In the context of the official celebration of World Tourism Day 2012, Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels & Tourism organized a special program in the morning of September 27 at the Myanmar International Convention Centre (MICC) at Nay Pyi Taw.

After newly promoted Union Minister for the Ministry of Hotels & Tourism, H.E. U Htay Aung, has made the opening remarks, there was the message reading of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, by UN Resident Representative Mr. Ashok Nigam.

In the message it was stated that well-designed and well-managed tourism can make a significant contribution to the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Herewith, one of the world’s largest economic sectors, tourism is especially well-placed to promote environmental sustainability, green growth and our struggle against climate change through its relationship with energy.

Actually, “Tourism and Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development” is the theme of this year’s World Tourism Day, selected to advance the goals of the 2012 International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. Hundreds of millions of people around the world depend for income on this energy-intensive sector. Sustainable energy will allow tourism to continue to expand while mitigating its impact on the environment.

Thus, everyone has a role in sustainable tourism. This year alone, one billion international tourists will travel to foreign destinations, and last not least, the UN Secretary General thanks the tourism community for its growing commitment to sustainable energy.

In another video message of Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General, it was stated that sustainable initiatives in tourism are creating economic opportunities and jobs for millions, whether in tourism, energy or other sectors. As UNWTO findings show, the return on investment in sustainable energy can be enormous, enabling tourism businesses to grow and create jobs. At the same time, tourism infrastructure in developing countries is helping to bring modern energy services to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

There followed a presentation of “Responsible Tourism Policy of Myanmar” by Mr. Achim Munz, Country Representative of the German Hanns Seidel Stiftung, and hand-over of a respective booklet to H.E. U Htay Aung.

Finally, the remarkable program in Nay Pyi Taw ended with awarding prize winners in the ambitious “Miraculous Destinations” Photo Contest by Union Minister for the Ministry & Hotels, H.E. U Htay Aung.