IGCAT took part in the International Conference Sustainable Tourism for development in the framework of the New Urban Agenda, held on 17-19 May 2017 in Barcelona and organised by Barcelona City Council, in cooperation with the Provincial Government of Barcelona, the Catalan Tourism Agency and the Responsible Tourism Institute (ITR).
The conference has included the participation of experts in sustainable tourism, climate, innovation and coexistence, among others, as well as of representatives of local governments and business operators and agents.
Peter Debrine – Senior Project Officer at UNESCO World Heritage moderated the session Heritage and creative capacity of cities and was applauded in his introduction when he insisted on the urgency to introduce more sustainable models of tourism – with less emphasis on quantity and more on quality.
Dr. Diane Dodd, President of IGCAT, a speakers in the same session insisted that preserving cultural and food diversity is the first key to sustainable tourism but to achieve this you need intersectorial dialogue. She demonstrated the exemplary European Region of Gastronomy initiative that aims to highlight distinctive food culture, educate for better health and well-being, as well as stimulate gastronomic innovation.
The event was part of the agenda of the United Nations that declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for the Development, in which cities are a priority field of application of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Local governments have become promoters and guarantors of sustainable and equitable urban development, in all areas where visitors and citizens live together in a balanced way, minimising the negative impacts of tourism and strengthening its link to local economies.
