PECC webinar on Sustainable Tourism

With severe socio-economic impacts on countries relying heavily on international tourism, the toll of the Pandemic in the Asia-Pacific has been significant. Today’s priority must be to relaunch the industry as soon as possible, with a focus on sustainable economic growth, as the latest version of the APEC tourism strategic plan shows.

However, the need for immediate economic growth in tourism should not put long term sustainable development goals at risk. This is particularly important to the tourism industry — like in French Polynesia, Hawaii and in many coastal or island regions, because the preservation of the environment is key to continuing recovery and growth.

How then is it possible to reconcile these two approaches? To what extent could the relaunch be seen as an opportunity to accelerate the ecological transition of the industry? What should be accepted as a sufficient pace of economic recovery consistent with a credible long-term sustainability agenda?

This high-level conversation organized jointly by the United States – which will chair APEC in 2023 – and the French Pacific Territories committees of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council will allow experts and practitioners from the region to exchange views and make recommendations in view of the APEC tourism ministerial meeting in August.