Ministers from across the Americas have met to map a course for the sustainable growth of the region’s tourism sector, a lifeline for many millions and a key driver of economic growth. Though kept apart physically due to the extraordinary circumstances, the 65th meeting of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas saw Member States more united than ever in their determination to harness the power of tourism to recover from the economic and social impact of COVID-19 and drive future growth.
The second of the UNWTO Regional Commission meetings to be held virtually, the high-level discussions were opened by Chairman and Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, Edmund Bartlett. He was joined by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, and Ministers of Tourism for 22 Member States from across the Americas. The meeting was held as destinations across the region continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, as well as allowing Member States to share their responses to the shared challenge, discussions also focused on plans for sustainable recovery and future resilience, with an emphasis on the potential of digitization and new ideas and in boosting investment in green business models.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The temporary suspension of tourism has had a significant impact on the Americas. This meeting showed the shared determination to grow back stronger and better once the conditions allow. Sustainability and innovation will be at the heart of tourism’s recovery, both in the Americas and in every other global region. The sector’s return to growth will be a lifeline for many millions of people across the Americas while also helping protect and promote the region’s many cultures and natural heritage.”
The sector’s return to growth will be a lifeline for many millions of people across the Americas
Reflecting the dynamic nature of tourism and the sector’s ability to adapt, the meeting featured the announcement of a joint collaboration between UNWTO and the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) designed to promote digital transformation and positive change. The “Beyond Tourism Innovation Challenge”, will identify the best new ideas for the disruption of tourism, with a focus on sustainability and creating opportunities for all.
The meeting of the Commission for the Americas also saw a presentation of UNWTO’s joint project with the IFC (International Finance Corporation). The “Green Investments for Sustainable Tourism” initiative is designed to promote more investment in the greening of the sector, with a special emphasis on hospitality and on small-and-medium-sized businesses.
Year after year, destinations are receiving more and more travellers whose motivation is to visit locations where famous series or movies were filmed. Culture is an essential vector for tourism and cinema can serve as a mirror of the culture of a given community. It is against this backdrop that the Conference on Tourism and the Audiovisual Industry will be held (1-2 May 2020, Riviera Maya, Mexico).
What can tourism learn from the knowledge, proposals and contributions of the most important representatives of the audiovisual sector of Ibero-America? How can conclusions and recommendations be formulated in this field to promote sustainable development through tourism? The “Conference on Tourism and the Audiovisual Industry” will provide answers to these questions.
The event is will be carried out by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in collaboration with UNWTO Affiliate Members EGEDA (Entidad de Gestión de Derechos de los Productores Audiovisuales), the Tourism Promotion Council of Quintana Roo and the XCaret Group, and with the support of the Barceló Hotel & Resorts Group.
The Conference will be integrated into the extensive programme of events in the context of the 2020 Platino Awards Gala, which will be held under the theme “17 Awards - 17 Sustainable Development Goals” and will bring together prominent representatives from the entire Ibero-American audiovisual industry: producers, directors, actors, and professionals, among others.
The conference will focus on the different aspects of the relationship between tourism, the film/audiovisual industry and the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will feature presentations and debates on cultural tourism, the beneficial impact of cinema on tourism promotion, strengthening the competitiveness of a destination and how to promote and incorporate the SDGs in movies.
Given the nature of this approach, which literally gives visibility to the SDGs through creative narratives, the Conference is very much in line with the recently initiated Decade of Action for the SDGs, which marks the countdown towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Global Goals that derive from it.
Building bridges
The conference will be aimed at public and private entities linked to the tourism and audiovisual sectors, respectively (producers, directors, actors and other film professionals, Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), National Tourism Administrations (NTAs), Ministries of Tourism, and UNWTO Affiliate Members, among others).
The event will facilitate dialogue between tourism destinations and the most important companies producing films and series, public and private television networks, sales agents, distributors and exhibitors from more than 30 countries, with the common objective of promoting film tourism through the opening of a special market area to encourage the promotion and marketing of products and services related to the audiovisual, tourism and education sectors.
For more information, contact am@unwto.org
Valle de Colchagua, Chile, 05 December 2019 - The 4th Global Conference on Wine Tourism, hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Government of Chile, has concluded with a call to use the sector’s unique ability to rejuvenate and support rural communities.
Held in the Colchagua Valley, home to some of Chile’s most prominent wine producers, the event saw more than 400 participants from destinations including Argentina, France, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and USA, come together to explore the many opportunities that wine tourism can bring. The event further strengthened ties between UNWTO and Chile, a Member State since 1979. The previous week, the United Nations specialized agency also presented the case for tourism as a key contributor to the sustainability agenda at the UN Climate Change Summit, COP25 in Madrid, held under the Presidency of Chile.
Welcoming delegates, UNWTO General-Secretary Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Wine tourism creates jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities. It touches all areas of the regional economy through its linkages to handicrafts, gastronomy and agriculture. There lies its great potential to generate development opportunities in remote destinations.”
In this regard, the Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, Lucas Palacios, said that “wine tourism continues to grow thanks to the thrust of the vineyards that are challenged to go further and further, expanding their horizons beyond production and the sale of wine, but it is also thanks to the fact that, as a State, we have implemented a public policy that fosters sustainable tourism development, where we have tremendous potential.”
The Undersecretary of Tourism, Mónica Zalaquett, said that “this is an opportunity to show our territory. Today there are more than 100 vineyards open to wine tourism and this congress is about that. They are going to transfer knowledge, share experiences, promote dialogues and deliver tools, so that we can improve this wine tourism offer”.
In particular, the fourth edition of the most important annual event in enotourism, focused on the sector’s ability to transform rural communities, build economies and create jobs outside of major cities. Alongside sessions on tourism as a driver of rural socio-economic development, the conference also featured workshops and debates on how destinations can diversify and market themselves to meet changing consumer demands. At the same time, UNWTO experts also explained the potential benefits of embracing digital transformation and entrepreneurship in tourism, particularly in rural areas.
The Alentejo region in Portugal will host the 2020 edition of the UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism. Next year will also be UNWTO’s year of ‘Tourism and Rural Development’, with a number of specially-themed events planned.
León, Guanajuato, Mexico 28 November 2019 - The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has joined with the Municipality of León (Guanajuato, Mexico) to present the first UNWTO project on Shopping Tourism, with the aim of boosting the local economy, creating jobs and driving sustainable and inclusive development.
The pilot project is the result of more than a year’s collaboration between the United Nations specialized agency and the Municipality of León, carried out with support from the Ministry of Tourism of the State of Guanajuato. The initiative aims to maximize the benefits of tourist activity in the city of León and promote it as a shopping destination, both within Mexico and around the world. The project focuses on several key areas, namely: attracting visitors, the creation of tourism products, the efficient use of tourism attractions and the quality of infrastructure. Alongside these, attention is also given to community involvement in tourism as well as local socio-economic wellbeing and the promotion of employment.
Around 65 interviews were conducted with actors from the tourism, commerce and design sectors, as well as with public sector and government representatives. Two participatory workshops were then conducted to identify, create and validate proposed initiatives. As a result a total of 21 initiatives were identified, out of which 10 were selected based on different criteria, such as their contribution to the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs), their impact and the timeline.
Initiatives include the development of tourism products and services such as the León Shopping Card as well as urban interventions such as the León Design districts, which involves the conversion of emblematic areas and the installation of designer ateliers, boutiques or the House of Innovation and Trends, a unique public interactive space, open to all, where local designers can interact with visitors and come up with the design trends of the future Gloria Cano de la Fuente, director general of Hospitality and Tourism of León said “Being a leading destination requires us to create a new culture of visitor service, based on the creation of innovative and value-added experiences, this is how this Shopping tourism prototype will define us” León, the capital of footwear and leather, was the selected destination because 27% of its visitors come to the city to shop, mainly for leather. With this project and the support of the UNWTO, León aims to position itself as a destination for value-added shopping tourism through innovative experiences in shopping tourism. At the same time, it aims to promote the integration of companies and individuals from different areas in the value chain of tourism and commerce in León and its surroundings (artisans, agriculture, leather, footwear, design, automotive, among others), while stimulating the creation of employment and new opportunities based on the promotion of high value-added shopping tourism and local development.
Nº of Pages: 56
ISBN (electronic version): 978-92-844-1968-5
ISBN (print version): 978-92-844-1967-8
This joint publication between UNWTO and the Organization of American States highlights case studies from across the Americas that showcase the contribution of tourism to sustainable development in line with the 17 universal SDGs. It shows how a common multi-stakeholder approach to tourism development can catalyze sustainable growth through our sector.
Key recommendations:
