The Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) has joined a partnership which aims to tackle skill gaps in tourist destinations around the world.
Last year, global charity the Travel Foundation worked with sustainable tourism specialist EplerWood International and Cornell University’s Centre for Sustainable Global Enterprise to produce a report called Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism.
It highlighted the lack of expertise and resources in most destinations to manage escalating demand.
The three organisations are working together again this year, along with Pata, which represents the region with the greatest projected tourism growth over the coming decade
Together, they aim to develop new tools and educational content for Pata’s destination members which can also be applied globally.
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Jeremy Sampson (pictured), chief executive of the Travel Foundation, said: “We see this joint effort to improve the capacity of the tourism sector as essential, given the growth of tourism and its impacts on invaluable social and natural capital.
“This partnership will support destinations to accelerate the protection of vital assets and infrastructure, and incorporate climate mitigation and adaptation into the larger goals of the tourism economy.”
Dr Mario Hardy, Pata chief executive, added: “It is imperative that our travel and tourism industry forges new methods to account for the full costs of our activities, to ensure the sustainable and responsible development of destinations for the future.
“The partnership is a welcome step forward for the Association and aligns with our 2020 theme, Partnerships for Tomorrow.”