Speech of Mr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General

"Culture and sustainable development in the post-2015 development agenda"

Special Thematic Debate of the UN General Assembly

5 May 2014

New York, USA

Mr. Mohamed Khaled Khiari, Acting President of the United Nations

Mr. Jan Eliasson, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General

Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO

The Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Former Governor General of

Canada and UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti

Mr. Hao Ping, President of the UNESCO General Conference and Vice­

Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China

Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the World Tourism Organization, I would like to express my

deepest gratitude for the privilege of addressing you today, as we gather to

discuss the important role of culture in the post-2015 development agenda.

I would like to particularly thank UNESCO's Director General, Irina Bokova,

for inviting UNWTO to join on this unique occasion, an invitation that

translates the spirit of cooperation between our two organizations and our

common aim of working as one UN.

It gives me indeed great pleasure to see the increasing collaboration

between UNWTO and UNESCO, and I would like to take this opportunity to

reaffirm our full commitment in making tourism and culture a central pillar of

the new post 2015 development agenda.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the last decades, tourism has seen extraordinary and rapid growth,

becoming one of the leading socio-economic sectors of our times.

In 2012, we celebrated a historic and exciting milestone - of one billion

tourists traveling the world in a single year. Tourism accounts today for 9%

of the global GOP, 30% of the total exports of services and one in 11 jobs

around the world .

The question is - how do we harness this sheer force of one billion strong

for its immense value? In light of today's debate, how can we draw from

this deep wellspring to benefit our cultural heritage and advance the post-

2015 sustainability agenda?

In the thousands of years chronicling mankind's progress, civilizations have

flourished and fallen , and in their wake, left legacies bearing their indelible

mark in the history of the world. These legacies showcase the pinnacle of

mankind's abilities, be they in outstanding monuments or in the uniqueness

of paintings and music. Heritage tells mankind's story; it tells our story. 2

Tourism can enliven this heritage. Cultural tourism - the movement of

travelers motivated by the mosaic of art forms , heritage sites, festivals ,

traditions , and pilgrimages- is growing at an unprecedented rate.

The more people travel and immerse in other societies, navigate other

languages, behold incredible monuments and natural wonders, or

experience firsthand the living traditions passed down by generations, the

more they become part of a global dialogue that makes us citizens of the

same world; citizens that understand and respect each other.

The nexus between tourism and culture thus offers an immense opportunity

to contribute to inclusive economic growth, social development and

stability and heritage preservation.

As we set the scene for the debate that follows, kindly allow me to highlight

these three ways in which tourism and culture can strengthen the three

pillars of sustainability:

First,

1. Tourism and culture can work together for economic growth

Culture is an invaluable tourism resource, and conversely, tourism provides

important economic support for cultural promotion and preservation .

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The responsible use of cultural assets for tourism creates new employment

opportunities and generates income for local communities. By the same

token, cultural tourism can provide a vital tool for poverty alleviation, as

many poor and remote communities are often situated near famous

heritage sites.

If we make take a moment to consider the progress of Cambodia for

example, whose outstanding cultural heritage, crowned by Angkor Wat in

Siem Reap, spearheaded the country's tourism. As Cambodia's story

shows, cultural tourism can drive the economy by allowing destinations to

create resources to become more competitive, raise its international profile,

and create linkages to other local activities such as arts and handicrafts.

2. Tourism and culture can work together for social development and

stability

We live in The Age of Travel. Never before in our history have we been

more exposed to such a melting pot of ethnicities, religions and lifestyles.

As a sector based on human interaction, tourism breaks down walls and

fortifies bridges between visitors and hosts, nurturing respect and mutual

understanding that is so much needed in this often divided world. With one

billion tourists traveling outside of their countries, the connections sparked

between people of all walks of life are immeasurable.

In addition, the inter-cultural contact and appreciation of heritage that

tourism engenders helps foster a sense of community pride and reaffirms 4

the cultural identities of local populations as they look at themselves, their

traditions and their home in a different light.

We have perhaps heard the age-old line from Marcel Proust, that the real

voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new places but in seeing with

new eyes. Yet more significantly, as the travel writer Pico lyer once wrote­

"one of the subtler beauties of travel is that it enables you to bring new

eyes to the people you encounter."

In this regard , tourism is one of the most unique global sectors, being a

kind of moving embassy of peace. As highlighted in the UNWTO Global

Code of Ethics for Tourism endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 2001,

"tourism represents a vital force for peace and a factor of friendship and

understanding among the peoples of the world ."

Finally,

3. Tourism and culture can work for heritage protection and preservation

Being enlisted as a World Heritage Site raises the international profile and

public awareness of cultural treasures, warranting their protection and

conservation and boosting tourism as they become must-sees on traveler's

itineraries. This opens doors to many opportunities but also brings many

challenges, primarily the management of tourism growth.

The honor of being acclaimed as a World Heritage calls forth a greater

responsibility of finding the equilibrium between rising tourism demand

while protecting the inherent values for which these sites were inscribed on

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the World Heritage List. It emphasizes the need for tourism that is carefully

and efficiently managed, proper education among tourists and host

communities, the close coordination and cooperation between conservation

and tourism and the use of innovative approaches. In this regard,

technology can definitely play a key role.

Last week the facsimile of the Tomb of Tutankhamun opened in Luxor,

Egypt. The facsimile will give visitors an opportunity to learn the history of

the tomb and encourage conservation of the original site. This innovative

project is the perfect combination between tourism, cultural conservation

and social and inclusive development as it will also transfer know-how to

Egypt and build on the country's capacity to lead in cultural preservation

and sustainable tourism.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

By 2030, 1.8 billion tourists will be traveling the world.

This global phenomenon represents an extraordinary opportunity to pursue

our shared goals of inclusive economic development, social growth and

environmental sustainability into a reality.

Tourism intensifies our role as global citizens, stewards of world heritage

and ambassadors of peace -- calling us to preserve our past, so we can

protect our future.

UNWTO firmly believes in tourism development that is responsible, socially

inclusive and integral to the enrichment and safeguarding of the cultural 6

identity of destinations. It is therefore of utmost importance that we

continue to work intensively with Members States and sister UN agencies

on this shared objective.

Along this line, in February 2015, we will co-organize with UNESCO an

International Conference on Tourism and Culture in Siem Reap in which I

would like to invite you all to get fully engaged.

I look forward to strengthening our partnerships and working closer

together as architects of this sustainable future we envision for all.

Thank you very much.

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