Madrid - Australia's South West Sustainable Tourism Observatory, has officially become the latest member of the World Tourism Organization's International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO). The Observatory will work to monitor tourism in the south-west region of Australia and help guide its sustainable development.

The Australia's South West Sustainable Tourism Observatory (ASWTO) is the first of its kind in the country and will be hosted by the Tourism Research Cluster of Curtin University supporting the formulation and implementation of sustainable tourism policies, strategies and management processes through continuous and systematic monitoring of sustainability indicators.

Welcoming the announcement, Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said: "Sustainable Tourism Observatories play a key role in helping destinations monitor tourist arrivals and then manage them in the most efficient and sustainable way possible. We are delighted to welcome the first Australian observatory into our growing global network and I am confident we will be able to work together to advance responsible, sustainable tourism across the South-West region of Australia."

Western Australian Minister for Tourism Paul Papalia added: "WA's South West region is one of WA's most popular tourism destinations - one that holds a special place in the heart of all West Australians. This destination is renowned for its spectacular coastline, stunning forests and world-class food and wine. Preserving the South West region's natural beauty while also supporting sustainable tourism development is of the utmost importance to the State Government."

More about the INSTO Network

The UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) was originally created in 2004. Through the application of technology and the therefore improved data landscape that is key for policy making in tourism, INSTO members strengthen not only local decision-making capacities and sustainable on the ground but play a key role in contributing to global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with relevant evidence.

Additional information:

About UN Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Our Priorities

Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper.

Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all.

Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange.

Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UN Tourism Members' competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management.

Advancing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the SDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda.

Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector.

Our Structure

Members: An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.

Organs: The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization. The Executive Council take all measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and reports to the Assembly.

Secretariat: UN Tourism headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and organized into departments covering issues such as sustainability, education, tourism trends and marketing, sustainable development, statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), destination management, ethics and risk and crisis management. The Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department carries out development projects in over 100 countries worldwide, while the Regional Departments for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East serve as the link between UN Tourism and its 160 Member States. The Affiliate Members Department represents UN Tourism's 500 plus Affiliate members.

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