Tourism and the G20 Economies

• The G20 economies represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
• In 2022, the G20 welcomed 74% of all international tourists and accounted for 73% of tourism exports worldwide. In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tourism Direct GDP reached 3.7% of the G20 economies.

The significance of tourism to the global economy prompted the creation of an initiative under the name of T20, counting with the full support of UN Tourism.

Against the background of the enhanced international cooperation which emerged from the 2008-2009 global economic crisis, there was an opportunity for Tourism Ministers to speak in a coordinated manner on a number of global issues.

The initiative emerged as a follow up to the Roadmap for Recovery developed by UN Tourism. The Roadmap for Recovery, which was approved in October 2009 at the Organization’s General Assembly, is a manifesto on how tourism, one of the world’s biggest sources of jobs and export earnings, can be a primary vehicle for employment creation, enhanced development, trade promotion, economic recovery and the transformation towards a greener economy.

The first T20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in South Africa (23-24 February 2010) followed an informal gathering of the T20 countries held in Kazakhstan in 2009 during the UN Tourism General Assembly, to discuss tourism’s valuable contribution to the economic stimuli required for the global economy’s recovery and the longer-term ‘green’ transformation.

Other meetings followed hosted by the countries chairing the G20. Topics discussed included:

With the aim of addressing priority issues for the sector to promote a more sustainable and balanced growth, the Ministers of Tourism approved the Terms of Reference for the creation of a first  G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) under Saudi Arabia's Presidency (2020). The Group focuses its tourism policy principles on fostering employment, accrediting the workforce, promoting sustainable and inclusive practices, and encouraging innovation in the sector. In 2020, against the backdrop of a global pandemic in which international tourism experienced an unprecedented 74% fall, the sustainable recovery of the sector became an urgent priority for the working groups.

The G20 Tourism Working Groups have developed their priorities along these lines under the different presidencies:

UN Tourism has been a knowledge partner of the various Presidency supporting the development of the objectives identified to advance the role of tourism in the G20 economies.

Members

Ministers of Tourism of the G20 countries

• Argentina
• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• China
• France
• Germany
• India
• Indonesia
• Italy
• Japan
• Mexico
• Republic of Korea
• Republic of South Africa
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Turkey
• United Kingdom
• United States of America
• European Union
• Spain (Permanent invitee)