Dear guests, organizers and exhibitors of KITF! On behalf of the UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, I would like to welcome all the
participants and guests of the 17th Kazakhstan International “Tourism and Travel” Exhibition.
When proclaiming 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the UN General Assembly noted “the
importance of international tourism in fostering better understanding among peoples everywhere, in leading to a greater awareness of
the rich heritage of various civilizations, thereby contributing to the strengthening of peace in the world”.
UNESCO promotes the development of sustainable tourism on the basis of the cultural and natural assets of its member countries:
the World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks represent incredible opportunities for the development of tourism.
However, these assets need to be managed responsibly and sustainably, and every effort needs to be made to avoid the possible
negative impact of tourism.
In this regard, the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is an opportunity to strengthen the positive dynamics
between cultural and natural heritage and tourism. It also allows to increase people’s interest towards the heritage of their own country as
well as raise their awareness of the rich heritage of different cultures and civilizations, thus contributing to the strengthening of peace in
the world.
Sustainable tourism calls for new partnerships to better educate and inform, to foster new behaviors among all tourism stakeholders.
This spirit guides the cooperation between the UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office and the KITF-2017 to ensure that sustainable tourism is a
catalyst for positive change in Kazakhstan and in Central Asia as a whole.
Krista Pikkat Director, UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty and
UNESCO Representative to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan