UNWTO Forums and Sustainability Discussions at FITUR 2012

Signalling the beginning of the international tourism calendar for 2012, UNWTO will hold a number of activities at the International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR, addressing key issues facing the sector in times of uncertainty (Madrid, Spain, 18-22 January, 2012).

Tourism Leadership Forum

17 January, 09.15 – 18.30 (Rooms N104-N105) - Organized by Exceltur and UNWTO on the eve of FITUR, the Forum "Tourism Driving Growth and Employment: Policies to Stimulate Competitiveness" will bring together leading tourism experts to debate policies adopted by countries in which tourism has been identified as a priority to drive growth and create employment; consider new public/private partnership models in tourism; as well as outline the tourism trends expected for 2012 and the impact of the current economic situation on tourism demand. Register at http://6foro.exceltur.org/ing/?zona=2

Women's Empowerment in the Tourism Sector

19 January, 11.00 – 12-30 (Room N101) - In early 2011, UNWTO and UN Women released the Global Report on Women and Tourism, the first study to map women's participation in the tourism sector worldwide. At FITUR 2012, experts will debate tourism's capacity to foster gender equality and women's independence, while examining current challenges and opportunities in the sector in light of the five main themes of the report – Employment, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Education and Community. Register at http://ethics.unwto.org/en/fitur-generoyturismo-evento

Hotel Energy Solutions (HES)

19 January, 11.30 – 12-00 (Hall 10) - Following the success of previous editions, FITUR Green, organized in collaboration with UNWTO, the Hotel Technological Institute (ITH) and the Madrid Tourist Board, will once again be showing the tourism sector how it can cut costs by becoming more sustainable. The UNWTO-initiated Hotel Energy Solutions (HES), which provides hoteliers with tools to measure their energy consumption and provides solutions to reduce their carbon footprint while boosting business profits, will be presented during FITUR Green. For more information, contact icr-hes[at]unwto.org.