On January 3rd, 2013, ecotourism became a U.N and UNWTO-sanctioned avenue for sustaining economical growth in underdeveloped countries.In an acknowledgement of tourism’s impact on economic growth, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution on December 21, 2012 that emphasized the influence that ecotourism has on reducing poverty and increasing environmental protection.
Ecotourism, a form of tourism that focuses on nature-based sightseeing, had been previously disregarded as a means of growing a county’s GDP, based on assessments claiming that ecotourism was a low-impact solution and a poor alternative to commercial tourism. However, the U.N tourism agency— The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)— was thrilled to see the adoption come to fruition. The Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai, expressed: “UNWTO welcomes the adoption of this resolution on the importance of ecotourism.”
