'Green Passport' Campaign, Website To Promote Sustainable Tourism

New York, N.Y. (AHN) - The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and partner agencies launched Friday the "Green Passport" campaign and website that will promote environment-friendly tourism worldwide.

The launching was held at the Berlin Tourism Fair with the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning and the Brazilian Ministries of Environment and Tourism as co-sponsors.

In a press release, UNEP said the campaign and website will raise tourists' awareness of their ability to contribute to sustainable and low-impact tourism. It will encourage tourists to choose responsible service providers, reduce consumption of energy in transit or in hotels and buy locally made, environmentally-friendly souvenirs. The website is in English, Portugues and French.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said at the fair that the number of tourists will grow to 1.6 billion per year by 2020 and increase the demand for energy, water, and natural resources.

"The challenge is to manage this growth sustainably. Governments have a key role to play, but so too do individuals and families when planning and going on holiday," Steiner said.