Ibero-American Leaders Urged to Embrace Tourism as Driver of Development

• Americas, Europe
• 21 Apr 2021

The unique power of tourism to drive sustainable development was made clear as UNWTO took part in the 27th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government in Andorra.

With a special focus on the role of innovation in sustainable development, the hybrid summit united leaders of the 22 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America and Europe. Held against this backdrop, the Ibero-American Business Meeting brough together top executives from the region’s top companies, including from the banking and aviation sectors. Addressing this meeting, UNWTO highlighted its leading role in addressing the key challenges facing tourism. Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili noted the sector’s proven economic and social importance to all the participating countries and reiterated his strong call for clear leadership, coordination and joined-up action.

Coordinated restart and recovery

Coordinate the introduction of protocols for safe international travel to avoid adding uncertainty and undermining confidence

With tourism a pillar of development and employment in all Ibero-American economies, Mr Pololikashvili underscored “the opportunity for tourism to help us grow back better”. At the same time, he pointed to the pressing need to “coordinate the introduction of protocols for safe international travel to avoid adding uncertainty and undermining confidence”. The ‘Digital Green Pass’, which aims to restart tourism in the European Union by June or July, “should be an example for other global regions and countries to follow; the cost of more chaos is simply too high not to”, he added.

UNWTO outlined its new Destination Tracker, produced in partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to address uncertainty and lack of confidence in travel. Participants were also informed of UNWTO’s enhanced partnerships with international finance organizations to ensure tourism jobs and businesses receive the support they need in this time of crisis. Looking ahead, UNWTO’s work with the Inter-American Development Bank and with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will help ensure the restart of tourism delivers benefits for rural communities on both sides of the Atlantic.

Leaders united

The UNWTO Delegation joined His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain, alongside the Head of Government of Andorra, Espot Zamora, the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, and the President de of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, in Andorra for the biennial meeting. Leaders from across the other 17 Member States of the Ibero-American Community, as well as its Associate Observers and Consultative Observers from international organizations, joined in the proceedings virtually.

The Andorra summit followed on from high-level meetings between the UNWTO leadership and the Presidents of both the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. On the day before the start of the summit, President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, and the President de of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei both paid official visits to the UNWTO headquarters in Madrid.

In these meetings, UNWTO stressed the importance of cooperation in restarting tourism in a joined-up manner. The importance of tourism to both countries was also highlighted, including not just the sector’s economic importance but its contributions to rural development and the opportunities it creates for indigenous communities.

Related Links

• Download the news release in PDF
• UNWTO Regional Department for the Americas
• Advancing Harmonized Travel Protocols and Financing Tourism’s Survival

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Statistics to Guide Restart of Tourism in the Caribbean

• Americas
• 18 Feb 2021

From the need for enhanced political engagement to developing relevant expertise, the World Tourism Organization, jointly with the Caribbean Tourism Organization, have united their Members in the Caribbean to address the key challenges they face in making effective use of statistics to drive the restart of their tourism sectors.

Over the course of two days, a regional virtual workshop analysed the importance of tourism data for supporting the sector in the present and helping tourism to restart in the Caribbean in a timely and sustainable manner. The workshop brought together around 130 participants from 23 States, including the leaders of National Tourism Administrations, National Statistical Offices, Central Banks and Migration authorities. The high-level status of participants ensures that they will in turn spread UNWTO’s technical expertise within their own countries, empowering more tourism professionals with knowledge of how best to analyse and use data to guide decisions.  

Through the sessions, the Caribbean tourism community got a better understanding of the fundamentals of tourism statistics. They were also given an overview of UNWTO’s Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) data, as well as guidance on how this can be used to guide decision-making. 

Welcoming UNWTO’s technical assistance, Neil Walters, Acting Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization said: “We recognize the importance of data and statistics in the development of COVID-19 recovery programs and comprehensive sustainable tourism strategies. We thank the UNWTO for supporting our efforts at capacity building in tourism statistics analysis and reporting in the Caribbean.”

The workshop also emphasized the relevance of tourism statistics, both for informing the sector’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic but also, looking ahead, for its role in guiding sustainable development across the Caribbean region. As with every other global region, the crisis has hit the Caribbean hard. According to the latest UNWTO data, Caribbean destinations experienced a 67% fall in international tourist arrivals in 2020 compared to the previous year. Given the reliance of many destinations on the sector, this has placed large numbers of livelihoods and businesses at risk and makes the timely restart of tourism vital.

Related links

• Download in PDF
• UNWTO Regional Department for the Americas
• UNWTO Tourism Statistics and Data
• Conceptual Guidance on Tourism Statistics in the COVID-19 Context
• Statistics

UNWTO Recognizes the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association in Canada for Excellence in Governance

• Americas
• 15 Dec 2020

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.

Aimed at destination management organizations (DMOs) worldwide, the UNWTO.QUEST Certification provides a unique framework for strengthening institutional capacities and benchmarking excellence in three key areas: Strategic Leadership, Effective Execution and Efficient Governance.

TOTA, which represents and supports businesses and community tourism interests across the Thompson Okanagan region, was found to excel in all three. An audit conducted in August and September of 2020, gave the organization a score of 529 out of a possible 531 points. In recognition of the achievement, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili sent a letter of congratulations to TOTA, also a UNWTO Affiliate Member.

Welcoming the news, Glenn Mandziuk, President and CEO of TOTA, said: “On behalf of our entire team at the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and our Board of Directors, we are so honored to receive the UNWTO.QUEST Certification recognizing TOTA as a leading Destination Management Organization in the world. The process involved a rigorous and thorough review of the work of our Association and took place over several months, and I am thrilled we earned such a high score.”
 
By driving DMOs to improve and recognizing those that are leading the way, the UNWTO.QUEST certification helps to enhance governance and competitiveness across the whole of the tourism sector while also advancing sustainability and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals at destination level.

The UNWTO.QUEST Certification is valid for four years, with possibility of renewal.

Related Links

• Download the press release in PDF
• UNWTO.QUEST
• UNWTO Guidelines for Institutional Strengthening of Destination Management Organizations
• UNWTO Destination Management

UNWTO in Uruguay: Celebrating Resilience and Supporting Tourism’s Sustainable Restart

• Americas
• 23 Nov 2020

The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has concluded his official visit to the Americas with a series of high-level meetings in Uruguay. Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with President Luis Lacalle Pou to learn more about his government’s work to support tourism businesses and workers, and to agree on deepening UNWTOs collaboration on the ground. This was followed up with meetings with key private sector leaders.

As a long-standing UNWTO member and as one of the co-hosts of World Tourism Day 2020, Uruguay has long shown its commitment to harnessing the power of tourism for growth and opportunity. Secretary-General Pololikashvili thanked President Lacalle Pou for his strong support for the sector during the pandemic and his efforts to restart tourism safely and responsibly. This includes a focus on growing domestic tourism and, in line with the theme of World Tourism Day, using this to provide opportunities for rural communities across Uruguay. 

UNWTO cites example of Uruguay

Uruguay showcases just how resilient tourism is and how it can bounce back and drive recovery when given the right support, benefitting both the overall economy and local communities

Over the past decade, Uruguay has emerged as one of the strongest destinations in the Americas region. In the wake of the 2009 Global Financial Crisis, UNWTO singled the country out as an example of the sector’s unique resilience. Now, on this latest official visit to the country, the UNWTO leadership recognized the ongoing commitment to tourism, with the sector remaining a priority throughout changes in government.

Mr Pololikashvili said: “Uruguay showcases just how resilient tourism is and how it can bounce back and drive recovery when given the right support, benefitting both the overall economy and local communities. I thank President Lacalle Pou and his government for their unwavering support for UNWTO and for our sector, and I look forward to continuing working together to strengthen cooperation over the challenging months ahead.”

Collaboration key to recovery

The UNWTO delegation also met with Minister of Tourism Germán Cardoso to hear his plans to support and restart tourism with a focus on sustainability and inclusivity. This also presented UNWTO with the opportunity to share the outputs of the most recent meetings of the Global Tourism Crisis Committee, including plans to bring governments and private sector leaders together to boost confidence in international travel, most notably through the creation of a first International Code for the Protection of Tourists.

Further highlighting UNWTO’s determination to foster high-level collaboration in order to accelerate the restart of tourism and ensure that innovation and sustainability are at the heart of future recovery, Secretary-General Pololikashvili brought together the Tourism Ministers of both Brazil and Uruguay for a special meeting with President Lacalle Pou. The two Ministers signalled their commitment to working together towards shared goals, including not just greater sustainability but also promoting investment in tourism so as to drive economic growth and job creation.

Related Links

• Download the press release in PDF
• UNWTO Official Visit to Brazil to Support Sustainable Recovery of Tourism
• New International Code to Offer Greater Protection for Tourists
• UNWTO Regional Department for the Americas

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UNWTO Official Visit to Brazil to Support Sustainable Recovery of Tourism

• Americas
• 19 Nov 2020

The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with the Government of Brazil to help the country’s tourism sector recover and become a key driver of sustainable development. The statement of support came as Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili led a UNWTO delegation to meet with President Jair Bolsonaro and Minister of Tourism Marcelo Álvaro Antônio.

Making good on his commitment to resume in-person visits to Member States as soon as possible, Mr. Pololikashvili led the UNWTO delegation to Brazil, on a first visit to the Americas region since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The highlight of the visit was a meeting with President Bolsonaro, during which Secretary-General Pololikashvili thanked him for making tourism a central part of his government’s agenda and for his ongoing support for UNWTO. The President and his government were cited as a strong example of Member States working together with UNWTO to advance education and training in the tourism sector, foster innovation, and drive both job creation and investment.

Strong support for tourism

I thank the Government of Brazil for the ongoing, strong support for tourism and I am particularly encouraged by the commitment to growing innovation in tourism and using the sector as a tool to advance sustainable development for all

In meetings between the UNWTO leadership and the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio outlined how he has been working to support the sector through the unprecedented crisis posed by the pandemic. Measures taken include advancing US$1 billion of loans to support tourism businesses, as well as promoting investments in the sector, including through modifying the existing legal framework.

Alongside this, UNWTO is working closely with private partner Wakalúa, the first global tourism innovation hub, and the Brazilian government to make the country a hub of tourism innovation. Furthermore, the Brazilian government used the occasion of these meetings to again express an interest in hosting a new UNWTO Regional Office for the Americas.

The UNWTO delegation also met with Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ernesto Araújo and shared with him the roadmap to restart tourism designed on the back of continued dialogue with the Global Tourism Crisis Committee. The meeting also focused on the need for stronger cooperation to advance tourism’s contribution to inclusive and sustainable development, including for rural communities across Brazil.

UNWTO building confidence in tourism again

The UNWTO Secretary-General said: “Tourism is a powerful force for good for Brazil and for all of the Americas. As UNWTO guides the global restart of tourism, we are on our first official visit to the region since the start of the crisis. I thank the Government of Brazil for the ongoing, strong support for tourism and I am particularly encouraged by the commitment to growing innovation in tourism and using the sector as a tool to advance sustainable development for all.”

Secretary-General Pololikashvili also used the occasion of the official visit to Brazil to share the steps UNWTO is taking to ensure confidence returns to international tourism. These include plans to introduce a new International Code for the Protection of Tourists, which will also have the additional benefit of spreading responsibility for tourists faced with emergency situations more fairly across the sector. Furthermore, the UNWTO delegation stressed the heightened importance of strong collaboration, both between governments and also between the public and private sectors.

Next stop - Uruguay

After visiting Brazil, the UNWTO delegation will leave for neighbouring Uruguay where the Secretary-general is expected to meet the country’s political leadership and key public and private tourism players.

Related links

• Download the press release in PDF
• New International Code to Provide Greater Legal Protection for Tourists
• UNWTO Regional Department for the Americas
• UNWTO in Namibia: First Visit to African Member State Since Start of Pandemic

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