The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is organising a three-day workshop on Green Tourism in GCC region starting from tomorrow (February 27).

The workshop titled 'Green Tourism in GCC Countries- Between Hope and Reality' is aimed at creating further awareness among the key players of tourism industry on the environmentally-sustainable tourism and promote Green Tourism movement in the region.

Eyad Ali Abdul Rahman, DTCM executive director of Business Development and Media Relations, will be inaugurating the event to be held at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa.

Commenting on the workshop, Abdul Rahman said tourism has been playing an increasingly important socio-economic role in the economies of the Gulf countries in the recent years with Dubai maintaining a market leading position.

“Several other GCC states have also started giving more focus to tourism. There have been reasonable concerns about environmental issues due to the development of tourism industry in our region,” he remarked.

The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “tourism which leads to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be filled while maintaining cultural integrity, essentials ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems.”

He pointed out that the DTCM had been active in enhancing the industry’s contribution to Green Tourism.

In 2009, the DTCM launched Dubai Green Tourism Award to encourage five, four and three star hotels reduce hotel carbon emissions by 20 per cent.  The award submissions for this year were extended to include two-star hotels and standard hotel apartments.

The department has shortlisted 23 hotel establishments for the 2011 awards programme. Hotels and hotel apartments are assessed for a wide range of environmental, economic and social issues, including energy saving, nature conservation and community involvement.

Shaikha Al Mutawa; the director of Business Development; chairperson of the green award, said the training will allow participants to acquire the knowhow on how to became an environmental sustainable business.

Citing the DTCM's green programs, Shaikha Al Mutawa said it had helped cut power consumption by 10 per cent in these establishments as against the targeted 7 per cent.

'As for water consumption, the programme’s target was 12 per cent but the hotels managed to reach 17 per cent,' she added.

The workshop is also being attended by officials from Unep, Unesco, hoteliers, environmentalists and media representatives from the GCC states.-TradeArabia News Service