The International Maldives Travel Market (IMTM) will be hosting the Sustainable Tourism Forum (STF) on November 17.
The IMTM Sustainable Tourism Forum is a platform connecting stakeholders from the Maldives tourism industry, encouraging them to engage in dialogue on issues pertaining to the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the country’s tourism sector and will explore the theme What is Tourism Sustainability? Interpretations and Discourses of Tourism Sustainability in the Maldives.
Launched in 2019, the STF aims to draw attention to key climatic and anthropogenic issues related to tourism activities and attempts to seek sustainable solutions based on international best practices, local initiatives, scientific research, technology, and innovation. The forum is designed to connect various sectors of the Maldivian tourism industry and bridges the gap between the local and international stakeholders, the Government of the Maldives, independent institutions, the United Nations (UN), and relevant scientific and academic bodies to partake in multi-sector dialogue.
IMTM stated that given the vulnerability of the Maldives to the adverse impacts of climate change and in consideration of the unprecedented growth of the Maldivian tourism sector, platforms such as the STF play a critical role. The STF is designed as a platform to share experiences and knowledge on sustainable tourism practices geared towards innovation, climate change adaptation, and building resiliency of the industry and the Maldivian community. Its goal is to further stimulate understanding of the scientific elements influencing climate-resilient development while identifying avenues for investment and improved livelihood of the Maldivian people.
IMTM stated that the STF 2022 further targets to expand its scope in not only creating a space for dialogue but a means to design and create standards for sustainable tourism in the Maldives and produce knowledge-based products that would contribute to the global understanding of sustainability within the tourism sector.