The need for all sectors of the Middle East travel industry to place bigger emphasis on sustainability was highlighted at the World Green Tourism, a three-day conference and exhibition held in Abu Dhabi.

The event, held under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), began on December 5 and closed today (December 7).

The exhibition has been designed to establish a strong regional voice to drive green tourism initiatives, a statement from the event organisers said.

Hosted by ADTA and the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, the conference provides global experts and travel trade professionals with a platform to tackle key challenges, including the task of meeting a growing demand for more responsible tourism destinations.

At the event, Maurice F Strong, senior advisor to the 2012 Rio+20 Summit, was presented with the inaugural World Green Tourism Award in recognition of his pivotal role in shaping the global sustainable development agenda.

Sponsored by Etihad Airways, in partnership with the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP), the award acknowledges Strong’s outstanding efforts to encourage thought leadership and action for green initiatives in travel and tourism.

Among his many public and private sector appointments, Strong has served as secretary general of the 1972 Stockholm Environment Conference, and as the first head of the UN Environment Programme. In 1992, he was secretary general of the Rio Earth Summit, the UN conference on environment and development. - TradeArabia News Service