"TOURISM AND BIODIVERSITY" THEME OF WORLD TOURISM DAY 2010

DUBAI, May 22 (Bernama) -- The World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations, hosted
officially this year by China, will take place under the theme "Tourism and
Biodiversity", according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation
(UNWTO).

The WTD is a thematic event held every year on Sept 27 and the Chinese
province of Guangdong will be the focus of the 2010 edition, the organisation
said on its website.

It said the theme provided a unique opportunity to raise public awareness on
the importance of biodiversity to tourism and the role of sustainable tourism in
the conservation of life on Earth.

"UNWTO wishes to raise awareness and calls upon the tourism stakeholders and
travellers themselves to contribute their part of the global responsibility to
safeguard the intricate web of unique species and ecosystems that make up our
planet," UNWTO secretary-general Taleb Rifai said.

Alongside a series of cultural events organised by the Chinese government,
the China National Tourism Administration will host the 2010 World Tourism Day
Think Tank around this year's theme.

It will bring together leading public and private tourism stakeholders, as
well as biodiversity experts and members of the media, to highlight the close
relationship between tourism and biodiversity, and identify how tourism can
contribute to preserving life on Earth and its unique biodiversity.
-- BERNAMA