ERU, Alm.del - 2009-10 - Bilag 324: Invitation til "7th International Tourism Forum for Parliamentarians and Local Authorities" d. 16-18/11-10 i Mexico, fra World Tourism Organization

SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FORUM FORPARLIAMENTARIANS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIESPuerto Vallarta, Mexico, 16-18 November 2010Provisional ProgrammeTuesday, 16 November15:00-16:00Opening ceremonyMinister of Tourism of MexicoUNWTO Secretary-GeneralGovernor of the state of JaliscoMayor of Puerto VallartaPlenary session 1A) General overview of tourism in the world and in the AmericasB) Tourism navigating the economic crisisThis session will provide updated data on international tourism, analysing the keysocio-economic impacts it generates in communities. It will explore the experiences andlessons learned during the recent economic crisis, showing how tourism could be usedas an instrument to stimulate the global economy by creating jobs, promoting trade,supporting developing countries and accelerating the transition to a green economy.In this respect, the UNWTO’s Roadmap for Recovery, as a set of strategic guidelinesbased on the three interlocking action areas of resilience, stimulus and the greeneconomy, has been embraced by world leaders and decision makers as a valuableinstrument for navigating the crisis.20:00Welcome/Gala dinner

Wednesday, 17 November09:30-11:00Plenary session 2Tourism governance. The place of tourism in institutionsThis session will deal with the horizontal nature of tourism and explore the need toconsider it as a specific and comprehensive state policy that is accorded the highestconsideration in the cabinet-level portfolios of governments.It will analyse the interaction between institutions at the national, regional and locallevels, the pros and cons of centralized and decentralized policies, as well as theprominent role played by legislators in many domains that have an impact on tourismactivity.11:00-11:3011:30-13:00BreakPlenary session 3Public-private partnerships to improve competitivenessThis session will explore the importance of building strong alliances in tourism anddefining the respective roles of the public and private sectors: What should be providedby governments and legislators and what should be expected from businesses in orderto compete efficiently? Fundamental aspects such as communications, promotion,infrastructure and regulation are to be covered.13:00-15:0015:00-16:30LunchPlenary session 4The contribution of tourism to sustainable development and to the MillenniumDevelopment GoalsThe World Tourism Organization promotes sustainable tourism and directly contributesto the achievement of the MDGs through two lines of intervention: the SustainableTourism-Eliminating Poverty initiative, known as ST-EP, and the MDG AchievementFund.Climate change, biodiversity, water, energy consumption and their relation to tourismare addressed to ensure environmental sustainability. Poverty alleviation, community-based tourism, the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women arealso on the UNWTO’s agenda as a response to social and economic gaps.This session will analyse the progress that has been made in all these areas and thechallenges that lie ahead for the remaining five years, especially in relation to the roleplayed by all the stakeholders at the country level and within the UN system.

Thursday, 18 November09:30-11:00Plenary session 5Travel facilitation and consumer protectionTravel & Tourism has become a right for all citizens of the world, and we need toensure the best possible conditions for travellers.This session will concentrate on responses to some of the challenges we are facing increating proper conditions for travel, such as security measures, border crossings,passport and visa requirements, and accessibility. It will also deal with ways to protecttravellers in case of natural disasters and how to manage travel warnings in anobjective manner.The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, as well as certain regional experiences, such asthe Schengen space, ASEAN, APEC, SICA or Mercosur, are illustrative cases in whichpositive contributions to travel have been made.11:00-11:1511:15-12:0012:00-12:30BreakConclusions and Puerto Vallarta declarationClosing ceremony