Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) continues to act on its commitment to build sustainable tourism in the country by joining the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI).
As the pandemic continues, ATB has been putting more and more emphasis on building responsible and sustainable tourism offerings as well as involving key local players in the process.
“Understanding the urgency to act for sustainable development, we are pleased to join an international initiative to reduce the environmental impact of the tourism industry in a collective effort with our esteemed stakeholders”, said Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board.
By joining the GTPI, ATB commits to stimulating the elimination of problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and items by 2025 and involving local stakeholders in this process through discussion platforms and meetings with key players such as industry experts and experts in plastic pollution. ATB’s commitments within the initiative also include to encourage change in traveller behaviour on recycling and reuse during their journey in Azerbaijan through tour guides trained and educated in the matter in question.
Developed within the framework of the Sustainable Tourism Programme of the One Planet network, the Initiative is led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Tourism Organization, in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to drive the shift towards a circular economy of plastics.