Despite political polarization, fears of terrorism and economic volatility – or perhaps because of it, as people want to get away from it all if they can – global tourism is surging. The United Nation’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has estimated that tourism generated approximately $1.4 trillion last year – $4 billion a day. International travel has grown at a rate faster than global trade the past five years, and now represents 7 percent of global exports of goods and services. Those numbers are the result of over 1.2 billion international trips taken in 2016, almost a 4 percent increase from the previous year.

Tourism offers countries an opportunity to create new jobs and support economic growth. The challenge, however, is to accomplish this responsibly and sustainably, as tourism also exacts its impact on resource depletion, environmental degradation and climate change. And in too many cases, tourism surges while leaving many local citizens behind – or in the worst case, even depriving them of resources such as food and water. So how can global tourism actually spark sustainable development and inclusive growth?

That is the question posed this week at a UNWTO conference focused on jobs, inclusive growth and fostering partnerships in sustainable tourism.

Read the source article at TriplePundit