UNWTO continues to lead the way in promoting tourism standards. The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) of British Columbia, Canada, has been awarded the UNWTO.QUEST Certification which recognizes Destination Management Organizations (DMOs). The programme emphasizes UNWTO’s commitment to deliver for the sector by encouraging and recognizing excellence in governance and destination management in both Member States and non-Member States.

The program is designed to boost innovation, digital transformation and planning in the tourism sector

UNWTO is moving ahead with plans to revise its strategic collaboration with the private sector. This follows up on the commitment made at 112th UNWTO Executive Council held in Tbilisi, Georgia, in September 2020.

The Global Tourism Crisis Committee has met for the last time in 2020, to continue advancing coordination and cooperation among all parts of the sector. The virtual meeting of the Committee, established by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) at the start of the pandemic, was hosted by Portugal ahead of its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, beginning in January. It was accompanied by in-person meetings of the highest political level between the UNWTO leadership, Prime Minister António Costa and the Ministers Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva.

UNWTO has concluded a first in-person visit to Bali since the start of the pandemic. The delegation met with key figures from the Government of the Republic of Indonesia to advance collaboration as the country gets ready to reopen its borders to international visitors and restart tourism.