TEHRAN - More than 150 experts from the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observers (INSTO) of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recently met in Madrid to discuss ways to achieve attain

Key themes included the transition to a circular economy and the reduction of food waste in the sector, with the global network of INSTO Observatories pioneering and implementing catalytic activities aimed at helping the tourism sector to implement sustainable development at the level of the destination to be supported.

To ensure an inclusive and resilient tourism development, they are leading the transformation of tourism by building on the principles of participatory approaches, including all stakeholders, TTG Asia reported on Friday.

Addressing the event, Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UNWTO said: “To ensure the sustainable transformation of the tourism sector, its development must be seen as a means to achieve the overall prosperity of a local community and the surrounding environment rather than a goal in itself.”

Pololikashvili added that the Observatories help guide and accompany this change to “ensure evidence-based decision-making.”

At the Global INSTO Meeting, destinations focused on how a timely and evidence-based approach is helping stimulate circular economy processes that result in using resources such as water and energy more efficiently. In addition, challenges in the environmental and social dimensions and the need for indicators that allow for comparability among destinations were highlighted.

Another topic was the availability of data from a growing variety of data sources, making it increasingly difficult to process them into useful information needed for an informed decision- and policy-making process–these issues will be addressed in the INSTO Network through webinars and technical discussions.

AM