ICTP: Strong Reflections during Green Growth & Travelism Summer School

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

HAWAII, USA; BRUSSELS, Belgium; VICTORIA, Seychelles; BALI, Indonesia – The International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) President, Geoffrey Lipman, announced that the Coalition will support the

HAWAII, USA; BRUSSELS, Belgium; VICTORIA, Seychelles; BALI, Indonesia – The International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) President, Geoffrey Lipman, announced that the Coalition will support the first in a series of special global events to celebrate a new push on the โ€œGreen Growth & Travelismโ€ agenda.

These will reflect the half-century global vision of Maurice Strong, one of the great pioneers of the sustainable development movement and his belief that the travel and tourism sector can play a leading role in the transformation to a low carbon, fairer, resource-efficient, and conservationist world.

Strong, Secretary General of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and Patron of the Belgium-based University Network (SUN) that was launched earlier this year on his 85th birthday, said: โ€œIn its multiple dimensions, โ€˜Travelism โ€“ the Travel & Tourismโ€™ socio-economic value chain โ€“ is one of the most pervasive industries, driving the processes of globalization and contributing to the economy of even the smallest communities, providing an ever expanding linkage between the global and the local. At the core of the challenge is for the industry to become a true leader in the greening of the economy โ€ฆ which will require the full commitment of its own leaders. โ€ฆ My personal experience with travel and the environment has been integral to my own life and from this has emerged a committed belief that the sector can ultimately fulfil its own leadership destiny through the transition to green travelism.โ€

The Reflections event will be held as the highlight of the inaugural week-long Green Growth and Travelism Summer School directed by the University of Hasselt, a founding member of the network, along with the Belgian National Park Hoge Kempen and Greenearth.travel. It will focus on climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.

The Strong event will take the form of a โ€œTEDโ€/โ€œAshokaโ€ style series of โ€œ10-minuteโ€ stories from internationally-recognized experts followed by interactive participation with the audience. This will focus on sustainable nature, culture, biodiversity, and their link with the powerful travel and tourism sector against the backdrop of the climate, population, and inclusionary development paradigm.

It will be held in the amazing art studio of Golden Nica Award winner Koen Vanmechelen among his lifetime work linking art, biodiversity, and connectivity. Koen will present the keynote talk and will be followed by Goldman Award winner and renowned conservationist Ignace Schops, President of ICTP Geoffrey Lipman, as well as presenters from Microsoft, McKinsey, Exeter University, and the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

There are still a few places left for the Summer School and the Reflections evening – see www.ggtsummerschool.be or contact [email protected]

ABOUT ICTP

The International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is a grassroots travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to quality service and green growth. ICTP engages communities and their stakeholders to share quality and green opportunities including tools and resources, access to funding, education, and marketing support.

ICTP advocates sustainable aviation growth, streamlined travel formalities, fair coherent taxation, and investments for jobs. ICTP supports the UN Millennium Development Goals, the UN World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, and a range of programs that underpin them. For more information on ICTP go to www.ictp.travel

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Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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