From: comm@world-tourism.org
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Date: jue, 10 jun 2004 14:35:09
Subject: WTD 2004: SPORT AND TOURISM: LIVING FORCES FOR MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, CULTURE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY
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PRWTO25/04
News from the World Tourism Organization
WTD 2004: SPORT AND TOURISM: LIVING FORCES FOR MUTUAL
UNDERSTANDING, CULTURE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY
WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE TO RENEW
PARTNERSHIP
MADRID/LAUSANNE, 10 June 2004 - The World Tourism Organization (WTO) and
the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced their commitment to
reinforce partnerships and collaboration on Thursday, 10 June 2004.
On the occasion of the World Tourism Day, which is celebrated worldwide on
27 September, the WTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli and the IOC
President Dr. Jacques Rogge signed a joint message, in which they stressed
that "sport and tourism share common goals: building bridges of
understanding between different cultures, lifestyles and traditions;
promoting peace and goodwill among nations; motivating and inspiring young
people and providing entertainment and enjoyment to relieve the pressures
of daily life to large sections of the population".
"Tourism and sport are interrelated and complementary" the message reads.
"Sport - as a professional, amateur or leisure activity - involves a
considerable amount of travelling to play and compete in different
destinations and countries. Major sporting events, such as the Olympic
Games, football and rugby championships and auto racing have become
powerful tourism attractions in themselves-making a very positive
contribution to the tourism image of the host destination."
"Both are powerful forces for development, stimulating investment in
infrastructure projects such as airports, roads, stadiums, sporting
complexes, hotels and restaurants-projects that can be enjoyed by the local
population, as well as visitors who come to use them. And once the
infrastructure is in place, these two mutually beneficial industries of
tourism and sport become the motor for sustainable economic growth, the
creation of employment and generation of revenues.
But at the same time, they are activities that bring people together and
help forge strong personal relationships. In this way they are making the
world a smaller place-contributing to greater understanding among cultures,
greater tolerance and, ultimately, to world peace.
It is in this framework that the WTO and the IOC started their cooperation
in 1999 to strengthen links between tourism and sport and supported
numerous initiatives in this field at national and international levels.
The WTO and the IOC therefore invite all member and non-member States as
well as all National Olympic Committees, International Federations and
Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games to join us in promoting a
strategic partnership between tourism and sport, to benefit mutual
understanding, culture and the development of society."
Note:
Please see full version of the message at: www.world-tourism.
org/wtd/eng/menu.html
For further information contact:
Rok Klancnik, WTO Press and Communications Department
comm@world-tourism.org, Tel. (+34) 91-567-8191, Fax: (+34) 91-567-8218
www.world-tourism.org
Background:
The institution of so-called world days to highlight among government and
private circles and the public at large, salient features of the activities
of intergovernmental organizations, is a widespread practice.
Each year, the organizations belonging to the United Nations System
celebrate world days devoted to the United Nations: world peace, human
rights, health, literacy, environment, womanhood, childhood, cooperation
for development, meteorology, telecommunications, etc.
Establishment of the World Tourism Day
The General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) decided to
institute, commencing in the year 1980, the World Tourism Day at its third
session in Torremolinos, Spain, in September 1979. WORLD TOURISM DAY is to
be commemorated on 27 September each year by appropriate events on themes
selected by the General Assembly, on recommendation of WTO's Executive
Council. This date was chosen to coincide with an important milestone in
world tourism, the anniversary of the adoption of the WTO Statutes on 27
September 1970.
-end-