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Ministers Agree to Advance Circularity and Climate Action in European Tourism

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UNWTO - Ministers Agree to Advance Circularity and Climate Action in European Tourism - TRAVELINDEXNicosia, Cyprus, October 13, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Ministers of the Environment from across the Pan European region have agreed to promote the transformation of tourism, with key initiatives of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme to serve as their guiding principles.

At the conclusion of the Ninth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and held in Nicosia, Cyprus, delegates adopted a Ministerial Declaration, recognizing the urgent need to ensure the tourism sector “builds back better” from the impacts of the pandemic. Central to this will be accelerating the shift towards a circular tourism economy, while at the same time reducing waste and ensuring the sector meets its climate action responsibilities.

The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, launched by UNWTO and partners at the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, a joint initiative from UNWTO and UNEP were both referenced as key initiatives to help guide the transformation of the sector. The One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme co-hosted with UNEP and its Mediterranean Action Plan a side event on “Tourism and Circularity for Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean”, where a  new repository of tools and resources focused on the circular economy and tourism was launched, alongside two new publications from the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative around measurement and procurement produced with the financial support of the Government of France.

‘An opportunity for all of tourism’

I encourage Europe’s Environment Ministers to build synergies with their counterparts in Ministries of Tourism to implement the circular economy in the tourism sector

Addressing the Ministerial Conference, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For businesses, the circular economy can bring competitive advantages. For destinations, it can build more inclusive local value chains. And for tourists, it’s an opportunity to leave a positive footprint. I encourage Europe’s Environment Ministers to build synergies with their counterparts in Ministries of Tourism to implement the circular economy in the tourism sector.”

Also speaking to the Ministerial Conference, Mario Šiljeg State Secretary for the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Croatia, emphasized the importance of tourism to European economies and highlighted the significant benefits of “embracing innovative approaches, particularly moving away from traditional value chain relations adopting more systemic circular production and consumption patterns”.

Ministers and EU back CE in Tourism

Also in Nicosia, the Minister of Tourism and Environment of Albania, Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi, chaired a plenary discussion on Applying Principles of CE in Tourism’, with contributions from Switzerland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ukraine, Germany, Greece, Armenia and the European Union. The EU then delivered a statement in which they too recommended the Glasgow Declaration and Global Tourism Plastics Initiative as tools to advance intentions to make the sector more sustainable.

To conclude the Nicosia meeting, delegates signed a Ministerial Declaration in which they stated: “We will promote the transformation of the tourism sector by implementing programmes and projects oriented to applying circular models in the tourism value chain. Moreover, we will build knowledge based on existing circular tools and initiatives, with a view to enabling further dissemination and outreach across relevant ECE member States. We encourage member States and other stakeholders in a position to do so to consider joining and committing to actions under the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, which unites the tourism sector behind a common vision of circular economy of plastics and the Glasgow Declaration: A Commitment to a Decade of Tourism Climate Action.”

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO Unites African Tourism for Growth and Opportunity

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UNWTO Unites African Tourism for Growth and Opportunity - TOURISMAFRICA.org - TRAVELINDEXKilimanjaro, Tanzania, October 10, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The 65th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa brought together around 25 Ministers of Tourism and high-level representatives from 35 countries as well as leaders from the private sector. Taking place in Tanzania just days after UNWTO celebrated World Tourism Day, the Commission meeting embraced that day’s theme of ‘Rethinking Tourism’, with a focus on innovation, branding, jobs and education and partnerships.

But we must look beyond just the numbers and rethink how tourism works so that our sector can deliver on its unique potential to transform lives, drive sustainable growth and provide opportunity everywhere in Africa

Welcoming delegates, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili provided Members with an update of the Organization’s activities and accomplishments in the 12 months since the previous Commission meeting. He said: “Tourism in Africa has a long history of bouncing back. And it has shown its resilience again. Many destinations are reporting strong arrival numbers. But we must look beyond just the numbers and rethink how tourism works so that our sector can deliver on its unique potential to transform lives, drive sustainable growth and provide opportunity everywhere in Africa.”

Tourism recovery underway in Africa

The Regional Commission of Africa meeting was held as tourism’s recovery gets underway across the continent. According to the latest UNWTO data, for the first seven months of the year, international arrivals across Africa were 171% up on 2021 levels, driven largely by regional demand. To help Members capitalize on the sector’s return, and to build greater sustainability and resilience, UNWTO is prioritizing jobs and training alongside greater and more-targeted investment in tourism. On the eve of this week’s meeting, UNWTO launched a set of Investment Guidelines focused on Tanzania, designed to support foreign investment in the country.

Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassanof Tanzania warmly welcomed all delegates and UNWTO officials, calling on them to “embrace sustainability” and highlighting the work Tanzania has been undertaking to protect the natural habitats and wildlife that help make it a popular destination while also increasing inclusivity in the sector. Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Pindi Hazara Chana, also noted that the country is looking to diversity its tourism sector in order to boost arrival numbers and revenues over the next five years.

Short-term recovery and long-term transformation

Discussions at the the Commission meeting focused on both the immediate and longer-term recovery of tourism across the continent, including through redefining the roadmap of the UNWTO Agenda for Africa 2030. Key topics highlighted by the high-level participants included accelerating tourism for inclusive growth, advancing the sustainability of the sector and the role of public-private partnerships in achieving both of these goals. Alongside this, the heightened relevance of air connectivity, including low-cost air travel within Africa, as well as the pressing need to support small businesses (SMEs) in gaining the digital tools and knowledge they need to compete, was also discussed.

To conclude the meeting, Members voted to hold the 65th session of the UNWTO Commission for Africa in Mauritius.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO at G20: Putting People & Small Enterprises at Centre of Recovery

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UNWTO at G20 Putting People & Small Enterprises at Centre of Recovery - TRAVELINDEXBali, Indonesia, September 30, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO, the G20 Indonesian Presidency and the G20 Tourism Working Group have collaborated over the past year to deliver the G20 Guidelines on Strengthening MSMEs and Communities as Agents of Transformation in Tourism on the occasion of the G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting in Bali.

The Guidelines provide guidance for key policies that can create resilient and sustainable MSMEs and communities spanning five key pillars:

  1. Human Capital
  2. Innovation, digitalization and the creative economy
  3. Women and youth empowerment
  4. Climate action, biodiversity conservation, and circularity, and
  5. Policy, governance and investment

They also draw up over 40 cases studies from G20 members and guest countries focused on the promotion of MSMEs and communities

MSMEs and communities, the backbone of our sector, need strong support to be agents a people centred transformation

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

Accelerating positive action

Addressing the G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Our sector has now recovered almost 60% of pre-pandemic levels. However, we are falling behind in our efforts to reach the climate action goals of the Paris Agreement. We are also behind in progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. “

“Tourism can help us get back on track. But we need to speed up. And we need to scale up. MSMEs and communities, the backbone of our sector, need strong support to be agents a people centred transformation” he added.

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, Sandiaga Uno said “I am truly delighted that the G20 Tourism Working Group is able to adopt the G20 Bali Guidelines. The Guidelines embody a number of policy best practices in the five main lines of actions. These lines of actions are essential to put the holistic wellbeing of our people at the heart of tourism recovery. We do not wish for tourism to just simply rebound, we need it to be better in serving the needs of our communities by creating good jobs, empowering the marginalized and safeguarding our planet, which our guidelines aim for.”

“I earnestly applaud UNWTO as the key institutional partner of our G20 presidency for steadfastly working together with us to continuously improve the Guidelines,” the Minister added.

Skills, inclusion, sustainability and governance

The Guidelines focus among others on:

  • developing targeted policies based on social dialogue and multi-stakeholder collaboration to promote vocational education and training, skills development, and lifelong learning of the tourism workforce by engaging industry and technology partners;
  • stimulating entrepreneurship including through tourism business incubation and promoting the creation of decent jobs in tourism;
  • strengthening linkages between the tourism sector and local communities by encouraging partnership with local suppliers;
  • bridging the innovation gap and promoting responsible innovation;
  • developing guidance for MSMEs to enable them to tap into digitalization, improve their products and boost their productivity through the creative economy;
  • ensuring equality and non-discrimination, with particular attention to young people in vulnerable situations, promoting the application of gender-equality and equal opportunity principles for all youth in tourism including equal remuneration for work of equal value, equal participation and equal treatment;
  • implementing, within respective national policy, more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices; and
  • Improving tourism data, including the use of big data, the implementation of international statistical standards and the development of adequate methodology for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism as evidence-based policy-making as well as facilitating data sharing including through public-private partnerships.

Research developed for the guidelines by UNWTO with G20 countries highlights the need to address challenges for MSMEs of lack of access to finance, lack of access to market intelligence, market uncertainty, the volatility of the workforce, changing consumer trends and needs and low levels of innovation.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

For communities, the most relevant challenges include the uncertainty of the market and changing consumer trends, leakages (revenue generated by tourism in the community which does not stay in the community), lack of education and skills, lack of adequate infrastructure and governance and excessive dependence on tourism.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

World Tourism Day 2022 – Sector United Around Rethinking Tourism

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UNWTO NEWS - World Tourism Day 2022 - Sector United Around Rethinking Tourism - VISITBALI.org - TRAVELINDEXBali, Indonesia, September 27, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Positive transformation for both people and planet was the central message of World Tourism Day 2022. Held around the theme of ‘Rethinking Tourism’, the Global Day of Observation emphasized the sector’s unique potential to drive recovery and deliver positive change for people everywhere.

Hosted by the Republic of Indonesia, in the popular destination of Bali, the official celebrations brought together leaders from across the public and private sector, including the largest and most diverse number of Ministers of Tourism in the history of World Tourism Day. They were joined by tourism stakeholders around the world celebrating in their own countries, united around the timely theme of rethinking and transforming the sector.

Seizing the opportunity

Opening the celebrations, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stressed the unique opportunity presented to tourism to pause, reflect and recalibrate. He said: “The restart of tourism everywhere brings hope. It is the ultimate cross-cutting and people-to-people sector. It touches on almost everything we do – and everything we care about. Tourism’s potential is now recognized more widely than ever. It’s up to us to deliver on this potential.”

Tourism’s potential is now recognized more widely than ever. It’s up to us to deliver on this potential

Joining UNWTO in emphasizing the potential of tourism to deliver wide-reaching change, the Minister of Tourism for the Republic of Indonesia, Sandiaga Uno, noted: “The most important assets in tourism are its people and the planet. We must ensure the best support for both.” In Bali, UNWTO commended Indonesia for going beyond words and taking concrete steps to transform tourism, notably by becoming the first country in the Asia and the Pacific region to sign up to the ambitious Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and its goals to reach Net-Zero emissions for the sector by 2050 at the latest.

Also adding his voice to the celebrations, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said: “Tourism has the power to foster inclusion, protect nature & promote cultural understanding. We must rethink and reinvent the sector to ensure its sustainability.”

World Tourism Day Report Launched

To mark the day, UNWTO launched its first World Tourism Day Report, the first in an annual series of updates and analysis of the Organization’s work guiding the sector forward. The inaugural report is titled “Rethinking Tourism: From Crisis to Transformation”, reflecting the timely relevance of the 2022 theme as well as the unprecedented crisis that hit the sector in 2020.

The report charts UNWTO’s work uniting the sector in the face of crisis, leading tourism’s response and laying the foundations for a more inclusive and resilient future, with updates on work in every global region as well as in key areas including gender equality, sustainability and climate action, tourism governance and investments and innovation.

UNWTO Delivers Guidelines to G20

On the eve of World Tourism Day, UNWTO also presented the G20 Guidelines on Strengthening MSMEs and Communities as Agents of Transformation in Tourism on the occasion of the G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting in Bali. The Guidelines provide guidance for key policies that can create resilient and sustainable MSMEs and communities around the pillars of human capital, innovation, youth and women empowerment, climate action, and policy, governance and investments. They also draw up over 40 cases studies from G20 members and guest countries focused on the promotion of MSMEs and communities.

Joining UNWTO in Bali for the World Tourism Day celebrations were Ministers of Tourism of Indonesia, as well as of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Republic of Korea, Fiji, Spain, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, alongside the Vice Ministers of Tourism for Cambodia and Japan and high-level representatives from Germany, Canada and the United States of America.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO Supports the Promotion of Tourism in Tenerife

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UNWTO Supports the Promotion of Tourism in Tenerife - TRAVELINDEX - TOURISMSPAINSanta Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, September 22, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO has welcomed a delegation from Turismo de Tenerife (SPET) to draft a roadmap for future collaborations.

One of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is one of Europe’s most popular destinations, welcoming 2.7 million tourists in 2021 alone. The destination has significant touristic potential, and it is aiming to develop its sector in line with the values and priorities of UNWTO.

The official visit of Affiliate Member SPET to the UNWTO headquarters provided an opportunity to clarify the benefits of resources already available to the Affiliate Members, network and discuss institutional cooperation in the preparation of events.

Tenerife is one of Europe’s most popular destinations, welcoming 2.7 million tourists in 2021 alone

Among the topics discussed, Turismo de Tenerife presented its plans for “Global Summit Turismo” scheduled for 2024, while UNWTO presented the initiative “Best Tourism Villages” recognizing outstanding examples of rural tourism destinations with recognized cultural and natural assets, preserving and promoting community-based values, products and lifestyle in order to encourage the participation of Tenerife.

Tenerife offers a wide variety of attractions ranging from sports tourism, including hiking, climbing, biking routes and surfing, to astrotourism and gastrotourism.

About SPET – TURISMO DE TENERIFE

SPET – TURISMO DE TENERIFE dedicates its main activity to the realization of actions for the promotion of tourism on the island of Tenerife. Thus, it works in three areas within the island, which pursue the increase of our quality, competitiveness, and sustainability as a tourist destination. We coordinate improvement works with other entities and institutions, we dynamize areas of strategic interest that have reached periods of maturity, and we work in the creation and dynamization of tourist products in accordance with our potential and with the demand of our clients.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO Students League Kicks Off with Competition in Switzerland

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UNWTO Students League Kicks Off with Competition in Switzerland - TOURISMSWITZERLAND - TRAVELINDEXZurich, Switzerland, September 21, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) have joined forces to launch the first National UNWTO Students’ League of the year.

The Students League is designed to promote local talent development and work with young people to design solutions for some of the most pressing challenges facing tourism. Throughout the competition, students will learn from top tourism experts both in their own countries and internationally. The participants’ efforts will be assessed by an international jury, and, after a first national level round, the League will then conclude with a Grand Global Final.

With the first two editions welcoming the participation of around 1,000 students worldwide, UNWTO and SECO are now partnering to foster young talent development in Switzerland through the first National 2022 UNWTO Students’ League-Switzerland.

As in past years where students from middle school to Master’s degree level created innovative sustainable solutions for global hot topics such as managing mass tourism, reducing single use plastics in accommodation and destinations, fostering rural development through tourism, creating digital communication solutions, inclusiveness, and many more, students from across Switzerland will now have a chance to prove why they need to be listened to by participating in the ‘Off the Beaten Track’ Challenge.

Registration is now open for the teams of undergraduate tourism and hospitality students from Switzerland – up to the age of 25 – and will close 4 October 2022. The winning team will be announced after the live Final4 competition, to be co-organized with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).

To find out more and to register, visit Students’ League

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Innovation and Sustainability at UNWTO Global Wine Tourism Conference

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Innovation and Sustainability at UNWTO Global Wine Tourism Conference - TOP25VINEYARDS.com - TRAVELINDEXAlba, Italy, September 15, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO and the Government of Italy will celebrate the 6th Global Conference on Wine Tourism. Under the theme ‘What’s next? Wine tourism pairs with Innovation…’ and building up on the success of the past five editions, this 6th edition will take place on 19-21 September 2022, in Alba in the Piemonte region, at the heart of the ‘Vineyard Landscape of Piemonte: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato’, a UNESCO recognized Heritage Site.

• Discover the World’s Best Vineyards only at TOP25Vineyards.com.

Featuring over 30 international speakers, the Conference will focus on the role of innovation in the future of wine tourism, how can wine tourism be more sustainable and what are the opportunities of digital and social to enhance the wine tourism value chain and create local benefits.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili says: “As the sector’s recovery get underway, I am confident that the conference will represent a unique opportunity to learn from experiences that face up these challenging times to ensure a successful and resilient wine tourism sector in the future”.

Massimo Garavaglia Italian Minister of Tourism: “Wine tourism is much more than just selling wine, which clearly is important.  When you sell a bottle of wine, you are selling the territory behind that bottle, the culture of that territory, the history of the men who designed these landscapes with the rows of vines.”

As the sector’s recovery get underway, I am confident that the conference will represent a unique opportunity to learn from experiences that face up these challenging times to ensure a successful and resilient wine tourism sector in the future

“Wine-related tourism has a component in environmental sustainability. It is a component of slow tourism, partly different from traditional tourism. And it is no coincidence that 90 percent of tourists have a food and wine experience during their visit.”

“For these reasons, the UNWTO Alba Conference is certainly a great event for the Piemonte Region. But it is also for all Italian regions, because it provides an international showcase for the entire Italian territory”.

“Wine is a driver of Italy’s image worldwide, and an increasingly popular tourist attraction for visitors, thanks to how it blends with our country’s characteristic culture, art and history. In today’s uncertain circumstances, it is of central importance to strengthen the sector’s ability to remain competitive, so the Alba event will offer a key opportunity for the world of wine to reflect on the prospects and challenges wine tourism is set to face”, said ENIT CEO Roberta Garibaldi.

Piemonte Region, Councillor for Tourism, Vittoria Poggio says: “We are honored to welcome this important event, whose work will be preceded and accompanied by a rich program of events related to wine on the entire Piedmont. It will be a prestigious moment to introduce the world to the excellence of wine and tourism of our region, to discuss new issues and opportunities for the sector”.

Mariano Rabino, President of Ente Turismo Langhe Monferrato Roero, says: «We are proud that Langhe Monferrato Roero region has been chosen to welcome the 6th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism. For the first time, this Conference will be hosted in Italy and hundreds of delegates and institutional representatives will reach our region to attend the event. They will not only have the opportunity to discuss the main themes of wine tourism, but they will also have the chance to discover the beauties and the uniqueness of our hills. Our region is a pioneer in the world of wine tourism and among the first in Italy and in the world to interpret the demands of a constantly growing tourism market. The challenge today is to continue on this path, keeping the compass oriented towards a development looking to innovation, diversification and environmental, economic and social sustainability».

Over the two days of this edition, 300 professionals from the sector, leading experts and institutional representatives will benefit from the live debates, keynote speeches and workshops that experienced speakers will bring to Alba.

• Discover the World’s Best Vineyards only at TOP25Vineyards.com.

Among these, David Furer, Wine Business Communications and harpers, Writer; Wine Future and Green Wine Future, Program Director; Carlo Petrini, Founder of Slow Food; Tanisha Townsend, Chief Wine Officer, Girl Meets Glass; Chef Pilar Rodriguez from Food & Wine Studio and UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism Ambassador, Mauro Agnoletti, UNESCO Chair, Agricultural Heritage Landscapes Institute of Higher Education University of Florence, Marta Domènech Tomas, General Director of Tourism of Catalunya, Spain, Martin Hawke, Head of Global Product of WINERIST, Pamela Lanier, Founder of the Sonoma Sustainable Tourism Observatory, Roberta Garibaldi, CEO of Italy’s National Tourism Board (ENIT), Niklas Ridoff, CEO of WineTourism.com, David Mora, Founder of Wine Tourism School, Filippo Polidori, Food GURU and CEO of Polidori and Partners, Jana Kreilein, Founder of the.wine.girl, Julia Zuccardi from Bodegas Zuccardi, Sofía Ruiz Cavanagh, CEO of Wineobs, Martin Lhuillier, Head of Wine Tourism in Atout France, the French National Tourism Board, Luca Balbiano, President of the Urban Vineyard Association in Italy, António Pé-Curto, CEO & Founder of Alle Wine and Santiago Vivanco, Vice President and Director General of Fundación Vivanco.

The Conference also includes a High Level Panel on The Future of Wine Tourism, where the necessary policies to advance wine tourism will be discussed by the Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Greece, the Minister of Tourism of Italy, the Minister of Culture of Moldova, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Commerce and Services of Portugal, the Minister of Tourism, Posts, Cooperation and Expo of San Marino and the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of Serbia.

Since 2016, the Conference has highlighted the importance of wine tourism to the socio-economic development of destinations and has served as a platform to exchange experiences, identify good practices and promote wine tourism as a tool for sustainable development.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO Joins Partners in Galicia to Promote Thermal Tourism

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UNWTO Joins Partners In Galicia to Promote Thermal Tourism - TRAVELINDEXOurense, Galicia, Spain, September 8, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has joined the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA) and the Spanish region of Galicia in the north of the country (Axencia Turismo Galicia) to announce plans for this year’s “International Congress on Thermal Tourism”, which kicks off on World Tourism Day (27-29 September in Ourense, Galicia).

To coincide with the announcement, UNWTO and its Affiliate Member, the EHTTA, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at further promoting thermal tourism and its benefits.

The Association´s President , Manuel Baltar, said: “The growing demand for open-air and nature-based tourism activities after the pandemic makes thermal tourism an important segment for the future”.

The President of the Regional Government of Galicia and head of the Axencia Turismo Galicia, Alfonso Rueda added: “Galicia is the first thermal destination in Spain and the second in Europe, with admirable thermal stations such as Ourense”.

Thermal Tourism is closely connected to the natural and cultural environment and represents one of the most valuable forms of sustainable tourism. As well as promoting health, well-being, learning, entertainment and mindfulness, it also supports jobs and promotes social opportunity, including in rural destinations.  UNWTO is committed to promoting thermal tourism as a powerful tool to contribute to safeguarding the world’s cultural and natural heritage as well as to provide socio-economic benefits, including the revitalization of rural areas and the creation of stable employment and income-earning opportunities.

The UNWTO Affiliate Members will be part of the official World Tourism Day celebration, due to be held in Bali, Indonesia (27 September), bringing the voices of business, academia and civil society to conversations around this year’s theme of “Rethinking Tourism”.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Rethink Tourism – Sector Gets Ready to Celebrate World Tourism Day 2022

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Rethink Tourism - Sector Gets Ready to Celebrate World Tourism Day 2022 - VISITBALI.org - TRAVELINDEXBali, Indonesia, August 19, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The countdown to World Tourism Day 2022 is now underway, with every part of the sector invited to be an active part of the annual celebrations.

With the theme of ‘Rethinking Tourism’, the International Day of Observance will this year focus on re-imagining the sector’s growth, both in terms of size and relevance. The Republic of Indonesia will host the official day (27 September), though all UNWTO Member States, as well as non-members and stakeholders from across the private sector, are being invited to host their own celebrations as well as to promote the day and its central theme.

The potential of tourism is enormous, and we have a shared responsibility to make sure it is fully realized

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The potential of tourism is enormous, and we have a shared responsibility to make sure it is fully realized. On World Tourism Day 2022, UNWTO calls on everyone, from tourism workers to tourists themselves, as well as small businesses, large corporations and governments to reflect and rethink what we do and how we do it.”

World Tourism Day has been held on 27 September each year since 1980. The date marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Statutes of the Organization in 1970, paving the way for the establishment of UNWTO five years later.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO Member Dominican Republic Reporting Strong Tourism Rebound

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UNWTO Member Dominican Republic Reporting Strong Tourism Rebound - TRAVELINDEXSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic, August 9, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO has warmly welcomed the first data on summer arrivals from its Member States. As international travel returns in many parts of the world, several Members are starting to report strong numbers both for arrivals and tourist spending. This is in spite of the fact the sector continues to face a number of challenges, among them the ongoing pandemic, rising interest rates and cost of living levels, and heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

From the Dominican Republic, Minister of Tourism David Collado, has advised UNWTO of record arrival numbers for April, May, June and July. Notably, arrivals in July were 24% higher than in 2019, putting the country on course for its best year on record, including in terms of sales taxes and income generation. In response, UNWTO has sent its congratulations to the Minister and commends the Dominican Republic for its strong and ongoing support for tourism. UNWTO also notes the invaluable contribution of the private sector, as exemplified by the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (ASONAHORES), which is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary.

This growth comes even as destinations across the Dominican Republic continue to miss tourists from Russia and Ukraine, two historically strong source markets. In recognition of its leading status as a resilient destination, the Dominican Republic was the focus of the first UNWTO Investment Guidelines publication, released at the start of 2022. Developed alongside the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic and the national Export and Investment Center (PRODOMINICANA), the new guide provides key insights for investors, with the aim of boosting foreign direct investment in the Caribbean destination.

The Dominican Republic will also host the 118th session of the UNWTO Executive Council in the first quarter of 2023.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News