World Tourism Organization
This meeting of the World Tourism Organization will focus on the topic of Ecotourism. As society increasingly recognizes the growing impact of climate change on local communities, particularly within low and middle-income countries, scientists and policy-makers have identified tourism as an industry with especially harmful effects on the environment and fragile communities. The past decades have seen a rapid rise in ecotourism ventures, or tourism experiences and businesses focused on reducing the negative environmental impacts of tourism and encouraging socially conscious traveling. Delegates in this committee will be tasked with tackling issues such as coming up with unique policies to reduce the overall negative impact of tourism on fragile ecosystems, encouraging local entrepreneurs and nonprofits to prioritize environmentally friendly activities, and increasing the regulation of ecotourism. They will be encouraged to prioritize solutions that take into account the impact of tourism on Indigenous communities, financial barriers to the use of environmentally friendly practices, and the regionalized nature of tourism.
Jessie Garbeil
Committee Chair
Jessie is a senior majoring in Economics and Political Science with a concentration in International Relations. She serves as the Chief of Administration of Clark Model United Nation’s travel team, and, as former Secretary-General of ClarkMUN XII, she is excited to finally have the opportunity to chair her own committee. Born and raised in Kailua, Hawai’i, Jessie knows perhaps a little bit too much about tourism policy and is excited to spend an entire day getting to talk about it. Outside of academics and Model UN, Jessie is often found working on her still-unfinished novels, planning her next solo trip, or catching up on “The Bachelorette.” She’s always happy to talk about her favorite Taylor Swift songs, whatever book she’s currently reading, and her least favorite astrological sign.
Chair e-mail: JGarbeil@clarku.edu