On Sept. 27, United Nations World Tourism Day — a day dedicated to fostering the awareness of the importance of tourism — Gap Adventures hosted an evening of discussion and debate to raise awareness about sustainable tourism. The event, “Future of Tourism,” featured a creative exchange between visionaries from a panel of industry experts, including Gap Adventures founder, Bruce Poon Tip; Erika Harms, executive director of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC); Megan Epler Wood, executive director of Planeterra and founder of the International Ecotourism Society; and others.
“Tourism is one of the largest industries on earth,” said Poon Tip. “It is worth $6 trillion, generates 9.1 percent of the world GDP and supports more than 250 million jobs worldwide. Furthermore, tourism is a fundamental lifeline and is vital to the livelihood of countless countries globally … With hundreds of millions of international tourists traveling every year, sustainable tourism is needed to minimize the negative implications of travel, while maximizing its power to help make positive change in the world.”
The event was held at Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre and attended by travelers, travel agents, members of the public, the GSTC and more.
