Photo: ©Maksym Yemelyanov/123rf

World tourism has probably not had as many challenges as in the last three years. But the antidotes to those challenges have not been far behind.

These days the World Tourism Forum Institute, an expert in antidotes, joins efforts with government agencies to finalize another of these tools.

The new defense weapon is called GTF EARTH. This universal online platform will launch exactly on March 30, 2023.

The fundamental “task” of the unprecedented virtual entity would be to achieve sustainable development models for emerging travel markets, as well as design strategies to ensure the growth of tourism.

Experts describe GTF EARTH as “an online summit” under the motto “Travel, Protect, Respect”.

The motto clearly describes the objectives and has defined that it intends to achieve “a greener planet earth through greener tourism” worldwide.

Everything will launch in March 2023, the World Tourism Organization promises.

Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the UNWTO Institute explained that, of course, tourism is crucial to many world economies.

Such a virtual network is expected to have a significant impact on the environment and local communities.

The enemy to defeat in this case is unsustainable tourism practices.

A weighty warning in this regard is that “unsustainability” must end because it can lead to “overexploitation” of resources, pollution and irreversible damage to natural and cultural heritage.

They are all truly big disasters.

GTF Earth, as a summit, will focus on minimizing the environmental footprint of tourism operations.

This means applying methods for the reduction of carbon emissions and waste and the use of water free of these pollutants.

An extensive conference program calls for supporting local communities and preserving cultural heritage, using sustainable transport options such as electric vehicles, bicycles or walking, and promoting responsible wildlife tourism and the protection of endangered species. extinction

All travelers will be called to adopt respectful behaviors with the environment and make decisions in this regard.

The upcoming virtual event will convene online keynote speakers and panel discussions from industry experts.

It will also focus on showcasing sustainable tourism companies and organizations, allowing them to share their innovative ideas and practices with those who will listen.

A general definition of the GTF Earth forum is that it offers an excellent opportunity for tourism companies, organizations and individuals to “learn more about sustainable practices and how to implement them”.

A fundamental idea of the organizers of this online summit is that “people can create a more sustainable future for tourism and the planet by working together”.