By A Staff Reporter - MUSCAT — The fourth international conference on ‘Responsible Tourism’ will be held here at the InterContinental Hotel from October 10-12. The conference is organised by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with UNWTO and the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University. Dr Rajha bint Abdulameer bin Ali, Minister of Tourism, will host the conference together with Dr Harold Godwin as co-chair.

The conference reflects Oman’s commitment to sustainable tourism development which brings socio-economic benefits to local people while enhancing and maintaining cultural and natural heritage. The conference will be an excellent opportunity for all stakeholders including government, private sector, academic institutions and decision-makers to share ideas, discuss new developments and directions on the principles and practices of responsible tourism.

The conference will discuss new topics not addressed in previous responsible tourism conferences and current real-world experiences. The participation of prominent international organisations like UNWTO, UNEP, Unesco and IUCN will expand the scope and give the conference a global perspective on the future of sustainable tourism.

Discussion topics at the conference will focus on four inter-related themes: Tourism, Livelihoods, Local economic development and Human Resources; Responsible Tourism in a World of Finite Resources; The Responsible Tourist, Tangible and Intangible Heritage and Responsible Destinations and Marketing. Registered delegates will have the opportunity to attend the exhibition where the latest and best available technologies and services for managing tourism responsibly will be displayed.