AM News Vol. 29 Abril 2021

• All Regions
• 14 Apr 21
• N PAG. 14

Dear Affiliate Members,

I am pleased to share with you the April 2021 edition of our AM News bulletin.

As you will read in this issue, the development of the Legal Reform of the Affiliate Membership is moving forward at a good pace. In March, we held our third meeting with the members of the Working Group for the Reform of the Legal Framework to debate and exchange proposals on the draft text for the new article 6 concerning the creation and functioning of the future Committee on Matters related to Affiliate Membership. The creation of this Committee aims at improving the integration of UNWTO Affiliate Members with the UNWTO as a whole and, more specifically, with the Member States. I am confident that this new Committee will provide our Membership with a much-needed new governing body, which is currently lacking, to ensure an institutional channel for an effective and fruitful interaction with the Member States.

Another aspect we would like to highlight in this issue is the work developed by two of our UNWTO Working Groups: the UNWTO Working Group on Accessible Tourism and the UNWTO Working Group on Science Tourism. Both are making good progress towards a fruitful exchange of information, expertise and best practices. As a result, in the coming months we will see two interesting outcomes. One is the organisation of the very 1st International Conference on Astrotourism, which will be held in September in Portugal. The other one is the release of a joint report on on Good Practices on Accessible Tourism in Rural and Nature Areas, which will be finalized soon. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all active members of the Working Groups for their enormous commitment and dedication.

Finally, as you can see in the agenda of events, we are already preparing an interesting programme of dedicated activities for our Affiliate Members at FITUR 2021, the International Tourism Fair in Madrid (Spain), to be held from 19 to 23 May. You will soon receive more details on the exclusive package that will be offered to our Affiliate Members. Among some activities, we will organize the ‘’AM Corner’’ at FITUR, an exclusive space for UNWTO Affiliate Members to present their initiatives on tourism recovery to other members and participants. This activity, organized for the second consecutive year, reflects our strong commitment to boosting the visibility of your work at International events like this one.

I would like to encourage you to visit the AMConnected platform regularly to read the latest updates and information on these and other activities, and to keep sharing with us your news.

As always, I am at your disposal and look forward to hearing any comment you might have.

Yours sincerely,
Ion Vilcu

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AM News Vol. 28 March 2021

• All Regions
• 15 Mar 21

Dear Affiliate Members,

I am pleased to share with you this issue of the AM Newsletter featuring some of the strategies that our Affiliate Members will implement in 2021.

As you will read, we share the common vision to achieve a tourism that is more responsible, fairer and respectful for the environment and populations, with strategies for sustainable development being at the core of the recovery efforts. Also, digitalization as a tool for sustainability, along with furthering global partnerships and reinforcing collaboration are all highlighted by our membership as important elements to implement in 2021.

The aforementioned strategic lines are all aligned with UNWTO’s priorities to make tourism smarter through fostering innovation and leading the digital transformation of the sector; to promote investment and entrepreneurship; as well as harnessing tourism’s unique potential to protect social, cultural, and environmental sustainability. Over the last months, my team has listened to your valuable inputs and proposals and has incorporated the ones aligned with UNWTO’s objectives and priorities into our Programme of Work for 2021.

I am pleased to announce that the updated version of Programme of Work for 2021 of the Affiliate Members Department has been validated by the Board of Affiliate Members. This was one of the main points for discussion at our Plenary Session -held in Madrid in November 2020, when a first draft containing the inputs received from our Affiliate Members was presented. Since then, my team has been in permanent contact with our membership, encouraging them to continue sending us their proposals and expressing our availability to continue enriching this work program.

The updated Programme of Work for 2021 contains the objective and priority lines of action that will guide the activities of the Affiliate Members Department in 2021, which you can see summarized in this issue. Most importantly, it incorporates an enriching variety of projects and activities proposed by our Affiliate Members and that will be supported by my Department. These activities cover a wide range of important areas including sustainability and accessibility projects, COVID-19 response initiatives, and priority topics such as tourism and audiovisual, sports tourism and rural tourism.

I am confident that we can stay positive and focused on the future and on working together to make our strategies for the recovery of tourism a success.

As always, I am at your disposal and look forward to hearing any comments you may have. I also encourage you to actively use our AMConnected platform by sharing your information and staying up-to-date with the latest information of the UNWTO.

Yours sincerely,
Ion Vilcu

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AM NEWSLETTER VOLUME 27. JANUARY 2021

• All Regions
• 2 Feb 21
• N PAG. 16

Dear Affiliate Members,

The year 2021 has started with a very important meeting for the Organization: the 113th UNTWO Executive Council, which was held on 18-19 January 2021 in Madrid (Spain). I would like to share my satisfaction for the great visibility of the activities of the Affiliate Members in this relevant event.

The Affiliate Members and the Board of Affiliate Members had an excellent representation through the Communication of the Board, Ms Ana Larrañaga, who presented the main activities carried out by the affiliates since the previous Executive Council, held in September 2020. Among them were the celebration, under excellent conditions in a very difficult context, of our 42nd Plenary Session, and the preparation of our Programme of Work 2021, with excellent proposals from the Affiliate Members in support of the Organization’s priorities. Another important initiative, which was highlighted, was the initiation of the process of the Reform of the Legal Framework for Affiliate Membership, and the creation of a Working Group to achieve this important mandate.

During 2021, the implementation of the Legal Reform will be of high priority for the Affiliate Members Department, and for the UNWTO. This much-needed reform will result in a more modern and efficient functioning of the AM network, and, consequently, in an improved partnership between the Organization and the private sector. Therefore, the contributions of the Affiliate Members in this matter are vital. Hence, the Chair of the Board, with the support of my Department, will organize a series of consultations throughout the year aimed at gathering your very valuable input.

As the new year starts, it is time to work on the activities and plans taking place in 2021, which I am sure we will successfully implement. I want to emphasize that the Affiliate Members currently have a well-deserved opportunity to actively participate in all UNWTO priority initiatives to restart tourism, such as the development of an International Code for the Protection of Tourists.

The participation of the Affiliate Members in the above-mentioned projects, and other key initiatives, will be permanently sustained by a very broad and in-depth consultation with the members of the Board and the entire membership.

We will keep you duly updated on these and other activities taking place this year. I strongly encourage you to actively use the AMConnected platform, and other communication channels, where you will find all information published in due time.

As always, I am at your disposal and look forward to hearing any comment you may have.

Yours sincerely,
Ion Vilcu

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AM Newsletter Volume 26. December 2020

• All Regions
• 17 Dec 20
• N PAG. 18

Dear Affiliate Members,

The year 2020 comes to an end having brought tourism to a near-standstill. Hardly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, our sector has faced a global crisis with unprecedented economic and social consequences. However, adversity also provides opportunities for growth and for learning. And that is why, in this very last issue of the year, I would like to leave behind the negative effects of this crisis, so widely spoken, to reflect on the positive aspects that this situation has brought us.

In 2020, the tourism sector has stood more united than ever, strengthening its partnerships and improving the information exchange mechanisms in a common effort to relaunch tourism and rebuild the trust of tourists. The UNWTO Affiliate Members department has, on the one hand, considerably increased its capacity to collect valuable inputs from Affiliate Members and effectively incorporate them into UNWTO’s work, and, on the other hand, offered the Affiliate Members its full support in the joint effort to deal with the adverse impact of the pandemic.

As a result, we have been able to provide a coordinated and effective public-private response to this crisis. The Affiliate Members, represented by the Chair of the Board, Ms Ana Larrañaga, have played an active role in the decisions of the UNWTO’s Global Tourism Crisis Committee, created at the initiative of our Secretary General. Next to this, the Affiliate Members’ valuable contributions have helped develop very important documents for the Organization, such as the UNWTO’s Global Guidelines to Restart Tourism.

We have also embraced digitalization more than ever, quickly adapting to the needs of the moment and incorporating the latest technologies in digital production to our meetings. This has allowed us to successfully organize very important events despite the difficult environment, such as our 42nd Plenary Session of the Affiliate Members, which was held in a hybrid format that combined in-person with virtual attendance obtaining record levels of participation. Also, we have increased the frequency of our virtual meetings, ensuring that we can gather any time anywhere, regardless of restrictions to mobility.

We have joined forces to draw up a Programme of Work 2021 that contains innovative proposals. While the activities on tourism recovery amidst the COVID-19 remain a priority, you have also provided excellent ideas to further develop priority topics, including Sports Tourism and Tourism and the Audiovisual, along with innovative projects covering new areas of work, such as Astro tourism, Motor Tourism, Tourism and Culture Synergies and Air Connectivity and Sustainable Tourism.

On a path forward, my department is fully committed to modernization and innovation. As you will read in this issue, we have already taken the first steps towards reforming the legal framework of the Affiliate Members, which will modernize the processes ruling our Membership. Next to this, we have fully involved the Affiliate Members in one very important project for the UNWTO: the development of an International Code for the Protection of Tourists. With a view to also revamp the AM Newsletter, we have given birth to a new interview section aiming at including testimonials from the Affiliate Members, as well as starting to put together an Agenda of Affiliate Members’ Events for 2021 at the end of the publication.

Despite 2020 has been a very difficult year for the tourism sector, there is no doubt that we have proved our great strength, resilience and capacity to innovate. I would like to thank you all for your excellent cooperation throughout the year. And I would also like to thank you in advance for the support and contributions that, I am sure, you will continue to provide in the months to come with a view to rebuild tourism and traveler’s trust.

With the conviction that, together, we can ensure that tourism gets back on its feet stronger in the year ahead, I would like to wish you all a happy holiday season and a very prosperous new year 2021!

Sincerely, Ion Vilcu

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SPECIAL 42nd UNWTO AFFILIATE MEMBERS PLENARY SESSION

• All Regions
• 27 Nov 20
• N PAG. 12

Dear Affiliate Members

I would like to convey my most sincere appreciation for your valuable participation in the 42nd UNWTO Affiliate Members Plenary Session, which took place on 5-6 November 2020 in Madrid, Spain, under the theme “Recovering Tourism. Rebuilding Trust. Reinforcing Partnerships”.

The event, which was celebrated in a hybrid format combining in-person participation at the Four Seasons Hotel in Madrid, and a very consistent virtual involvement, counted with the participation of high-level political authorities and over 200 representatives of our Affiliate Members from all over the world.

I am proud that we could organize a highly valuable hybrid event, despite the current difficult circumstances. Our goal was to make it possible for our network of more than 500 Affiliate Members to attend, either in person or virtually.

I am convinced that the most important annual meeting of the private sector affiliated to the UNWTO, our Plenary Session, provided us with an excellent opportunity to send to the sector a clear and strong message on the importance of the public-private partnership, along with the perfect platform to give visibility to the projects and good practices of our Affiliate Members.

The topics discussed during both the Plenary Session and the Thematic Sessions covered a wide thematic range and enabled us to develop a fruitful exchange of information to strengthen the public-private partnership within the tourism sector.

The feedback and comments received from all the participants – Affiliate Members, authorities, and UNWTO – was very positive and encouraging, this representing a very significant message to continue reinforcing our membership and the value of the brand “Affiliate Members”.

I was really honored to have such committed and active members presenting and sharing their work and experiences with a view to support tourism recovery, and to prepare our Programme of Work 2021. I would like to inform you that in the following days we will send you the updated draft of the PoW 2021, where we included the most consistent proposals provided by our Affiliate Members.

The COVID-19 crisis has showed us that we need to learn from each other and that we need to work together. The good news is that the means, the strategies and the knowledge are already available. We just have to learn from them, share our knowledge and strengthen our coordination to implement them. Our 42nd Plenary Session has proven to be a very important forum for this and we must carry on with the work done. I am looking forward to continue discussing and sharing with you projects and initiatives for our common goal of jointly rebuilding a stronger tourism sector.

I am looking forward to continuing the dialogue and further sharing with you projects and initiatives for our common goal of jointly rebuilding a stronger tourism sector.

Sincerely,
Ion Vilcu

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AM Newsletter Volume 24. October 2020

• All Regions
• 21 Oct 20
• N PAG. 20

Dear Affiliate Member,

October arrives with important news for the Affiliate Members Department (AMD) and the Affiliate Membership and I am pleased to share with you some of the highlights.

Firstly, I will talk about an important date next month. On 5-6 November 2020, we will celebrate the 42nd UNWTO Affiliate Members Plenary Session in Madrid (Spain), in a hybrid format that combines both inperson and virtual attendance. In the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe that the strategic partnership between UNWTO and the private sector, through the Affiliate Membership, is the key element to restart tourism and accelerate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Therefore, this year’s Plenary Session will be of utmost importance as we will focus on recovering tourism, rebuilding trust and reinforcing partnerships, along with repositioning the Affiliate Membership. Moreover, we will discuss about the Programme of Work 2021, which will define the priority lines of the department for next year. In addition, we invite you to attend a Distinction Awards Ceremony where we will recognize the excellence of the work done by the Affiliate Members in different relevant areas of the tourism sector. I encourage you ALL to actively participate in the consistent exchange of information that will take place during this Plenary Session. You can find more information in this newsletter, the dedicated webpage and on AMConnected.

Secondly, I am excited to welcome 29 new members to our Affiliate Membership! Their candidatures were approved by the UNWTO Executive Council, held in Tbilisi, in September 2020. I am happy to expand our AM Membership in regions with less representation, such as Asia and the Middle East, and I take the chance to express my strong commitment to expand the AM Membership with high-quality members worldwide that can add value to our network.

Thirdly, I would like to share my satisfaction for the relevant role and greater visibility achieved by the Affiliate Membership during the 112th UNWTO Executive Council. The priority lines of action of the Affiliate Membership were underlined in the Report of the Secretary General, which I had the pleasure to present. Next to this, the Chair of the Board of Affiliate Members, Ms Ana Larrañaga, presented the most relevant activities carried out by the Affiliate Members and their substantial contributions during the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result of the Affiliate Membership’s particular relevance and visibility at this very important meeting, the Executive Council expressed their full support to the work of the Affiliate Members.

Lastly, I am proud to announce that we have initiated the process of a Reform aimed to build an updated and modernized regulatory and legal framework for our Affiliate Membership, which will allow our Membership to operate in a more consistent and effective way.

We have achieved important milestones recently, but there is more to be done. As we face this challenging time for the tourism sector, now more than ever, the Affiliate Membership needs to reinforce our dialogue and cooperation.

I encourage you to continue to share with us your proposals, measures and initiatives, and, in particular, your proposals for the Programme of Work 2021.

As always, I am at your disposal to hear your comments and insights and I look forward to welcoming you in person at our 42nd Plenary Session!

Sincerely,
Ion Vilcu

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