RTD6 - Sao Paolo, Brazil

6th International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations

Planned as a side event to Rio +20, RTD6 provided a platform for intergovernmental organisations, governments, donors, industry, NGOs and academics to discuss the progress which has been made in making tourism more sustainable.

The Earth Summit in 1992 was focused on Environment and Development. Since then the language had moved on, with the adoption of Green Growth, but the challenge had not changed. The Sao Paulo Conference focused on the themes of environment and development and provided an opportunity to debate progress since 1992 in making tourism more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable; and to assess tourism’s contribution to development.

Conference Themes

The reflection of what works and what doesn't to promote sustainable development is essential in the light of much unpublished evidence of years of efforts that only have limited effect on the ground. A more transparent, accountable reflection on reasons for project success and failure in reducing poverty through tourism or addressing the natural and cultural resource degradation.
For this edition we were particularly interested in contributions to explain how much progress had been made in making tourism more sustainable over the last 10 or 20 years. The purpose was to evaluate progress, with evidence.

Main topics:

• • How much progress has been made in achieving sustainable tourism since 1992?
  • Learning from 20 years of sustainable tourism rhetoric and practice
  • Ten Years of Responsible Tourism 2002-2012, what are the lessons?
  • What can business contribute to achieving economic development whilst ensuring that it is sustainable?
  • Potential of community tourism for local development and conservation and marketing