6th Urban Economy Forum - UEF6

 Financing Sustainable Tourism, Advancing Quality of Life

Background

In its last five years of annual forums, the Urban Economy Forum (UEF) has become a premier global gathering to discuss urbanization, sustainable economy, and finance. UEF is an ideal space for debate and exchange on the challenges and opportunities of cities to advance inclusive growth and sustainable development, offering a strategic and dynamic platform for constructive dialogue among leading policymakers, practitioners, academics, and financial experts.

UEF 6 “Sustainable Tourism”

In the upcoming 6th Urban Economy Forum, UEF intends to explore the potential of tourism as a major factor and resource that can be tapped by cities worldwide. Tourism, and urban tourism in particular, if managed well, can contribute to sustainable economic growth for communities locally and nationally. Tourism is a significant economic driver that contributes to job creation, revenue generation, and cultural exchange. However, as an engine of growth, it puts enormous stress on local land use, increased pollution, and natural habitat loss, gradually affecting the environmental resources on which it depends. As one of the fastest-growing sectors and the largest industries in the world, tourism is highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change but can also be an important contributor to achieving international climate goals. Furthermore, the pandemic-induced travel restrictions and health concerns caused a steep decline in global tourism, adversely affecting economies and businesses heavily reliant on tourist activities.

According to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the four pillars of sustainable tourism are (A) Sustainable management; (B) Socioeconomic impacts; (C) Cultural impacts; (D) Environmental impacts (https://www.gstcouncil.org)  

So UEF 6 will focus on the fundamental notion of sustainable tourism and its nexus to various subjects and will open a debate on the theory and practices that while contributing to economic growth, prosperity, and local development, ensure the protection and conservation of natural resources, biodiversity and the promotion of cultural aspects simultaneously, including local assets and values, activate the available resources and generate positive social impacts with direct and measurable improvements in quality of life.

UEF 6 “Sustainable Tourism and quality of life”

It is becoming more evident that quality of life affects competitiveness, productivity and growth, with a strong connection to tourism regarding locations, choices and investment decisions. Increased tourism often leads to investments in local amenities, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation. As cities become more attractive to visitors, there is a ripple effect on local businesses and communities, contributing to a vibrant urban atmosphere. Additionally, cultural exchange and interaction between locals and tourists enrich the social fabric, promoting tolerance and understanding.

UEF 6 wants to debate the economic and cultural benefits generated by the tourism sector and their contribution to an overall improvement in the quality of life for urban residents. It wants also to place quality of life in connection to just, green, and productive societies as part of a common good that promotes social equity and societal development, reaffirming cultural aspects and community attachment.

More importantly, tourism is viewed as a fundamental mechanism to enhance interactions between cities and societies, fostering economic prosperity, peace, and global cohesion thereby enhancing the quality of life.

The ability to work together and create an interconnected world society depends on interactions between diverse civilizations and cultures around the world.

This approach motivates UEF to strengthen relationships between cities and societies to promote peaceful collaboration. Through these connections, we can learn how to interact with different societies and communities, bringing forth diverse ideas and resources.

 UEF 6 theme and SDGs

Connected to the sustainability principles defined by the UN World Tourism Organization, the UEF6 fundamental approach aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 17, focusing on making cities and communities sustainable through partnerships. UEF 6 also aligns with Goal 8 “Decent Work” and Economic Growth” particularly with the target that “Aims to devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products” (8.9). The 2030 Agenda also recognizes the critical role played by the tourism sector, which accounts for one-tenth of global GDP and employment. It is also referenced in three of the Global Goals: SDG 4 for ‘Life Below Water’ and SDG 12 for ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’. The sector also has a direct impact on efforts to achieve other Goals, such as eradicating poverty, advancing gender equality, and protecting the environment. UEF6 aims to consider the global capacity holistically, integrating natural resources, cultural heritage, urban identity, and more. As these resources are concentrated in cities, we can place Urban SDGs at the core of development, initiating a new paradigm for utilizing global capacities for urban transformation. UEF 6 will have presentations relating to Indigenous values and lifestyle – such as appreciation of the intrinsic connection between nature and culture - correspond with the SDG agenda, and this could be used to further advance this agenda in ways that benefit Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. UEF will look at how SDG 5 relates to tourism, and how tourism and gender equality interconnect with the other SDGs.

Furthermore, UEF6 approach involves addressing global challenges such as climate change, global warming, energy, population, and food security. By creating a global structure that encompasses all these aspects and pays attention to environmental and planetary concerns, we aim to bridge the gap between optimism and realism through innovative solutions founded on clear financial consideration.

Climate change and tourism’s interaction and vulnerability have been among the most discussed topics In this context, UEF6 will provide a forum to discuss on how CO2 emissions, the primary cause of global warming and climate change, respond to changes in tourism development and the role of sustainable tourism to contribute to carbon neutrality

UEF 6 connecting to UN 2.0

As part of the UN transformation to deliver more substantial results, provide better support to countries and cities, and accelerate progress towards the SDGs implementation, UN 2.0 proposes a transformation that connects cutting-edge data, digital solutions, innovation, foresight, and behavioral science capabilities.

UEF 6 theme connects and responds to UN 2.0 to be part of the Summit of the Future 2024 by engaging in discussion and debates in the following areas: i) data: creating new data and the necessary expertise to connect tourism development and quality of life measurements; ii) knowledge, about people’s habits, use of space, consumption patterns, and sustainability principles; iii) technology, use of digital expertise to enable solutions for better decision-making associated to tourism development; iv) foresight, anticipating the future and connecting to finance, urban planning and territorial development; v) innovation, with investment packages that contribute to scale up global projects and solutions to create sustainable benefits for people and planet. 

UEF 6 call to participate

Tourism development can significantly enhance the quality of life in cities by fostering economic growth, creating job opportunities, and improving infrastructure. UEF6 plans to engage global experts, scholars, academic institutions, city leaders, and financial institutions in a conversation to strengthen our collective understanding.Furthermore this collaborative effort seeks to establish a global agenda for urban development and environmental sustainability focusing on the intersection of global and local perspectives in tourism. UEF 6 will also address the barriers to implementing successful sustainable tourism policies and practices at the city, national, and global levels.

The 6th annual forum, scheduled for October 2024 in Canada, anticipates a diverse gathering of stakeholders, promising an innovative interaction model for shaping peaceful global collaboration and partnerships. We extend an invitation for your active participation and engagement in this International transformative dialogue for building a better world for future generations.

UEF6 is mainly focused on the following themes and topics, the presenters can contribute in the fields of theoretical, experimental, and applied research. 

The first main theme aims to find synergies and relevant solutions for connecting tourism to the sustainable economic development and unpacking the urban resources through tourism sectors and transforming it into national, regional and locally demanded social, economic, and environmental value for city residents, not leaving anyone behind.

Depending on the identified speakers and received proposals, joint UEF6 panel discussions with invited experts may cover the following topics:

1. Sustainable Urban Tourism and Economic Growth and Prosperity,
2. Tourism and infrastructure development,  
3. Tourism and Environment, land use, pollution, habitat preservation, and resource management.
4. Strategies and practices
5. Exploring diverse financing models to foster sustainable tourism and preserve local cultures and environments
6. Enhancing local community’s participation, generating Local assets and values, activate the available resources
7. The social impacts of tourism with direct and measurable effects on  quality of life , equity, inclusion and societal development, reaffirming cultural aspects and community attachment
8. Localizing Tourism to Enhance Quality of Life: Bridging the Gap between Just, Green, and Productive Communities for the Common Good
9. Tourism as a contributor  of UN- SDGs and UN-2.0
10. data: creating new data and the necessary expertise to connect tourism development and quality of life measurements;
11.  Knowledge, about people’s habits, use of space, consumption patterns, and sustainability principles;
12. Technology, use of digital expertise to enable solutions for better decision-making associated to tourism development;
13.  Foresight, anticipating the future and connecting to finance, urban planning and territorial development;
14.  Innovation, with investment packages that contribute to scale up global projects and solutions to create sustainable benefits for people and planet.