| International Conference for decision makers on standards for sustainable tourism development... |
Background :
First conference ever guided by newly launched Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria was held in December 2008 in el Gouna on the Red Sea in EgyptThe conference under the banner "Egypt on the way to a sustainable destination" was hosted by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism on invitation of the Green Star Hotel Initiative and organised by AGEG Consultants and Orascom Hotels & Development with the support of GTZ and the United Nations Environmental Programme in El Gouna from December 17-19. This conference, one of the first of its kind in the region, brought together top representatives from the leading international organizations such as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH&RA), the International Federation of Tour Operators and decision makers from the National and Middle East Tourism sector, such as Bahrain, Syria, Jordan, Quatar and Morocco to discuss standards for sustainable tourism development in the Middle East. At the beginning of the conference, Egyptian Minister of Tourism, Zuhair Garranah, led a discussion on making tourism in Egypt more environmentally sustainable, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria as launched at the Global Conservation Congress in Barcelona in October 2008 were introduced and used as guidelines in later sessions. Thematic workshops focused on the certification of tourism services, destination management, exchange and networking. The conference also included visits to El Gouna hotels to see Green Star Hotel implementation in practice and an award session also took place in which the first Green Star Hotel certification in Egypt was awarded to the El Gouna hotels which have met the necessary criteria. Two hotels received three stars, five hotels received four stars, and three hotels were awarded five stars. As a result, a common declaration signed by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism, the CEO of Orascom Hotels & Development and the official representatives of the UNWTO, UNEP and the IH&RA has been passed outlining that Egypt as the first tourism destination will use and implement the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria with their tourism industry towards the goal of making the tourist industry more sustainable. Project BackgroundEgypt is one of the world’s pre-eminent mass tourism destinations, with millions of visitors flocking to the country each year to enjoy the many natural and historical wonders within its borders. Leaders and visionaries within the country’s booming tourism industry have expressed a growing interest in the endeavour for sustainable development and tourism. Against this backdrop and in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, AGEG Consultants eG and Orascom Hotels & Development have joined forces within the scope of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) to implement an environmentally friendly sustainable management system in Egypt’s hotel industry. Out of this cooperative effort the Green Star Initiative was born. The goal of the initiative is to create an ecolabel for hotels and resorts in destinations throughout Egypt and the Middle East. The Green Star Hotel label provides resorts with the training and resources necessary to operate their establishments in a more environmentally-sustainable manner. The Green Star Hotel initiative has chosen El Gouna as the pilot destination in which to launch the label. Over the course of the previous year, the Green Star Hotel programme has been implemented in ten of El Gouna’s hotels, contributing to the resort’s goal of being recognized as Egypt’s most environmentally friendly destination. Participating hotels took part in training during July 2008 and a pilot audit in October 2008. The Green Star Hotel Initiative aims to improve environmental standards in the Egyptian hotel industry. El Gouna has served as the pilot location, and the progress that has been made over the course of the previous year has illustrated that a national ecolabel can serve as a valuable tool in combating the environmental risks posed by the country’s rapidly expanding tourist sector. Green Star Hotel is the first ecolabel designed to address the specific conditions of hotels and resorts in the Egyptian tourist industry with the aim of minimizing their impact on the environment while maximizing their appeal to foreign guests. www.greenstarhotel.net
Pressinformation for journalistsThe following documents are for the use of journalists: Final Press Release INternational El Gouna Conference: pdf 24KB final press release international el gouna conference Green Star Press Release: pdf 20KB green star press release Conference Flyer: pdf 393KB conference flyer Programme Factsheet: pdf 375KB programme factsheet Green Star Logo: jpg green star logo (jpg)
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