Gibraltar represented at international tourism forum

The Minister for Tourism, Christian Santos, represented Gibraltar at the inaugural ‘A World For Travel’ Forum in Paris last week, where he presented the Rock’s Nature Positive Tourism Pilot during two panel discussions.

The event, held at France’s National Assembly, brought together representatives from the public and private sectors, investors and academics to discuss the future of travel and tourism. The forum is endorsed by the World Travel and Tourism Council and UN Tourism.

Mr Santos took part in discussions on overtourism and destination resilience, as well as the blue economy.

He presented Gibraltar’s Nature Positive Tourism Pilot, an initiative announced in collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment and in partnership with Animondial.

The project will assess Gibraltar’s tourism offering and its environmental impact, with the aim of developing a framework for sustainable tourism growth while protecting the Rock’s natural habitats and biodiversity.

A short video featuring the Minister for the Environment, Dr John Cortes, was also shown during the sessions, highlighting Gibraltar’s efforts to protect its biodiversity and natural resources and their role in its tourism offering.

The initiative will assess the relationship between tourism activity and the natural environment, with a view to identifying opportunities for sustainable development and potential pressures associated with increased visitor numbers.

Mr Santos said: “Gibraltar is proud to be leading the way with this world-first initiative, demonstrating that even a small destination can play a significant role in shaping the future of sustainable tourism. International forums such as this provide invaluable platforms to exchange ideas, learn from other destinations and showcase the innovative work taking place in Gibraltar.”

“They also allow us to contribute to wider discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing the global tourism industry. This project is an exciting opportunity to put Gibraltar at the forefront of that conversation.”

Dr Cortes said: “Gibraltar's natural environment is one of our greatest assets, and protecting it must remain central to how we plan for the future. Tourism and environmental conservation should not be viewed as competing priorities, but as areas that can and must work together. This pioneering project will allow us to better understand the impact of tourism on our biodiversity, habitats and natural resources, and use that knowledge to inform future decisions.”