Please join us:
Date: October 25, 2024
Time: 14:00 – 18:00 Tashkent (GMT+6), 9:00 – 13:00 CET
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tc-mupj4sHdO_T7frxVuIepXczyDPghRV
Background:
Sustainable tourism is one of the high impact sectors in the Central Asian region that has a crucial role to play in improving the efficient use of natural resources, reducing pollution and promoting sustainable economic growth. Nowadays, it becomes increasingly important to address these by seeking sustainable solutions through the knowledge base approach, best practices sharing and strengthened networking throughout the regions.
Eco-certification remains an efficient tool that provides ample opportunities to hotel providers to align their operation with international norms and standards in the tourism. According to a Booking.com survey (2022), 81% of travelers consider ecotourism important, and 70% prefer hotels with solid environmental credentials.[1] Introduction of a harmonized standard in the Central Asian region was prioritized by the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan during the recent GO4SDGs-supported survey, implemented to promote sustainable tourism and, specifically, identify tailor-made approach for tourism industry to become attractive and environmentally friendly in the region.
The development of harmonized eco-certification standard in Central Asia takes into account the following important principles: sustainable reform through commitment at the national and regional levels; openness through the involvement of experts and representatives of accommodation providers industry to intensity the decision making with different viewpoints; piloting through testing the hotels’ environmental compliance with international requirements and derived lessons learned; flexibility, allowing hotels to achieve compliance with harmonized standard through the national framework adapted to regional peculiarities.
The regional working group meeting is planned as part of the UNEP-supported sustainable tourism activities in Central Asia, implemented by NGO “ESG Central Asia” in partnership with relevant public authorities, private sector organizations, and academia.
The activity corresponds to the UNEP flagship initiatives of the 10YFP One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme and the Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) work in Europe and Central Asia
Objective:
The regional Working Group meeting targets to highlight the role of the Republic of Uzbekistan to promote sustainable tourism in the Central Asian region under the framework of the UN General Assembly Resolution 2024 (78/260) implementation, which proclaimed 2027 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism at the initiative of the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The presentation and discussions will target to:
- Promote the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, implemented under the auspices of UNEP and the UN Tourism.
- Introduce a harmonized sustainable certification standard and its recent pilot testing, implemented by big accommodation providers, located in Central Asia for possible scaling up.
More broadly, the activity will facilitate the exchange of best practices in the domain in the context of a climate adaptation and mitigation in line with the UNEP Sustainable Tourism Programme "One Planet" 10YFP objective.
Participants:
Representatives of government agencies, hospitality sector organizations, including hotels and guest houses; as well as tourist organizations, civil society representatives from the Central Asian countries, and international organizations.
The regional workshop will be held in hybrid mode:
- Hotel «ASTER HOTEL GROUP» (address: Minglar str. 35).
- Online: please, follow the link to register for the event[2]: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tc-mupj4sHdO_T7frxVuIepXczyDPghRV {After registration, you will receive a confirmation email with the attendance instructions}
- Simultaneous Russian-English translation and recording will be provided during the workshop.
