UN World Tourism Organization Discusses Water Conservation

The United Nation World Tourism Organization is celebrating World Tourism Day with a timely discussion on water's importance to the tourism industry.

The think tank addresses the challenges facing water management as well as brainstorms strategies to raise awareness and conserve water supplies. Watch the live-streaming video, happening today in the Maldives, below.

The conversation is moderated by Luigi Cabrini, the Director-Advisor of the UNWTO Secretary-General on Sustainability. The following experts and industries representatives from the private and public sector will be speaking. More information on their individual work, here.

• H.E. Mr. Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Republic of Maldives
• Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• Asad Ali, Managing Director Novelty Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd (NPP)
• Martin Craigs, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
• Josefina Maestu, Corodinator/Director, United Nations Office to Support the International Decade for Action: “Water for Life” 2005-2015
• Theresa Manavalan, Associate Editor, Life & Times, New Straits Times
• Dr. Simad Saeed, Managing Director, CDE (Commerce Development and Environment) Consulting Pvt Ltd – Maldives
• Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik, President, Republic of Maldives
• Xu Jing, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

The UNWTO is also tweeting and updating Facebook to raise awareness of World Tourism Day and today's discussion:

Did you know? Resorts are required to have their own #water production in the Maldives, host of #WTD2013 http://t.co/Vb8l9UPzXF

— UN Tourism (@UNWTO) September 27, 2013

Governments can offer incentives to make sustainable tourism products affordable: "Don't confuse luxury with quality" says UNWTO SG #WTD2013

— UN Tourism (@UNWTO) September 27, 2013

Video streaming by Ustream

Watch the official announcement of the 'Tourism and Water' theme from UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, below: