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UNWTO Celebrates Official Opening Of ITB Berlin: Tourism Always Comes Back

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UNWTO Celebrates Official Opening Of ITB Berlin Tourism Always Comes Back - TRAVELINDEXBerlin, Germany, March 7, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Tourism is on track to achieve full recovery this year and ready to deliver on its potential as a pillar of peace and sustainability, UNWTO has told sector leaders at ITB in Berlin.

As the leading tourism trade fair celebrates its first in-person event since 2019, UNWTO data shows that more than twice as many people travelled internationally in January  as they did at the start of last year. According to UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, the message is clear: “Tourism always comes back”, and the return of ITB, alongside the recent re-opening of China, is clear proof of renewed confidence in international travel.

Building a better tourism

Secretary-General Pololiksahvili was invited to be part of the official inauguration ceremony for ITB 2023, alongside Germany’s Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey, and public and private sector leaders. While welcoming the positive data, he also stressed that tourism has a “responsibility to grow back better. We must speed up and scale up to a more sustainable and resilient tourism.”

Outlining UNWTO’s priorities for the sector, Mr. Pololikashvili urged both governments and businesses to recognize the importance of education and training, as well as the crucial role of investment – the “missing ingredient” for turning plans for greater sustainability and resilience into reality. Investment will be the theme for World Tourism Day 2023, to be celebrated on 27 September.

UNWTO at ITB 2023

At ITB 2023, UNWTO will be part of a special Industry Roundtable, focusing on ‘transitions in travel’, while also sharing key knowledge and insights into tourism’s climate action efforts, and expectations for tourist behaviour as the sector’s recovery continues. UNWTO will also provide an update of its leading work in tourism for rural development, including through the Best Tourism Villages initiative.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO to Re-Write Tourism History at Official Re-Opening of China

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UNWTO to Re-Write Tourism History at Official Re-Opening of China - TRAVELINDEX - UNTOURISMNEWS.orgHangzhou, China, February 25, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO has heralded the re-opening of China as ‘the final piece in tourism’s recovery’ from the biggest crisis in the sector’s history.

Leading a high-level delegation to the city of Hangzhou to join in the official re-opening, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, warmly welcomed the lifting of travel restrictions as a major boost to economic growth and social opportunity both in Asia and the Pacific and globally. According to UNWTO data, the pandemic cost destinations worldwide a combined US$270 billion in Chinese outbound tourist spending in 2020 and 2021 alone. The re-opening of borders therefore represents “the moment the world has been waiting for”, Mr Pololikashvili noted.

The UNWTO Secretary-General is the first UN Head of Agency to visit China since restrictions were lifted. China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Hu Heping welcomed UNWTO’s support throughout the pandemic and for joining the official re-opening celebrations. In a bilateral meeting, Minister Hu Heping and Secretary-General Pololikashvili agreed to further deepen their collaboration around positioning tourism on the agenda for international development cooperation and in the key areas of tourism education and tourism for rural development.

According to UNWTO data, China grew to be the biggest tourism source market in the world prior to the pandemic. In 2019, Chinese tourists spent a collective US$255 billion on international travel, while domestic tourism served as a pillar of growth and employment, with more than 6 billion trips that year alone, supporting jobs and businesses across the country.

Tourism for rural development

Reflecting UNWTO’s work to make tourism a driving force of rural development, the high-level delegation was welcomed to Yucun, one of four Chinese destinations to be recognized among the ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’. The village was awarded the recognition for its commitment to making tourism a source of local opportunity, in addition to its commitment to eco-friendly tourism and pioneering approach to waste management at the destination-level.

Public and private sectors re-think tourism

UNWTO was welcomed as a partner of the Xianghu Dialogue, organized by the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) in the city of Hangzhou. Held around the theme of “A New Paradigm for a New Tourism”, the event brought together public and private sector leaders to re-think the sector’s future around the key priorities of sustainability, equality and resilience.

Key topics addressed over the two days included promoting collaborative tourism development amongst countries and regions, international cooperation and poverty reduction through tourism, smart connectivity, destination management and planning, and innovation and new business models. The UNWTO delegation met with private sector leaders, including from the Chinese global technology company Alibaba, which is headquartered in Hangzhou.

China as key tourism partner

In the past year, China has established itself as a leading supporter of UNWTO in several core priority areas. These include Nature Positive Tourism, which UNWTO placed on the agenda of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15), for which China served as President.

UNWTO will return to China in September for the Global Tourism Economic Forum (GTEF), to be held in Macau. The tenth edition of the Forum will again provide a platform for governments, business leaders, experts, and academics to advance shared plans for the sustainable development of tourism.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

One Year On, Tourism Stands Firm in Support Of Ukraine

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One Year On, Tourism Stands Firm in Support Of Ukraine - TRAVELINDEXMadrid, Spain, February 24, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / This week, we mark a sad anniversary. It has been one year since the Russian Federation chose to invade Ukraine, in a clear breach of the Charter of the United Nations and of international law.

The invasion has exacted a terrible price. Millions have been forced to flee their homes – right now around 6 million people, 65 per cent of them women and girls, are internally displaced. And the number of casualties keeps growing by the day, including civilian victims as homes and even hospitals are deliberately targeted. The invasion has also created a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe not seen in Europe since World War II. And it has undermined the sense of security and trust we depend on to get the world moving again after the impacts of the pandemic.

From the very start, UNWTO has led tourism’s response to the crisis. Our Members moved swiftly to suspend Russia from our Organization. At the same time, stakeholders from across the sector rallied in support of the Ukrainian people. As many as 8 million of them have sought refuge across Europe and UNWTO commends tourism actors who provided them with means of transport, accommodation and other practical assistance. We also thank the countries hosting refugees until returning is safe.

With no end in sight for the war, our solidarity must hold firm. This unwanted anniversary offers a moment to take stock and reflect. The past year has shown us the remarkable strength of a people determined to hold onto their freedom and sovereignty. It has also shown us the importance of standing together, both as an international community and as a major economic sector, and staying true to our shared values whatever the cost.

With each passing day, the united front that much of the global community has adopted since the invasion is also under attack, especially as countries everywhere continue to feel the economic fallout of the conflict and its social cost. That’s why UNWTO will continue to amplify tourism’s calls for peace and urge an immediate end to all hostilities. We will also be there when the war ends, as it surely will. Then, tourism’s unique power, proven time and again, to build trust back, promote dialogue and understanding across borders, and provide opportunities, will be vital to help the people of Ukraine re-build the country they have already given so much to protect.

Zurab Pololikashvili
Secretary-General

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO Secretary-General Participates in China’s Official Tourism Re-Opening

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UNWTO Secretary-General Participates in China's Official Tourism Re-Opening - TRAVELINDEXHangzhou, China, February 23, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The Secretary-General of UNWTO is leading a high-level delegation to Hangzhou, China to be part of the country’s official re-opening to tourism.

  • The Secretary-General of UNWTO is leading a high-level delegation to Hangzhou, China to be part of the country’s official re-opening to tourism.
  • Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili will be the first United Nations Head of Agency as well  as the first global tourism leader to visit  China since it lifted its travel restrictions after more than 1,000 days closed to international visitors.

Why China Matters

      • The re-opening of China represents the ‘missing piece’ in global tourism’s recovery from the worst crisis in its history.
      • Because of the pandemic, the world lost almost $US3 trillion in tourism revenues between 2020 and 2022.
      • The absence of China was particularly costly. Before the pandemic, it was the world’s biggest tourism source market: In 2019 Chinese tourists took 166 million international trips, and spent US$270 billion, much of it in destinations in developing economies.
      • The lifting of travel restrictions in China will be felt in every global region. UNWTO data shows that Asia  and the Pacific has been the slowest to recover from crisis, reaching just 23% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022. The return of Chinese tourists will accelerate this recovery.
      • The re-opening of Chinese domestic tourism is also a landmark moment. In 2019, Chinese residents took 6 billion domestic trips, making tourism a key driver of employment and economic growth, including for rural communities.
      • The impact of China’s re-opening will be felt far outside the tourism sector itself. Due  to tourism’s ability to cut across economic sectors, it is anticipated that it will boost economies at the global, national and grassroots level.  UNWTO also welcomes the associated benefits it will bring, including social empowerment and opportunity, restoring trust in travel and boosting consumer confidence.

    Highlights

    • UNWTO will join public and private sector leaders, including China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo  Shuang, to officially mark the occasion.
    • UNWTO will also join the World Tourism Alliance for the Xianghu Dialogue to advance tourism is a driver of rural development in China and worldwide and to unite the sector around key priorities of jobs, investments and sustainability.
    • The UNWTO delegation will be joined by media and tourism leaders to visit Yu Cun, a UNWTO Best Tourism Village and example of effective tourism for  rural development.
    • In China, UNWTO will also join preparations for the 10th edition of the Global Tourism Economy Forum. UNWTO will join its partner the World Tourism Alliance for the Forum in Macau in September to advance shared plans for a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive sector.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO and Partners Advance Shared Accessibility Agenda for Tourism

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UNWTO and Partners Advance Shared Accessibility Agenda for Tourism - TRAVELINDEXMadrid, Spain, February 22, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO, Fundación ONCE and the Spanish Association for Standardization UNE have advanced efforts to introduce a comprehensive international standard for accessibility across the whole of the tourism sector.

At a special session on Seminar on Tourism for All, held at the FITUR 2023 tourism trade fair in Madrid, the three organizations were joined by representatives of tourism administrations, destinations, companies and professional industry associations to put forward new tools geared towards the implementation of the standard UNE-ISO 21902 on Accessible Tourism, across the value chain. These tools include a new user-guide focused on accommodation, food & beverage and MICE companies, launched at FITUR. The guide will serve ,as a starting point for assessing their levels of accessibility, and for developing or adapting their services.

This new guide was produced in collaboration with leading civil society and industry organizations such as Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, International Circle of Hospitality Directors (CIDH), as well as the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT). It is a follow up to the guidelines published in December, focusing on public administrations; in case of the latter, the support of Turismo de Portugal and Turismo de Argentina was key in messaging governments and destinations, entrusted with tourism policies, strategies and marketing plans.

Accessibility for growth and resilience

At the seminar, Miguel Carballeda, President of the ONCE Social Group and Jose Manuel Huesa, Director of Servimedia, argued that there is no longer any excuse for any destination or leisure and tourism experience to be inaccessible to any tourist, regardless of their background or ability. UNWTO Executive Director, Zoritsa Urosevic, added that accessibility is key to achieving SDGs. It is also key to resilience, since it brings along new customers, improving the sector’s economic performance. Javier García Diaz, Director General of UNE and Vice-President of ISO, concluded that accessibility standards should be taken as guidance tools in carrying out improvements, instead of obligatory sets of measures.

Also in Madrid, the Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador introduced its new policies planning at this event, while the City Hall of Cordoba (Spain) shared new actions at a local destination level, benefitting local communities and visitors. RIU Hotel & Resorts and International Circle of Hospitality Directors tackled the most pressing challenging in applying standards and the myriad of opportunities that universal accessibility entails.

The speakers proved once more why accessibility is a major social inclusion and business opportunity as tourism’s recovery continues. UNWTO, its partners and new collaborating organizations remain committed to producing new policy guidance tools in the sphere of accessibility, throughout 2023, leading the change.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO Announces Winning Start-Ups for Awake Tourism Challenge

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UNWTO Announces Winning Start-Ups for Awake Tourism Challenge - TRAVELINDEX - UNTOURISMNEWS.orgMadrid, Spain, February 13, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO has announced the winners of its Awake Tourism Challenge, celebrating the start-ups that are reshaping the sector in every global region.

The Challenge was the second edition of the UNWTO Global Startup Competition focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Entrants were judged on how they are contributing to the development of an inclusive, resilient and sustainable tourism sector, with a focus on six core themes:

  • Local Community Involvement
  • Green and Blue Economies
  • Ecological and Sustainable Capital Creation
  • Tourism Tech for Good
  • Tourism Education
  • Women Empowerment

UNWTO Seceratry-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism startups have the power and agility to transform the sector in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. The winners of the UNWTO Awake Tourism Challenge all have the potential to help build a more inclusive and resilient sector and we look forward to supporting them as they grow in size and influence.”

Tourism startups have the power and agility to transform the sector in line with the Sustainable Development Goals

Winners from every global region

The competition attracted more than 2,000 entrants from 120 countries worldwide. The most submissions were from Europe, the Americas and Africa, followed by Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East. From these, an expert jury selected 30 finalists and then 15 winners.

Reflecting the broad talent of the global tourism sector, the winning start-ups are Coastruction (the Netherlands), Noytrall (Portugal), SmArt Tourism and Hospitality Consulting (Panama), Quantum Temple (USA), Socialbnb (Germany), Instituto de Accesibilidad (Spain), Kamatjona (Namibia), Baahdy & Birdy (Norway), WeavAir (Singapore), r3charge (Germany), Impact Innovations Institute (Armenia), NomadHer (South Korea), Murmuration (France), Evelity by Okeenea Digital (France) and Accessible Qatar (Qatar). The projects were recognized for offering innovative service with high customer value, most notably with high levels of youth engagement and the involvement of local communities. Start-ups were also recognized for their use of technology to monitor and manage the environmental impact of tourism activity. More information on the winners and finalists can be found on the competition website.

A winning network

The winning start-ups will be offered an incubation period of three months at SPARK Crans-Montana, the Innovation Hub of Les Roches from the Sommet Education group, where they will be participating in mentorships, networking activities and have access to a VR lab, Digital Studio, and a dedicated co-working space. In addition, they will also receive scholarships for the UNWTO Tourism Online Academy, be included in the UNWTO Catalogue of top innovators, be featured in a global communications campaign to showcase each winner and invited for mentorships with project partners.

The competition was organized in collaboration with Wakalua, the first global innovation hub for tourism, powered by Ávoris, and counted with great support from renowned tourism experts and partners, including; SPARK, the Innovation Hub of Les Roches from the Sommet Education group, Amadeus, IE University, NEST, KPMG, MasterCard, Telefonica, Wayra, ClarkeModet, The FarCo, BBVA, MentorDay, Finnova, Google for Startups, the Valley Digital Business School, the Future Food Institute and the Inter-American Development Bank and the Singapore Tourism Board.

Innovation as priority

In 2022, UNWTO celebrated five years of its Department of Innovation, Education, and invesment. In that time, UNWTO has made innovation one of its main priorities for the sector, holding 23 competitions and challenges, as well as holding nine Tourism Tech Adventures, and creating an innovation network of more than 11,500 stakeholders drawn from every part of the diverse sector.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

G20 Tourism Side Event Focuses on Rural Tourism with UNWTO

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G20 Tourism Side Event Focuses on Rural Tourism with UNWTO - TRAVELINDEXKhonoma Village, Nagaland, India, February 10, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The first meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group to be held under the Indian Presidency placed the focus on the sector’s role in in advancing the 2030 Agenda.

UNWTO is working as the knowledge partner to the Presidency to deliver the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the SDGs. This week’s meeting, held in the Rann of Kutch (7-9 February), featured as well a side event dedicated to rural tourism for community development and poverty alleviation. Here, UNWTO shared its recently launched Tourism for Rural Development Programme, including the Best Tourism Villages Initiative.

The side event was an opportunity to highlight opportunities for rural tourism, including new consumer behaviors and growing interest in new destinations. The meeting also explored the main challenges facing the sector, particularly with regards to digital and non-digital infrastructure, the empowerment of local communities and skills development. The findings presented were the result of an analysis of more than 200 candidacies by villages from around the world to the Best Tourism Villages Initiative as well as UNWTO Member States priorities and policies.

Representatives from Indonesia, Spain, Italy and Japan joined UNWTO, the UN Environmental Program, the International Labor Organization and the South Asia Women’s Network (SWAN) in discussing how can tourism policy can support tourism’s contribution to rural development. Participants stressed that the sustainability of tourism in rural areas is dependent on a comprehensive planning strategy is adopted and implemented based on a multi-action and multi-stakeholder participatory approach. Furthermore, it was noted that rural tourism requires the support of regional and local governments, the private sector, industry associations, civil society, communities and tourists.

In 2021, recognizing the immense potential of rural tourism in the country, the Ministry of Tourism of India formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism. Reflecting this, the event included also rural tourism cases from India, including examples from Astro-tourism, homestays and women empowerment as well as the Indian village selected by UNWTO to join the Best Tourism Villages Upgrade Programme – the Khonoma Village in Nagaland.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Yucatán Joins UNWTO Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories

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Yucatán Joins UNWTO Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories - MEXICOTOURISM.net - TRAVELINDEXMérida, Yucatan, Mexico, February 9, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO has welcomed Yucatán’s Tourism Observatory into its International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).

The Yucatán Tourism Observatory was established in 2018 to generate and manage information around tourism development. This work has identified key challenges and opportunities and so led to the design of relevant policies aimed at supporting the destination’s overall sustainable development, thereby increasing its competitiveness. Joining the INSTO Network will help Yucatán manage tourism development in a responsible and sustainable manner, taking a holistic view in developing adequate and innovative strategies for “rethinking” tourism.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “In this time of rethinking tourism, measurement is increasingly important as it provides a better understanding of where a destination stands and where it wants to go. The INSTO network provides an opportunity to work together to ensure that tourism is a tool that contributes to sustainable development. We are very pleased to welcome Yucatán as a new member.”

Green and sustainable future plans for Yucatán´s tourism

The INSTO network provides an opportunity to work together to ensure that tourism is a tool that contributes to sustainable development. We are very pleased to welcome Yucatán as a new member

Yucatán is home to the Maya, has an extensive coastline, is mostly covered by forests, jungles and has numerous cenotes, sinkholes created by collapsed limestone rocks that expose groundwater. This and other tourism resources attracted 2.1 million overnight tourists in 2019, two-thirds of them domestic tourists. Tourism GDP accounts for 11,1% of Yucatán’s overall GDP. According to the vision of the Secretariat of Tourism of the State of Yucatán (SEFOTUR) “In 2030 tourism is widely recognized as a key sector that benefits Yucatán society, and to conduct tourism development in consensus with industry actors and with a full insertion of society in the benefits of tourism”. Among the environmental priorities climate action, ecosystem restoration and conservation, water quality preservation, and sustainable energy supply are cited, as well as the need to create a culture of sustainability within Yucatán society.

Yucatan’s Secretary of Tourism, Michelle Fridman Hirsch, noted: “We are very pleased to have been enrolled in the UNWTO’s INSTO network, as we become the second Observatory in Mexico to be part of this network, which will allow us to better evaluate the impact of tourism in Yucatan and contribute with better data to global sustainable tourism”.

Yucatán’s Tourism Observatory will monitor the 11 mandatory INSTO key areas for tourism sustainability: tourism seasonality, employment, economic benefits of the destination, energy management, water management, wastewater management, solid waste management, climate action, accessibility, local satisfaction and governance.

About INSTO

The UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) was created in 2004 with the main objectives to support the continuous improvement of sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector through systematic, timely and regular monitoring of tourism performance and to connect dedicated destinations, helping them to exchange and improve knowledge and understanding about destination-wide resource use and the responsible management of tourism.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO and Development Bank of Latin America Partner for Tourism Investments

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UNWTO and Development Bank of Latin America Partner for Tourism Investments - UNTOURISMNEWS.org - TRAVELINDEXCaracas, Venezuela, January 26, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) will partner to promote and retain investment in tourism across the Latin American and Caribbean Region. As the sector’s recovery continues, the United Nations specialized agency for tourism has highlighted the importance of investments for building a more sustainable and resilient sector. The new cooperation agreement with CAF was announced against the backdrop of the FITUR trade fair in Madrid. Here, UNWTO welcomed high-level representatives from Member States of the region and from the private sector.

The joint plans will see the two organizations work together to develop a set of comprehensive tourism investment guidelines. The guidelines will be focused on five countries, namely Ecuador, Uruguay, Panama and El Salvador in the Latin American region, as well as and Barbados in the Caribbean region.

With this new partnership agreement, UNWTO and CAF will work together to boost investment into the sector and to target it towards projects and initiatives that will make the biggest difference

Alongside this, UNWTO and CAF will collaborate on the development of frameworks to attract, promote and retain foreign direct investment (FDI) towards sustainable tourism initiatives and to accelerate economic recovery and foster sustainability and resilience throughout the tourism sector.

Tourism as a driver of regional growth

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “Tourism is a recognized driver of sustainable development, growth and opportunity across the Latin American and Caribbean regions. With this new partnership agreement, UNWTO and CAF will work together to boost investment into the sector and to target it towards projects and initiatives that will make the biggest difference.”

CAF Executive President, Sergio Diaz-Granados, says: “We are implementing an agenda to become the Green Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, that will also include the development of sustainable and regenerative tourism. A proof of our commitment is that we are the first multilateral institution to sign the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. The partnership with UNWTO will boost our tourist sector approach and will help us reach our goals.”

Growing investments in tourism

UNWTO recently confirmed that World Tourism Day 2023 (27 September) will be held around the theme of ‘Tourism and Green Investments’. This new partnership with CAF builds on its work promoting investments in tourism, including through its Doing Business Guidelines, publications focused on individual countries in every global region.

CAF is an accredited entity of the Green Climate Fund and in collaboration with UNWTO, their member countries will be able to access innovative financing models that reduce investment risk, supporting climate adaptation and mitigation policies and reducing the energy dependence of the sector. The work will complement the progress being made through the Glasgow Declaration: A Decade of Action for Climate and Tourism, launched at the UN Climate Summit in 2022 with the aim of guiding the sector to Net-Zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.

About CAF

CAF – Development Bank of Latin America- was created in 1970, is owned by 19 countries – 17 of Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal- as well as 13 private banks in the region which aim is to promote sustainable development and regional integration, by providing multiple financial services to clients in the public and private sectors of its Shareholder Countries.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

At FITUR 2023 UNWTO Served as Bridge Between Public and Private Leaders

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At FITUR 2023 UNWTO Served as Bridge Between Public and Private Leaders - TRAVELINDEXMadrid, Spain, January 21, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / At FITUR 2023, UNWTO served as the bridge between public and private leaders to advance plans to build a more diverse, resilient and sustainable tourism sector.

With the latest UNWTO data pointing to a return to pre-pandemic arrival levels in some world regions in 2023, Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili once again joined His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain in opening the major travel trade fair. Reflecting the Organization’s priorities, UNWTO placed tourism investments, rural development, diversification, sustainability and accessibility centre stage over the course of four days.

Investment and building trust

Against the backdrop of FITUR, UNWTO and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) strengthened their existing partnership to further advance UNWTO’s work to attract and retain investment in tourism. The partnership will include the production of tourism investment guidelines, initially focused on Barbados, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama and Uruguay. Both organizations will develop frameworks to attract, promote and retain foreign direct investment in sustainable tourism initiatives across the Americas.

UNWTO recognized the progress made in rethinking the role of tourism in the economies and societies of the region. The President of the Republic of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, and the Executive President of Banco Popular of the Dominican Republic, Christopher Paniagua, were formally recognized by UNWTO for their commitment to mainstreaming tourism in economic policy and financing, respectively. At FITUR, President Giammattei also confirmed the adherence of Guatemala to the UNWTO International Code for the Protection of Tourists.

Widening the scope of tourism

As part of UNWTO’s work to diversify the sector and enhance its status as a driver of rural development, the Spanish province of La Rioja was announced as the host of the 7th UNWTO Global Wine Tourism Conference later this year. Secretary-General Pololikashvili, the President of La Rioja, Concha Andreu, and Spain’s Minister of Tourism Reyes Maroto, highlighted the importance of the growing wine tourism sector for protecting culture and supporting local jobs and businesses.

UNWTO also recognized the importance of shopping tourism, with particular reference to its close links to leisure and gastronomy. A Memorandum of Understanding, signed by UNWTO and WOW Concept, will see the two work together to promote responsible urban tourism through joint promotions and events as well as through shared efforts to monitor and share trends in tourism consumption. Further diversifying the sector’s reach and impact, UNWTO also partnered with the Croatian National Tourist Board to announce the Second World Sports Tourism Congress. The agreement, signed  by Croatia’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac, will see the event held in  the city of Zadar on 26 and 27 April.

Tourism for all

To rethink accessible travel, UNWTO, Fundación ONCE and the Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE) co-organized a Seminar on Tourism for All, gathering national tourism administrations, destinations, companies and professional industry associations, underscoring the role of accessibility for social inclusion and business opportunity. The partners presented tools aimed at implementing the international standard UNE-ISO 21902 on Accessible Tourism for All, including with a new guide to applying it in accommodation and hospitality businesses.

Sustainability: On land and in oceans

UNWTO continued to step up tourism’s pace towards a more sustainable future. The Mexican State of Yucatán, home to some of the country’s top tourism destinations, is the latest addition of the UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO). Already numbering more than 30 worldwide, INSTO monitors tourism’s impact on local economies and habitats, allowing for smarter data-driven policymaking.

UNWTO concluded its week at FITUR by hosting a special meeting on Tourism for the Ocean and Climate Action at its Madrid headquarters. Counting on the participation of Member of the European Parliament Catherine Chabaut, as well as Ruben Eiras, Secretary General, Forum Oceano, Paul Holhtus, Founding President, World Ocean Council, and Josiane Sadaka, CEO of Blue Carbon LLC, the event saw UNWTO confirm its support for the BlueCOP28 and Dubai Blue Pact initiatives. For his work leading tourism towards greater sustainability, Frédéric Degret, the Founder and CEO at NOAH ReGen was named as the UNWTO Special Advisor for Oceans and Climate Emergency.

Strengthening relationships

FITUR 2023 provided the opportunity for UNWTO to strengthen relations with public and private sector leaders. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili held a series of bilateral meetings to keep servicing the Organization’s Member States. The UNWTO leadership met with new Minister of Tourism of Jordan, Makram Mustafa Al-Qaisi, with the Minister of Tourism of Uruguay, Tabaré Viera; Deputy Minister of Tourism for Georgia, Nuno Fazenda, Minister of Tourism for Portugal, Mariam Kvrivishvili, Nuno Fazenda, Minister of Tourism for  Portugal, the Minister of Tourism of Nigeria, Lai Mohammed, the Governor of Puerto Rico Pedro Pierluisi as well as the Minister of Tourism of Puerto Rico Carlos Mercado, and also with Dario Item, Ambassador to Spain of UNWTO’s newest Member State, Antigua and Barbuda.

In a working meeting with Mariana Oleskiv, Chairperson of the State Agency for Tourism of Ukraine, Secretary-General Pololikashvili reaffirmed UNWTO’s firm support for Ukrainian’s citizens and noted tourism’s role for future recovery and as a pillar of peace. Meetings were also held with the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Mayor of Skiathos Thodoris Tzoumas, the Israeli Ambassador to Spain, Rodica Radian-Gordon.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News