States News Service
February 17, 2012 Friday
UNWTO PARTNERS WITH ARMENIA TO ORGANIZE CONFERENCE ON TOURISM’S
CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Madrid, Spain
The following information was released by the World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO/OMT):
A conference on “Universal Values and Cultural Diversity in the 21st
Century: How can tourism make a difference?” will be held in Yerevan,
Armenia (18-19 October, 2012) as agreed during a meeting between
Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan, and UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb
Rifai. On the occasion of the meeting, President Sargsyan joined the
ongoing UNWTO/WTTC Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign.
Tourism is one of Armenia’s fastest growing economic sectors
highlighted President Sargsyan on joining the UNWTO/WTTC joint
campaign, which calls on world leaders to recognize tourism as a force
for economic growth and development.
“Tourism is a reliable generator of employment and an irreplaceable
tool for economic growth and territorial development,” said President
Sargsyan. “Apart from being an important economic sector, tourism is
for us an unparalleled means for intercultural dialogue and an
effective catalyst for good international relations and mutual
respect, a matchless tool for building tolerance and peace worldwide,”
he added.
“Armenia clearly understands the need to actively support its tourism
sector and we are most pleased to have Armenia joining the campaign as
well as partnering with UNWTO on holding this conference on tourism’s
contribution to cultural diversity,” said Mr. Rifai. “The Conference
is, moreover, a good moment for the country to progress in its
objective to increase its share of the meetings industry market,” he
added.
UNWTO and Armenia further agreed to work together to promote the South
Caucasus Tourism Development Initiative. This initiative links up the
four countries of the region – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and part
of Turkey – to jointly capitalize on their shared tourism assets and
boost the strategic positioning of the region. The initiative is part
of UNWTO’s strategy to strengthen regional cooperation in Europe as a
means to increase tourism competitiveness.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2012/02/19/unwto-partners-with-armenia-to-organize-conference-on-tourism/
