Alexis Tam (second from left)
Government representatives attended a high-level meeting on global tourism and security organized by two United Nations agencies, held last week in Madrid, Spain.
It was the first time that the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) had organized a joint event. The aim of the meeting was to provide a platform for different countries to exchange relevant information in order to promote a safe tourism environment.
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, headed the local delegation. According to him, participating in this event shows that the UNWTO attributes great importance to the MSAR in the context of worldwide tourism. For the participants, the event reinforced existing knowledge relating to strategies and measures in tourism security, creating an important reference for the government to continue to pursue a safe tourism environment.
At the meeting, which was attended by representatives of 86 countries and regions, including 42 ministerial-level officials, and the Secretary-General of UNWTO, Taleb Rifai, underlined the importance of sustainable development in the tourism industry. He highlighted the need to use information technologies to promote tourism, and to disseminate information efficiently to promote a safe tourist environment.
Mr Rifai also said: “Despite occurrences in several countries in recent years relating to both natural disasters and incidents caused by Man, we must not let fear overcome our decisions to travel.”
The Secretary-General reaffirmed that the development of the tourism industry is a great contributor to employment and economic growth of many regions around the world, thereby justifying the need for a collective focus on industry sustainability and the creation of cooperative structures to reduce travel risks.
Last year, the UNWTO registered a year-
on-year growth of 4.4 percent in the number of tourists traveling around the world, establishing a new record of 1,184 million travellers. RM
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