The International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT), the post-graduate training and research body of the UK’s Leeds Metropolitan University, has signed on as an official supporter of an upcoming tourism event in Abu Dhabi.

Organised by the UAE’s Streamline Marketing Group (SMG), World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi, the first-of-its-kind regional confex, will be held from December 6 to 8 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

“This is a significant vote of confidence in this international confex which aims to promote sustainable tourism development by influencing the integration of eco-tourism principles into the operations and policies of tourism industry players – a theme which is daily gathering momentum within the Middle East,” said Rick Theobald, commercial director of SMG.

“This agreement will now see the event actively marketed to the centre’s extensive global database of companies and individuals who are solidly engaged in sustainable tourism,” he added.

ICRT’s director of research & international partnerships, Professor Harold Goodwin is to be a lead speaker at the conference.

“Professor Goodwin will share his extensive knowledge of working on four continents with local communities, their governments and the inbound and outbound tourism industry,” Theobald said.

“His research on tourism, local economic development and poverty reduction, conservation and responsible tourism will provide invaluable insights into how tourism can also play a role in the conservation and promotion of local traditions, environments and job creation.”

World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi is the first meetings industry initiative to emerge from sponsor Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority’s (ADTA) Advantage Abu Dhabi (AAD) three-year international incentive programme aimed at catalysing and seeding new business tourism and meetings concepts.

Ahmed Hussein, deputy director general, ADTA, said: “ICRT’s backing and Professor Goodwin’s involvement will greatly assist our industry stakeholders who are now keenly putting sustainability concerns to the fore. We are looking to this confex to spur on the ‘green’ debate, explore regional challenges and identify solutions.” – TradeArabia News Service