The Plan of Action for Sustainable Tourism Development in the Asian and Pacific Region (PASTA) aims to increase the contribution of tourism to long-term economic prosperity in the region through responsible action at local and regional governments and organisations. This publication reviews the progress made and the challenges faced by ESCAP member countries in implementing the plan of action, since its launch in 1999.

The biggest challenge the World Tourism Organization predicts for tourism in Asia and the Pacific in the new millennium is sustainability. This assertion is buttressed by the fact that the volume of international visitors expected to visit the regions natural and cultural sites would undoubtedly have a remarkable impact on its social, cultural and natural environments. Owing to their relatively small size and fragile nature, islands in particular are more prone to feel the weight of the negative sides to the increased volume of tourists to the region.

The concept of the green economy has now entered mainstream policy debates and been endorsed by a range of United Nations and other organizations. The Rio+20 UN conference specifically drew attention to the green economy approach in the context of sustainable development to move away from business-as-usual practices, act to end poverty, address environmental destruction and build a bridge to the sustainable future. It is increasingly recognized that the tourism sector can make a major contribution to the green economy through more sustainable practices, climate change mitigation and ecotourism. The role of tourism sector will continue to be crucial in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda too. However, there are ambiguities about how tourism and allied industries can maximize their contribution to human well-being and ensure environmentally sustainability, embracing issues of political economy, geography and business ethics. In this context, this book provides consensus about what the green economy entails, what role tourism can play in a green economy, early responses from many countries, on-going and emerging research initiatives that will enable tourism’s transition to a green economy. The chapters address three key themes: understanding the Green Economy concept and the role of tourism; responses and initiatives in greening tourism; and emerging techniques and research implications. A wide range of case studies from around the world and in different contexts is included to demonstrate the extent of the challenge and range of opportunities for the tourism industry.

This volume contains dedicated chronologies for all the major organizations, such as the UN, the Arab League, NATO, OPEC, the African Union, OAS, WTO, ASEAN and the IMF, whilst an introductory chronology covers the general development of international organizations. As the role of international organizations attains greater global significance, this source detailing how, when and why they developed, is vital both to the study of twentieth century history and to an understanding of the world today.

"Papers presented at the Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference organized by the Center for Asia-Pacifc Studies, Victoria University of Technology"--Pref.