Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the former Executive Director of UN Women, has been confirmed as the new Chairperson of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics.
The 24th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly, which met in Madrid (30 Novemer-3 December) unanimously approved Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka’s nomination for the position. She will serve as Chair for four years, starting on 3 December 2021, taking over from Pascal Lamy, former Director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and President Emeritus of the Jacques Delors Institute.
“It is with great honour that I accept this appointment and I will, together with the members of the Ethics Committee, work hard to provide a fair guidance towards more ethical practices in the tourism sector.” said Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka.
With her rich background and experience of leadership, Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka will ensure that the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics continue to serve as a compass directing us towards a fairer and more inclusive tourism sector
UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili added: “With her rich background and experience of leadership, Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka will ensure that the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics continue to serve as a compass directing us towards a fairer and more inclusive tourism sector.”
The World Committee on Tourism Ethics is the independent body responsible for interpreting, applying and evaluating the provisions of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. The Committee’s tasks include the promotion and dissemination of the Code as well as the evaluation and monitoring of its implementation. Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka brings to the role significant experience working in the fields of human rights, equality and social justice, most notably serving as an Undersecretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women for two terms.
The 24th UNWTO General Assembly also approved the appointment of the following as Committee Members: Ms. Mayada Belal (Undersecretary for the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for Cultural Cooperation), Mr. José Ignacio Besga Zuazola (President of the Basque Country Ethics Cluster), Ms. Susan Longley (General Secretary of the International Union of Food, Agriculture, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers Associations (IUF), Ms. Daniela Otero (Chief Executive Officer of Skal International).
Ms. Gunnur Diker (Partner and General Manager of Eurasia Tourism Ltd.), Mr. Shahid Hamid Fih (Chairman & Founder of SH’otel Hospitality Management & Consultancy Ltd) and Prof. Marina Novelli (Professor of Tourism and International Development at the University of Brighton) were also appointed as alternate members of the Committee.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the GSMA, the global association unifying the mobile ecosystem, have announced a partnership to promote the upskilling of people in underserved communities, engaged in tourism. With their combined expertise in responsible tourism and mobile connectivity, the UNWTO and GSMA will help marginalised groups, particularly women and indigenous peoples, provide new tourism services to improve their livelihoods.
The partnership has been developed as part of the GSMA-led Digital Declaration, which unites CEOs from across industry sectors who are committed to acting ethically in the digital era and delivering what matters most to digital citizens, industry, and governments.
The GSMA and UNWTO recently provided the first training sessions. Focused on digital marketing and delivered in Chiapas and Veracruz in Mexico, these workshops have helped local women acquire new skills to identify new audiences and promote their artisan textiles online.
UNWTO is happy to partner with GSMA to reach communities and individuals that stand to benefit most from the restart and recovery of our sector
The workshops form part of the UNWTO Weaving the Recovery project. This project is delivered with partners from Mexico, including -NGO Impacto and Centro de las Artes Indigenas (CAI), as well as the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA).
Currently millions of indigenous women across the globe require training that could enable them to harness the potential offered by online channels, develop their business plans, and partake in cultural exchange with their peers by using new technology.
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General, UNWTO, said: “The digital transformation of tourism ensures that the social and economic benefits it offers are enjoyed more widely than ever before. UNWTO is happy to partner with GSMA to reach communities and individuals that stand to benefit most from the restart and recovery of our sector.”
Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA, added: “As the Covid-19 pandemic showed, people rely on mobile technology and internet access across all aspects of their lives. However, the pandemic has also shown the need to bridge the digital divide, particularly for people who do not know how to use the internet. By collaborating with the UNWTO, we’ll help to create an environment so that people in underserved communities will be able to learn new digital skills that will help them run their businesses.”
According to data from a report jointly presented by UNWTO and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the crash in international tourism caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could cause losses of more than $4 trillion to global GDP, affecting the industry itself and those closely linked to it. It is hoped that initiatives such as this partnership can help reinvigorate the tourism sector and power a strong socioeconomic recovery.
Both the Weaving the Recovery and the Digital Declaration projects were featured at the Paris Peace Forum 2021 in November, which besides gathering 45 heads of states and governments, also promoted UNWTO and GSMA initiatives for addressing global governance issues.
The future UNWTO and GSMA cooperation will also focus on capacity building related to digital inclusion and e-commerce which has become instrumental for local communities and creative industries in the recovery process.
About the GSMA
The GSMA is a global organization unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
We invite you to find out more at gsma.com.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published the world’s first standard on accessible tourism, ISO 21902 Tourism and related services – Accessible tourism for all – Requirements and recommendations. This is an international standard offering guidelines to ensure access and enjoyment of tourism for all on an equal basis.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Fundación ONCE and UNE (Asociación Española de Normalización) led the development of this pioneering, cross-cutting standard on an international level, focusing on accessible tourism throughout the whole value chain of the tourism sector.
This is a business that in the European Union represents a potential market of 80 million persons, or 130 million if companions are included. Moreover, the market is growing considering the population pyramid in many European countries, and this is also the case for other parts of the world.
As from today, this standard is available in Spanish as UNE-ISO 21902, having been translated and included in the UNE national catalogue of standards. It addresses service providers and tourism operators as well as public administrations and tourism destinations.
The UNE-ISO 21902 standard establishes requirements and recommendations for accessible tourism. For example, in order for a beach to be considered accessible, it must offer showers, toilets and a route that can be used by all. Also, accessible pedestrian routes in a natural environment must provide, amongst other requirements, a continuous, firm and stable floor and signalling and must offer details on the itinerary before the start of the route. In general, in their written communications, tourism establishments must use clear and simple language following a logical sequence, with images and graphic symbols where appropriate, and with contrasting colours and easy-to-read fonts.
It is hoped that the standard will become a key tool for enforcing the right of everyone to enjoy tourism and leisure. In spite of advances over recent decades, in many countries there is still much to be done before the tourism sector takes into account the needs of the more than 1 billion persons with disabilities in the world.
Because of the way in which environments, infrastructure and a wide range of tourism services have been conceived, tourists with disabilities often face challenges starting from the actual planning of their trip and including their experience in the destination. This standard aims to trigger change.
Throughout 2021 and 2022, UNWTO, Fundación ONCE and UNE, together with experts, will hold an awareness campaign addressing their members and associates to stress the harmonization of accessible tourism on a global scale by means of standards.
This worldwide standard was developed by the International Standardization Committee ISO/TC 228 on Tourism and related services, in which UNWTO coordinated working group WG14 bringing together 85 experts from more than 35 countries and five relevant organizations in this area who were responsible for the drafting. Fundación ONCE held the technical leadership and UNE provided the secretariat and coordinated with ISO.
About Fundación ONCE
Fundación ONCE for Cooperation and Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities is an instrument for solidarity within the ONCE. It was set up in 1988 to improve the living conditions of other groups of persons with disabilities, by means of programmes for inclusion in the world of work and training, as well as dissemination of the concept of universal accessibility, with the creation of globally accessible environments, products and services.
About UNE (Asociación Española de Normalización)
UNE is an entity that is legally responsible for developing technical regulations or standards. Such standards reflect the consensus of the market on best practices in key areas for the competitiveness of organizations and are the result of joint efforts by economic sectors and the administration. 12,000 experts participate in the drafting of standards in the 226 Technical Standardization Committees working in UNE. UNE represents Spain in standardization bodies on an international level (ISO and IEC), in Europe (CEN and CENELEC) and in COPANT (America); it is also the Spanish standardization body in ETSI. UNE also carries out intense work in the field of International Cooperation.
The UNWTO Affiliate Members Department, within the framework of the activities of the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, organized the Expert Meeting on Accessible Tourism – Good Practices on Accessible Tourism in Nature Areas at FITUR Next.
This event provided a space to recognize the importance of incorporating accessibility into the tourism practices in nature environments, share knowledge and experiences by UNWTO Affiliate Members and other tourism stakeholders, and provide recommendation on how to strengthen accessibility and create an accessible tourism for all.
At the event, the publication Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development – Compendium of Best Practices, available in the UNWTO E-Library, was launched and presented to the audience. This publication is the result of the work carried out in the last months by the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, coordinated by the Affiliate Members Department and chaired by the Spanish Network for Accessible Tourism (Red Estable).
We trust this publication will provide all relevant stakeholders with tools and resources to make their tourism destinations, facilities and services accessible for all
Its aim is to create an accessible pathway in nature, from which to descry a new approach for inclusive tourism development in natural areas, which is very much in line with the UNWTO priority to foster an Accessible Tourism for All and so contributing to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The compilation of best practices included in the publication and the final recommendations provides innovative, inclusive, and sustainable solutions that enable access to nature for all the people.
In the words of UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili: There is still a lot of work to be done, as we are still far from guaranteeing a universally accessible tourism sector. However, we trust this publication will provide all relevant stakeholders with tools and resources to make their tourism destinations, facilities and services accessible for all. We also hope it will serve as a source of inspiration for them to continue working, so that tourism becomes truly accessible.
Within the framework of the event, representatives of the entities which contributed to the publication shared with the audience their projects, all very different in terms of contents but sharing the common goal of promoting an Accessible Tourism for All and supporting the right of people with disabilities to travel. Accessible accommodations in nature, accessibility to natural parks and beaches, and the use of plastic to manufacture accessible products were only some of the topics that were presented.
As the sector enters the second year of an unprecedented crisis, the impact this has had on women in tourism has been made clear. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the pandemic, and the unprecedented drop in international tourist arrivals, risks rolling back progress made towards achieving gender equality and efforts to empower women and girls.
UNWTO is marking International Women’s Day 2021 with the release of our Inclusive Recovery Guide for women in tourism, compiled in collaboration with UN Women.
UNWTO data shows that women make up the majority of the tourism workforce (54%). Women in tourism are also often concentrated in low-skilled or informal work. This means that they are feeling the economic shock caused by the crisis more acutely and quicker than their male counterparts. In many cases, they are cut off from the social and healthcare protections that are so vital in a global pandemic.
Crisis “has a woman’s face”
Tourism is a proven driver of equality and opportunity
The Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres says, “As the world marks International Women’s Day in the midst of a global pandemic, one stark fact is clear: the COVID-19 crisis has a woman’s face.” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili adds, “Tourism is a proven driver of equality and opportunity. This unprecedented crisis has hit our sector’s women fast and hard, which is why gender equality and empowerment must be centre stage as we work together to restart tourist and accelerate recovery.”
Recommendations for inclusive recovery
Almost one year on since the pandemic was officially declared, the negative impact it is having on women and girls has become devastatingly clear. This increase in women’s economic and social insecurity combined with the observed rise in unpaid care work and domestic violence have meant that women in tourism have been disproportionately affected by the devastating effects of the pandemic on the sector.
The Inclusive Recovery Guide provides recommendations to policymakers, businesses and civil society actors in tourism for designing gender-responsive measures in response to the ongoing pandemic.
The Regional Report on Women in Tourism in the Middle East maps the participation of women in the tourism sector across the region prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, it assesses the contribution of tourism to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 – to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The report, compiled to mark the 2020 G20 Saudi Presidency, aims to inform further work on gender equality and equip stakeholders with tools they need to boost women’s empowerment in the region’s tourism sector.
The Republic of Indonesia has become the first signatory of the Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics, the landmark instrument created to ensure global tourism is fair, inclusive, more transparent, and works for everyone.
The ceremony, hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Madrid, is a significant step towards the ratification of the Convention, which was adopted during the 23rd meeting of the UNWTO General Assembly in September 2019. With the sector currently facing up to the biggest crisis in its history, today’s signing was a clear sign that Member States are looking to UNWTO for firm leadership and remain committed to its mission to use this pause as an opportunity to realign tourism.
The Convention was hailed as a “big step forward” towards introducing a universal, legally binding ethical code for tourism, one of the world’s most important socio-economic sectors. In a special ceremony attended by the country’s Ambassador to Spain Bapak Hermono and hosted at the UNWTO headquarters, Indonesia became the first country to sign, signalling its strong commitment to uphold the highest ethical principles as it expands its tourism sector.
Indonesia played an important role in the drafting of the Convention as part of the Committee that converted the Global Code of Ethics in Tourism into an international legally binding instrument. A Member State since 1975, it is currently working with UNWTO to restart tourism in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, UNWTO conducted a virtual meeting with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to explore solutions for the safe reopening of Bali to international visitors. In this regard, technical assistance from UNWTO will be provided in due course.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Fundación ONCE celebrated the best ‘Accessible Tourist Destinations’, at FITUR, the tourism trade fair in Madrid. These are distinctions granted by the two entities to recognize and promote tourist destinations that are accessible to all people. In this first edition of the initiative, this special recognition was given to Portugal, Barcelona and the Indian city of Thrissur.
The organizers want to value the destinations that make an important effort so that they can be enjoyed by any tourist, regardless of their physical, sensory or cognitive abilities
The recognition ceremony took place within the framework of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) 2020, which is now in its 40th edition and is held at the IFEMA Fairgrounds in Madrid. Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General participated in the event alongside José Luis Martínez Donoso, General Director of Fundación ONCE. Also taking part were Marina Diotallevi, Director of Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility at UNWTO; Ana Larrañaga, Director of IFEMA, and Jesús Hernández, Director of Universal Accessibility and Innovation of Fundación ONCE.
The ATDs 2019 edition conferred special recognition to Portugal for the importance the country has attached to accessibility and for their involvement in the development and implementation of tourism products and services that have access for all in every part of the design. Rita Marques, Secretary of State for Tourism of Portugal, received the recognition.
In addition, special mentions were given to Barcelona and the Indian city of Thrissur. In the case of the Spanish city, the jury considered that it is “really advanced in terms of accessibility”, presenting good conditions in its tourist resources, including accommodation and catering establishments, in addition to transport. Thrissur, meanwhile, received a special mention as an ‘Emerging Destination’ for being “in full development of accessibility, with strong involvement of public entities in this regard”. The distinctions were collected by Eduard Torres, President of the Executive Committee of Tourism of Barcelona, and P Bala Kiran, Director of Kerala at Tourism India.
Cristóbal Gabarrón, the Spanish artist in charge of designing the ATD2019 trophy, created the sculpture "The Door to Adventure", reflecting the values of the ATD initiative and tourism itself. Gabarrón created a character through a door, which is the door to the adventure of travel, nature, culture and friendship.
As indicated by the UNWTO Secretary General at its General Assembly in St. Petersburg, when the distinguished destinations were first announced, with the ATDs “the organizers want to value the destinations that make an important effort so that they can be enjoyed by any tourist, regardless of their physical, sensory or cognitive abilities ”.
They also clarify that, although it is a recognition of the effort to maintain and increase the level of accessibility achieved in tourist destinations, the ‘Accessible Tourism Destination’ awards are not formal certifications of accessible destinations that guarantee that accessibility.
Marina Diotallevi was in charge of closing the event with the announcement of the ATD2020 edition.
