In recent years world leaders have identified a range of challenges of truly global impact with extreme poverty and climate change as the most trenchant issues. They require innovative and changed behaviour to effectively respond over time and Tourism can and must play its part in the solutions to both”. He said that “UNWTO has been actively working on these issues for some years and is committed to seek balanced and equitable policies to encourage both responsible energy related consumption as well as anti- poverty operational patterns. This can and must lead to truly sustainable growth within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals. The importance of local community involvement in sustainable tourism development and operation was also underlined. While governments and companies must take the lead, participants argued, it is only through engaging and involving with the local community that tourism can truly be developed in a sustainable manner. The benefits of developing sustainable tourism, namely decent work and income opportunities, can provide a strong incentive for communities to protect their natural heritage. To ensure this, wealth generated from biodiversity-based tourism products must be fairly and equitably shared at the local level, increasing local participation in the tourism value chain.