Posted on August, 12 2019

12 August 2019, Shanghai, China – The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has today launched the ‘Sustainable Tourism Forum,’ an annual gathering of some of the most influential travel companies as well environmental conservation experts as part of a series of events globally to mark World Elephant Day. 

The forum aims to share industry successes and lessons on how to best influence a culture of sustainable tourism amongst their clients as part of their responsibility to conserve the dwindling biodiversity of our planet.

Speaking during the event the Deputy Director-General, CITES Management Authority of China (CNMA), Shanghai, Wan Ziming said, “Joint action and synergy between governments, NGO partners like WWF and private sector actors is necessary to achieve effective biodiversity conservation. In marking World Elephant Day, we pledge to take substantive measures and actions for the conservation of elephants and other endangered species by rejecting all forms of illegal wildlife trade.”

The launch of the forum came as Singapore’s announced its decision today to close its domestic market for ivory following a similar announcement by China in 2018 and increasing international momentum against illegal wildlife trade.

The laudable developments come days before the opening 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP18) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Geneva.