Maspalomas in the Gran Canaria, Spain is all set to host the 2012 official World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations on September 27, 2012. This has been announced at the UNWTO Press Conference at the ITB Travel Trade Show, in presence of the Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Isabel Borrego. The theme of the 2012 World Tourism Day is “Tourism and Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development,” where WTD will emphasize the need to bring the tourism domain and energy stakeholders closer to enhance tourism’s contribution to sustainability.
According to Taleb Rifai, the UNWTO Secretary General, “Tourism is at the forefront of many of the latest and most innovative sustainable energy initiatives”. He added that only one has to be aware of the fact that the investment is poured into renewable energy sources for aviation, or the energy technology solutions employed in hotels across the globe, “to know that sustainable energy is a major priority of the sector”.
The sole message at the eve of World Tourism Day 2012 is that these commitments and initiatives are not only aiding to safeguard the environment, but they are also generating economic opportunities and jobs for millions, whether in tourism, energy or other domains.
Spanish Secretary of state for Tourism, Isabel Borrego holds Spain as a prime among top five countries, recognized for investing considerable in renewable energies worldwide. He added, “20 percent of the energy consumed in Spain comes from renewable sources”. He stated that this grand celebration of World Tourism Day 2012 will be a great attraction, as people of high caliber will partake in the program. The events will mainly emphasize in raising the awareness of World Tourism Day among the common public.
“Spain is one of the world's top tourism destinations and a global leader in renewable energies,” said the Secretary General. Beside, being a significant tourist destination, one third of the island of Gran Canaria, which also include the town of Maspalomas, where the World Tourism Day celebration will take place, is recognized as a Biosphere Reserve of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The participants include the Spanish Minister of Energy, Industry and Tourism, Jose Manuel Soria and the President of Acciona Energy, Carmen Becerril of Spanish multinational Acciona.
World Tourism Day is celebrated on September 27 of each year. The aim of this event is to promote awareness amongst the international community regarding the significance of tourism and its cultural, social, political and economic value. The event will try to address the global challenges mentioned in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and emphasize the contribution, which the tourism sector can make in achieving these goals.