Secretary-General's Message on World Tourism Day
27 September 2010


联合国秘书长潘基文2010世界旅游日致辞
2010年9月27日


I am delighted that the UN World Tourism Organization is celebrating this year’s World Tourism Day under the theme ‘Tourism and Biodiversity’. Despite repeated global pledges to protect the planet’s species and habitats – and the goods and services they provide – the variety of life on Earth continues to decline at an unprecedented rate. Human activities are the cause. This year – the International Year of Biodiversity – provides a timely opportunity to focus on the urgency of safeguarding biodiversity for the wealth, health and well-being of people in all regions of the world.


我高兴地看到，联合国世界旅游组织在“旅游与生物多样性”的主题下纪念今年的世界旅游日。尽管一再做出全球承诺，要保护地球上的物种和生境及其提供的货物和服务，但生物种类继续以史无前例的速度减少。其根源在于人类的活动。今年是国际生物多样性年，提供了一个适时的机会来集中注意为世界各地人民的财富、健康和福祉保护生物多样性的紧迫性。


Tourism and biodiversity are closely intertwined. Millions of people travel each year to experience nature’s splendour. The income generated by sustainable tourism can provide important support for nature conservation, as well as for economic development. Furthermore, sustainable tourism can help to raise awareness among tourists and local communities of the importance of biodiversity to our everyday lives.


旅游与生物多样性密切相连。每年有千百万人为领略壮丽的自然风光而旅游。可持续旅游业产生的收入可以为保护自然和发展经济提供重要的支持。此外，可持续旅游业还有助于游客和地方社区更多地认识到生物多样性在日常生活中的重要作用。


Through initiatives such as its “Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty” project, and its collaboration with the UN family, national tourism authorities and the private sector, the World Tourism Organization is helping to highlight the links between tourism, poverty alleviation and biodiversity. The tourism community is becoming increasingly aware of its responsibility. And indeed there is much the sector can contribute to protecting biodiversity, including by integrating simple measures such as managing tour groups to minimize disturbance to wildlife or buying supplies only from sustainable sources.


世界旅游组织通过诸如“可持续旅游业——消除贫穷”项目这样的举措以及同联合国系统、各国旅游主管部门和私人部门的合作，正在帮助突出宣传旅游、扶贫和生物多样性之间的联系。旅游界正日益意识到自己的责任。这个行业确实可以为保护生物多样性做出很大贡献，包括为此实行一些简单的措施，例如通过对旅游团的管理来尽量减少对野生物的干扰，或仅从可持续来源购买用品。


On this World Tourism Day, I commend the tourism community for its growing recognition of the importance of conserving the diversity of life on Earth, and I urge all partners to strengthen their commitment to sustainability.


值此世界旅游日之际，我赞扬旅游界日益认识到保护地球生物多样性的重要意义，并促请所有合作伙伴加强对可持续性的承诺。