On Wednesday, September 24, 2014, we took part in a round table and workshop in Pijava Gorica, where more than 40 interested participants discussed the potential of the municipality of Škofljica for the development of tourism and the necessary measures for faster development. The need to connect all actors and, in particular, a more prominent definition of the municipality that tourism is a development opportunity, was highlighted. Both would also be necessary in our municipality.
Read the following message about World Tourism Day:
Message from the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifaj.
With every trip, the use of public transport or the purchase of products on the local market, we contribute to a long value chain that creates jobs, ensures livelihood, strengthens the strength of local communities and brings new opportunities for a better future.
The theme of World Tourism Day 2014 – Tourism and Community Development emphasizes the ability of tourism to promote the creation of new social and economic opportunities and better support for communities around the world, and points to the key role played by community cooperation in the advancement of sustainable development.
Tourism is an economic activity based on people and social interaction and can therefore only be successful if it attracts the local population by contributing to social values such as cooperation, education and strengthened local administration. However, there cannot be a real development of tourism if such development harms the values and culture of the host community in any way, or if the social and economic benefits brought by tourism are also not enjoyed by the local community. As stated in the World’s Ethics Code of the World Tourism Organization, ‘the local population must be connected to tourism activities and fairly share the economic, social and cultural benefits it creates’. At the approach of 2015, which is set as the deadline for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and prepare to take on new goals
sustainable development, this year’s World Tourism Day is an opportunity to strengthen the contribution of tourism to economic, social and environmental sustainability. Strengthening the power of individuals and communities around the world and at all levels with the help of tourism can be a fundamental step on the way to these goals.
On the occasion of World Tourism Day 2014, I would like to invite all stakeholders in tourism and the host community to unite and celebrate this day as a symbol of our joint efforts to make tourism a true pillar of community development and for community development to become the foundation of more sustainable tourism.
Taleb Rifaj, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
