By TIOL News Service

GOA, MAY 22, 2017: The International Day for Biodiversity, celebrated every year on May 22, is being celebrated today in Goa. The theme for this year is ‘Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism'.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Science and Technology and Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said that Biodiversity plays an important role in various economic sectors, including tourism. There are intrinsic linkages between tourism and biodiversity. While on one hand, tourism has the potential to contribute positively to biodiversity, on the other, the stress imposed by tourism activities may accelerate and aggravate its depletion. It is therefore in the interest of all stakeholders to ensure that tourism activities are ecologically sustainable. As a mega diverse country, receiving an increasing share of international tourism, biodiversity may well be one of our most competitive advantages for tourism considered to be one of the fastest growing industry.

The minister called for reducing the biodiversity footprint. The Ministry has undertaken several activities towards spreading the message of sustainable tourism, including an exhibition organized in the Ministry through National Museum of Natural History (NMNH).”