International Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development

First International Meeting
Paris 18-19 September 2006

The First International Meeting of the Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development brought together 15 countries and 14 international organisations, professional associations and NGOs, that is to say approximately 80 participants. The main objective of the meeting was to define a programme of work for the Task Force and to obtain commitments from the participating countries and organisations towards specific activities. The meeting was held in the premises of the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development (MEDD) in Paris and was prepared in close cooperation with the French Ministries of Tourism and Foreign Affairs, as well as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Mr Christian Brodhag, the French inter-ministerial Delegate for Sustainable Development chaired the meeting.

The ministers of Tourism of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, as well as the ambassador of El Salvador were present in the closing session. The Minister of Tourism of Costa Rica in his closing statement mentioned that "sustainable tourism is the only option for tourism development".

The closing of the Meeting was made by Mrs. Nelly Olin, the French Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development recalling that the Task Force was initiated to enable sharing knowledge, experiences, and projects on sustainable tourism, and this could promote a spill over effect in practical and effective pilot projects at the local level. She also invited other countries and organizations to join this effort in making tourism more sustainable.


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