Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development
22.07.2026SparksUrška Starc Peceny, Chief Innovation Officer and Head of the Tourism 4.0 Department at Arctur, participated as a speaker in Learning Session 17: Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development, organised within the Max Thabiso Edkins Youth Ambassador Program.
The session explored the close connections between tourism, culture and sustainable development and their potential to generate positive and lasting impacts for destinations and local communities. Representing Arctur and Tourism 4.0, Urška shared perspectives and experience on how tourism can contribute to sustainable development while recognising the importance of culture, local communities and responsible destination development.
The session formed part of the Max Thabiso Edkins Youth Ambassador Program, a six-month global initiative delivered by Connect4Climate (C4C) in partnership with the World Bank Group Youth-to-Youth (Y2Y) community. The programme provides young changemakers with opportunities to expand their knowledge on development issues, learn from international experts, connect with peers from around the world and turn their knowledge into concrete action in their communities.
The 2026 edition brought together 150 Youth Ambassadors from 123 countries, selected from more than 7,600 applications representing 160 countries. Through learning sessions, practical projects, networking and collaboration, the programme addresses topics ranging from energy, water and agribusiness to health, tourism and digital innovation, with sustainable and inclusive development at its core.
Participation in the session offered an opportunity to bring Tourism 4.0 knowledge and experience into a global exchange of ideas, while connecting with a diverse international community of young leaders working towards more sustainable, inclusive and resilient destinations.