Workshop on Sustainable Ecotourism

Tourism provides abundant opportunities for employment, investment, infrastructure, and cultural exchanges. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism accounted for 7% of global trade and more than USD1.4 trillion of expenditure that created jobs and momentum for socioeconomic development. However, tourism often comes at the cost of environmental pollution, commercialization of local cultural activities, biased and insecure work opportunities, and imbalanced development focuses, undermining the sustainability of the host communities.

Sustainable tourism is therefore an essential strategy and goal for countries and communities aspiring to benefit from their natural and cultural assets. The World Tourism Organization defines it as “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.” A survey from the Expedia group in 2022 also indicated a strong market demand for environment-friendly tourism, as 90% of consumers from major markets looked for sustainable options when traveling.

This workshop will discuss the trends in and strategies for developing sustainable tourism. It is in line with the APO Vision 2025 and its commitments to expanding the applications of Green Productivity and promoting inclusive rural development among APO members.

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