileap’s research also found that fewer than 1% of the companies in emerging markets studied indicated that they had explicit strategies in place to close their gender gaps. Many also fell short in terms of providing the types of parental leave and flexible working policies that tend to be correlated with smaller pay gaps and better overall workplace gender equity.

In compiling its research findings, Equileap evaluated 1,494 publicly listed companies across emerging markets, representing approximately 43 million employees. It gathered data from Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czechia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

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Breaking news, fitness expert shares 5 yoga and pilates exercises to help release stress from your body.

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With Mental Health Awareness Month recognized in May, a fitness expert is sharing the best ways to reduce stress. 

Kristina Rudzinskaya is a California-based certified Pilates instructor and founder of Etalon, a posture bra brand. 

Rudzinskaya has multiple certifications in Pilates and proper body form — and shared with Fox News Digital the best poses for those looking to relieve stress at this time of year (or any time). 

“Next time you feel stressed, remember to stand tall, breathe deeply and let Pilates work its magic on both body and mind,” she said.

Rudzinskaya connected good posture with releasing stress — and said aligning “our bodies properly during Pilates practice [can help] activate deep, stabilizing muscles, release tension and improve circulation.”

Try these simple poses at home for stress relief.

1. Child’s pose

One of the top recommended poses to help with relieving stress is the child’s pose. 

“This classic post stretches and lengthens your spine, glutes and hamstrings — and is a great position to meditate,” she said. 

The position allows the body to relax while also stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, said Rudzinskaya.

2. Cat-cow pose

“The cat and cow exercise engages the core muscles, which helps stabilize the spine and improve posture,” Rudzinskaya said. 

The Pilates instructor said the pose has a calming effect on the nervous system when paired with synchronized breathing — which promotes relaxation. 

3. Side plank

Holding a side plank helps with core strength and can align the muscles along your sides and glutes, Rudzinskaya said.

“[It] provides a solid foundation to support your back and improve posture … Combined with mindful breathing, this pose aids in stress release and relaxation while also presenting a symbol of stability and steadiness,” she noted. 

Side planks can vary in difficulty level; you can hold your entire body up or place your knees on the ground for an alternative. 

4. Superman pose

Lying flat on the floor with your arms above your head and lifting your arms and legs in the air at the same time is considered the superman pose. 

Rudzinskaya said the movement “strengthens spinal muscles, promoting better alignment and posture.”

She continued, “Holding the pose builds back strength, fostering an extended body position — which helps feelings of confidence and self-esteem.”

5. Chest stretch 

The last pose Rudzinskaya recommended is a chest stretch for those who tend to sit a lot during the day.

“This stretch fixes the hunched posture from sitting a lot, encouraging a more open stance,” she said. 

She added, “It relieves upper body tension caused by desk work or screen time — promoting relaxation through deeper breaths and an expanded chest.”

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