to promote sustainable tourism and to give local communities a share in the ownership and benefits of tourism; and use and promotion of
eco-efficiency and cleaner production
environment management systems and environment sound technologies(EST) for tourism and associated infrastructure.
Compliance Mechanisms: to provide incentives, monitor compliance, and to enforce regulations and standards where necessary.
Monitoring: to detect problems at early stage and to enable action to prevent the possibility of more serious damage.
FOUR: CONDITION FOR SUCCESS,through: Involvement of Stakeholders: to increase the long-term success of tourism projects by involving all stakeholders in the development and implementation of tourism plans.
Information Exchange: to raise awareness of sustainable tourism and its implementation, of best practices for sustainable tourism, and to problem dialogue on implementation of sustainable tourism.
Capacity Building: to develop and strengthen human resources and institutional capacities in government at national and local levels, and amongst local communities for effective implementation of sustainable tourism.
Principal Organs of WTO & Its Membership
The principal organs of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) are the:
General Assembly
The General Assembly is the supreme organ or the World Tourism Organization. It meets every two years to approve the budget and programme of work, and to debate topics of vital importance to the tourism sector. Every four years it elects a Secretary-general. The General Assembly is composed of voting delegates representing Full Members and Associate Members. Affiliate Members and representatives of other international organizations participate as observers.
Executive Council
The Executive Council is WTO's governing board, responsible for ensuring that the organization carries out its work and sticks to its budget. It meets twice a year and is composed of 26 members elected by the General Assembly in a ratio of one for every five Full Members. Associate Members and Affiliate Members participate in Executive Council meeting as observers.
Regional Commissions
WTO has six regional commissions ―Africa, the Americas, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. The commissions meet at least once a year and are composed of all the Full Members and Associate Members from that region. Affiliate Members from the region participate as observers.
Committees
Specialized committees of WTO members advise on management and programme content. These include: the Programme Committee, the Budget and Finance Committee, the Statistics Steering Committee, the Environment Committee, the Quality Support Committee, and the Education Centres Network.
Secretariat
The secretariat is led by Secretary general Francesco Frangialli, who supervises about 80 full time staff at WTO’s Madrid headquarters. These officials are responsible for implementing WTO’s programme of work and serving the needs of members.
The Affiliate Members of WTO are supported by a full time Executive Secretary at the Madrid headquarters, a position that is financed by the Spanish govern ment. An advisory Council of Affiliate Members’ meets once a year to make programme recommendations to the Secretariat. The Secretariat also includes a regional support office for Asia-Pacific in Osaka, Japan, financed by the Japanese government.
Who Can Join the World Tourism Organization
WTO has three categories of membership: Full Members, Associate Members and Affiliate Members.
Full membership is open to all sovereign states.
Associate membership is open to all territories not responsible for their external relations. Membership requires the prior approval of the government which assumes responsibility for their external relations.
Affiliate membership comprises a wide range of organizations and companies working either directly in travel and tourism or in related sectors.These include: airlines and other transport companies; hotels and restaurants; tour operators; retail travel agents; banking institutions; publishing groups; consultants; educational and research institutes; local and regional tourism boards, and travel industry associations. Affiliate membership requires endorsement by the country in which the headquarters of the applicant is located.
WTO is the only inter governmental organization that offers membership to the operating sector and in this way offers a unique contact point for discussion between government officials and industry leaders. Who's broad based Affiliate Membership participates fully in the organizations activities. It also has its own programme of activities which includes annual meeting and regional seminars on specific study topics, such as Public Private Sector Cooperation in 2000.
1.The UNEP’s principles are completely new to all the tourism professionals.
2. The purpose of the principles is to stir up the debates of whether or not we should protect the environment.
3. According to the principles, local communities have the right to get the benefits from tourism.
4.The relationship between sustainable development and specific practice is the main problem to solve.
5.The principles can be sued by all tourism groups of different level.
6. Secretary-general is appointed by the Chairperson of General Assembly every four years.
7. By the end of 2001,WTO has its Regional Commissions all over the world.
8. The General Assembly is responsible for approving.
9. Any sovereign States can become.
10. Voting delegates representing Full Members and Associate Members make up.
