WASHINGTON, D.C.—Imagine traveling from the mountains and rainforests of western Canada to the beaches of the Caribbean and Cuba, and finally ending up along the U.S.-Mexico border—all within eight hours.
Invited guests will do just about that on World Tourism Day, September 27, 2017, when the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) and UN Environment—North America Office co-host a Forum showcasing the importance of the UN’s declaration of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The one-of-a-kind event will take place at the UN Foundation in Washington, D.C.
“The UN’s international year is important for so many reasons,” says Martha Honey, CREST’s Executive Director. “Tourism is one of the world’s biggest industries, and it continues to grow each year. At the same time, we’re seeing climate change and misconceptions about foreigners and their countries escalate. So sustainability—which builds bridges, not walls, between people—is more imperative than ever.”
“With one in eleven jobs around the world linked to the tourism sector, promoting sustainable tourism is central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including its goals on economic growth, sustainable consumption and production, and on the protection of oceans and marine resources,” says Barbara Hendrie, Regional Director for UN Environment’s North America Office.
Panels Cover Five Areas
The CREST/UN Environment Forum will gather sustainable tourism’s thought leaders and practitioners and feature panels covering the five key areas identified by the UN’s World Tourism Organization for this international year. Each panel will be moderated by a well-known journalist and include inspiring stories from North and Central America and the Caribbean.
The distinguished speakers include:
- Elizabeth Becker, author of Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, award-winning journalist and former New York Times reporter;
- Chef José Andrés, internationally-recognized restaurateur, culinary innovator, social entrepreneur, author, educator, TV personality, and co-owner of ThinkFoodGroup; and
- Chris Blackwell, owner of Jamaica’s Island Outpost boutique hotels and resorts, media entrepreneur, Island Records founder, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This zero waste event will include a sustainable lunch provided by Foodhini, a D.C.-based caterer offering dishes by immigrant and refugee chefs and a reception featuring organic wines from Northern California.
Additional Distinguished Speakers (in alphabetical order):
Jon Barela is CEO of Borderplex Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to economic development, including cross-border tourism (instead of a wall), between the U.S. cities of El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Ewald Biemans is owner of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in Aruba, an industry leader in eco-friendly practices which has earned Green Globe Certification for 15 consecutive years. It was also recognized by TripAdvisor as the #1 Hotel for Romance in the Caribbean this year and the #1 Hotel for Romance in the World in 2016.
Allison Caton is owner of Isle of Reefs Tours in Carriacou, Grenada. An island native, she grew up in Brooklyn and then returned with her family to Carriacou to develop a responsible tourism company. She immerses visiting travelers in local shopping, culinary and cultural experiences while also employing residents of Grenada and feeding local economies.
Arthur DeJong is senior mountain planning and environmental resource manager at Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort in British Columbia, where his chief responsibility is to transition the resort into an industry leader in sustainable resort operation by integrating recreational design with the smallest ecological footprint possible. To address climate change, Whistler Blackcomb has become the first large-scale tourism operator to have a zero operating footprint.
View details of the event, including the full program, here.
