IN THE PRESS
MAPS Forum, a virtual event on the 15th and 16th of September 2020, unprecedented in the area of Tourism and Sustainability, brings important voices, national and international, discussing themes of the greatest relevance for today, as well as the resumption of these sectors within the world economy. Promote this idea and participate yourself too!
Editorial
Tourism, Events and Sustainability walk side by side. And they are at risk.
Brazil’s image in front of the world has never been so scratched, especially as of 2019. And the lack of consequent and effective policies natural resources preservation, as a whole, is the subject of strong negative repercussions.
The disastrous consequences that are being drawn for the country's sustainable development pose a huge challenge. The conservation of nature and the safeguarding of living conditions on the planet are essential and non-negotiable conditions - without them, the development of human activity will not prosper.
Data from the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) shows that the month of June 2020 registered 2,248 fires in the Amazon - the highest number since 2007. It grew 19.5% in relation to June 2019, when there were 1,880 outbreaks.
The Pantanal also presents a bleak picture. In 2020 alone, the fire has already consumed 17,500 square kilometers of forest, equivalent to more than 10% of the most important biomes in the world’s area. Since 1998, when the monitoring of fires in the Pantanal was initiated by Inpe, there have never been as many hot spots between January and August as there are now: there were 7,727 records until 08/18. An increase of 211% over the same period in 2019.
The economic and social impact of improper, irresponsible and often criminal management affects the balance of all human activity in the devastated areas. And it discourages the three pillars of sustainable tourism: environmental, the economic and the social.
The tourism industry is considered the major driver of a country's economy. In the immensity of Brazilian diversity, there is a lot to know and to explore. Cultures, habits, religions, cultural traditions and people from different backgrounds in different places are waiting to be visited. And to have their identities known and disseminated globally.
Sustainable tourism is an exchange in which everyone wins - the visited place and the tourist. Greater awareness is needed in the way of traveling and offering sustainable solutions for this exchange. The opportunity to visit paradisiacal places and learn from people from different cultures requires, above all, responsibility.
1st MAPS International Forum - Tourism Events and Sustainability
In the midst of restrictions and deep changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic, MAPS holds, on September 15th and 16th, 2020, a virtual event of notable relevance. Through digital platforms, the 1st Forum focuses on the sustainable resumption of business in these segments and in the economy as a whole.
The heart of the proposal is to bring successful achievements in sustainability and ecosystem regeneration to the growing consumer demands for a qualitative leap in tourism offers and events, committed to the well-being and future of life on the planet.
This initiative is aimed at the general public and companies, of any size or branch, who need to organize an event or a trip, whether for employees or customers. For example: an automaker that is going to launch a new car and needs to gather its dealers has the possibility to hire suppliers committed to making a sustainable event.
Carla Mott Ancona, director of MAPS, consultant in sustainable projects, entrepreneur and holder of recognized global networking, is a specialist in Sustainability. She is dedicated to planning and implementing sustainable projects, developing of on-demand strategies, which add to the brands values of socio-environmental responsibility. “Each of us can, and must, do our part to reduce carbon footprints on the planet. Both the tourism industry and its consumers, whether CPF or CNPJ, must start demanding sustainable products and services ”, she defends.
MAPS arose from the combination of two fundamental factors: the certainty that the development of human activity must take into account the conservation of nature and the safeguarding of living conditions on the planet. And the perception that companies and institutions need specialized help to implement processes that combine gains with sustainable practices.
The Forum covers a broad debate, which in addition to involving the Sustainable Development Goals (17 SDGs / UN), is based on the principles of permaculture, agroforestry, circular economy and corporate social responsibility; that is, “a confluence of materials that, in a transdisciplinary meeting (according to the concept proposed by Edgar Morin), converges towards the same objective - the regeneration of the planet”, summarizes Carla Ancona.
She adds that, “the event’s motto refers to the German sociologist Ulrich Beck and the father of modern marketing, Philip Kotler: act locally and think globally”, also known as Glocal.
Three sponsorship categories
The 1st International MAPS Forum - Tourism, Events e Sustainability was conceived and planned to attract sponsors in three categories: Amazon Forest, Atlantic Forest and Pantanal, which require investments of R $ 9,000, 6,000 and 3,000, respectively. The number of video insertions, email marketing, posts and discounts are variable according to each category.
It should be noted that the money collected will be used to pay for the event’s costs and the team responsible for the planning (tourism and events professionals now unemployed). The other part will be donated to indigenous communities in Amazonas at risk by COVID. There will be accountability for the two days of the event - full transparency of the funds collected.
Carla Ancona recalls that the event represents a unique opportunity for companies to position themselves, by associating their brands with a cause of incontestable relevance. “We are at a crucial moment and we have to move forward with what we have, joining more and more forces, with a keen sense of urgency, full attention, because there is no time to lose”, she points out.
