Yesterday I have become a full member of IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group.

The WCPA is a global network, which facilitates the sharing of information and professional experience. Its mission is: “To promote the establishment and effective management of a world-wide representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas, as an integral contribution to the IUCN mission.”

Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS) is one of WCPA structural divisions that is committed to supporting sustainable tourism in protected areas. Its mission is to provide a forum where people collaborate, stimulate dialogue, share expertise, develop and disseminate knowledge, and enhance learning, in order to enable the planning, development and management of sustainable tourism in PAs.  TAPAS supports the WCPA in matters related to tourism and collaborates with other IUCN and WCPA Groups. The TAPAS Group has six key objectives which are to:

1. Provide strategic advice to governments and others on the optimum approaches to sustainable tourism in protected and natural areas.
2. Strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of protected area managers and policy makers and others in relation to sustainable tourism.
3. Enhance the level of tourism contribution to the goals of protected areas and protected area systems.
4. Enhance the capacity of WCPA, including through co-operative ventures with networks and partners and, in particular, IUCN members, and recognize their contributions.
5. Develop and disseminate knowledge on tourism and protected areas, including case studies and best practice syntheses.
6. Provide an interactive forum for individuals working on protected areas and tourism, which allows them to network, communicate, collaborate and develop partnerships.

 

I am truly looking forward any future collaboration contributing achieving sustainable tourism development goals!

 

Regard

Ante