5th IIPT African Conference Delegates Unanimously Adopt Lusaka Declaration on Sustainable Tourism Development, Climate Change and Peace
The 5th IIPT African Conference on Peace through Tourism, held at the Hotel InterContinental Lusaka, Zambia, from 15–20 May, 2011, was the best IIPT African Conference to date. More than 440 delegates from 36 countries participated in the Conference, sharing their experiences, ideas, wisdom and commitments toward the Conference theme:
“Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change to Tourism in Africa and the Developing World”
The Conference was organized under the patronage of His Excellency President Rupiah B. Banda and hosted by the Zambia Ministry of Tourism, Environment, and Natural Resources, Hon. Catherine Namugala, Minister.From left to right as Zambia National Anthem opens 5th IIPT African Conference: Dr. Patrick Kalifungwa, Vice Chancellor, Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management (LIUTEBM); Zoltan Somogyi, Executive Director, World Tourism Organization; Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, First President of Republic of Zambia; Louis D’Amore, IIPT Founder and President; Republic of Zambia President, Rupiah B. Banda; and Hon. Catherine Namugala, Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resource
Aim of Conference
The aim of the 5th IIPT African Conference was to showcase models of “best practice” in mitigating and addressing the anticipated impacts of climate change to tourism in Africa and the developing world.
Conference Goals
- Demonstrate the critical linkages of climate change to tourism and poverty reduction.
- Identify factors and practices that contribute to “Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change to Tourism,” while continuing to grow and nurture sustainable tourism development that lifts people out of poverty.
- Promote public-private sector – NGO – civil society partnerships and collaboration toward socially and environmentally responsible sustainable tourism development.
- Continue “Building Bridges of Tourism, Friendship and Collaboration” among nations in Africa and other regions of the world in support of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, recognizing that we are all custodians of our planet’s bountiful resources and majestic beauty.
Conference Opened by President Rupiah B. Banda
In his keynote address, Zambia President Rupiah B. Banda stated that the tourism sector plays a very important role in the social and economic development of Africa and the developing world, and that tourism can only flourish when there is peace. He emphasized that tourism to Zambia, like many African and other developing countries, is nature-based, and therefore highly sensitive to climate change. He noted that Zambia is activating a national climate change response strategy with a number of projects and campaigns that are designed to control emissions; address the issues of desertification and deforestation; and provide climate resilience for agriculture. Official government programs are being supplemented by those sponsored by civil society organizations, he said, but more needs to be done.
Zambia Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Hon. Catherine Namugala emphasized the need to mobilize a global agenda in meeting the challenges of climate change, noting that Africa, with approximately 14 percent of the world’s population, contributes only 2.3 percent of Global Green House (GHG) Gases, yet is particularly vulnerable to its effects. She said that tourism has the potential to reduce poverty in developing countries but is already being adversely affected by climate change. Minister Namugala highlighted the importance of research, public awareness and sustained advocacy.
Zoltan Somogyi, Executive Director, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), noted the importance of tourism to the socio-economic growth of African and other developing countries and urged that the continued and rapid advancement of tourism be green and sustainable. He called on the travel and tourism industry to address climate change by both reducing GHG emissions and taking measures for adaptation.
Geoffrey Lipman, Director, GreenEarth Travel, said it was time to unleash the potential of tourism with a paradigm shift that envisions tourism as a mainstream change agent embracing quadruple bottom-line reporting and “smart travel” that is carbon neutral, environmentally green, ethical and of high quality, regardless of low economy or luxurious travel.
Other featured speakers included ministers of tourism, senior representatives of U.N. agencies, regional organizations, tourism boards, non-governmental organizations, the media and leading academics.Lusaka Declaration on Sustainable Tourism Development,
Climate Change and Peace
The Lusaka Declaration draws together the linkages of tourism, environment, climate change and peace, noting the exponential growth in population from 1.6 billion in 1900 to 7 billion in 2011, and that it now takes the Earth one year and six months to regenerate the renewable resources that are consumed in one year.
The Declaration goes on to state that the warmest 10 years on record have all occurred since 1998, and that there have been a growing number of extreme weather events in regions throughout the world within the past two years. While Africa and other developing countries are least responsible for the causes of climate change, they are particularly vulnerable to the effects that threaten to hinder progress with reducing poverty and the U.N. Millennium Development Goals.
Within this context, research indicates that a world at peace within a four-year period, from 2006 through 2009, would have added U.S. $28.3 trillion to the global economy – enough to cut the debt of ALL nations by 50 percent; enough to end poverty and to meet the challenges of climate change.
The Declaration states that the global challenges facing humanity call for global solutions and cooperation at all levels – and by all sectors, public and private, and civil society as a whole – on an unprecedented scale. Peace will be an essential prerequisite to achieve this level of cooperation and will also generate the additional economic wealth to fund these solutions.
Travel and tourism, the world’s largest industry, affecting every sector of society, in virtually every nation, an industry that is founded on peace and that contributes to peace and understanding, has a key leadership role to play in achieving these solutions.
The Declaration calls on all sectors of the travel and tourism industry to support the leadership role of UNWTO, UNEP and WMO in the specific actions called for in the Davos Declaration: Climate Change and Tourism – Responding to Global Challenges and sets out a series of actions to be taken by the travel and tourism industry, governments and international development agencies and travelers.
The Declaration was unanimously adopted by the more than 440 delegates from 36 nations of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and the Caribbean.
To view the full four-page document, please click here for the Lusaka Declaration.