International Day for Biological Diversity : 22 May 2017

Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism This theme has been chosen to coincide with the observance of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in its Resolution 70/193 and for which the United Nations World Tourism Organization is providing leadership.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the number of tourists who crossed international borders in 2016 has exceeded 1.3 billion people, an increase of 5% compared to 2015. It is clear from these data , the importance of the economic growth of tourism, which now contributes 10% to world GDP. But this also produce the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, the greater consumption of water and other natural resources and waste and the loss of biodiversity on the planet, which is a major prerequisite for the same tourism.

In this occasion, the General Director of ISPRA, Stefano Laporta said : "it is clear that species and landscape biodiversity are fundamental to the economies of nations in general and to tourism in particular. The protection and restoration of biodiversity is now an indispensable requirement for the long-term success of tourism in general and eco-tourism in particular. This requires shared responsibility to protect ecosystems, with coordinated actions within the tourism sector and between tourism and other sectors. It is fundamental to recognize the great importance of landscape and biodiversity for tourism providemore political and economic reasons to achieve the conservation of biodiversity and nature protection and combat this serious decline in the biological integrity of the planet. "