Representing Matsui Honkan , the enterprise's CEO, Ms. Setsuko Matsui signed the Private Sector Commitment To The Global Code Of Ethics For Tourism on 14 December 2022 within the framework of the 7th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism held in Nara, Japan with the presence of the UNWTO Secretary-General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili.
See also:
Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
Representing Ryokan Koyo Co, Ltd., the enterprise's president, Mr. Yoshie Sato, signed the Private Sector Commitment To The Global Code Of Ethics For Tourism on 14 December 2022 within the framework of the 7th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism held in Nara, Japan with the presence of the UNWTO Secretary-General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili.
See also:
Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
Representing Japan Tourism Facilities Association, the enterprise's president, Mr. Yutaka Suzuki signed the Private Sector Commitment To The Global Code Of Ethics For Tourism on 14 December 2022 within the framework of the 7th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism held in Nara, Japan with the presence of the UNWTO Secretary-General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili.
See also:
Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
After stronger than expected recovery in 2022, this year could see international tourist arrivals return to pre-pandemic levels in Europe and the Middle East. Tourists are nonetheless expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel closer to home in response to the challenging economic climate.
Based on UNWTO's forward-looking scenarios for 2023, international tourist arrivals could reach 80% to 95% of pre-pandemic levels this year, depending on the extent of the economic slowdown, the ongoing recovery of travel in Asia and the Pacific and the evolution of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, among other factors.
UNWTO anticipates a strong year for the sector even in the face of diverse challenges including the economic situation and continued geopolitical uncertainty
According to new data UNWTO, more than 900 million tourists travelled internationally in 2022 – double the number recorded in 2021 though still 63% of pre-pandemic levels. Every global region recorded notable increases in international tourist numbers. The Middle East enjoyed the strongest relative increase as arrivals climbed to 83% of pre-pandemic numbers. Europe reached nearly 80% of pre-pandemic levels as it welcomed 585 million arrivals in 2022. Africa and the Americas both recovered about 65% of their pre-pandemic visitors, while Asia and the Pacific reached only 23%, due to stronger pandemic-related restrictions which have started to be removed only in recent months. The first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of 2023 also analyses performance by region and looks at top performers in 2022, including several destinations which have already recovered 2019 levels.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "A new year brings more reason for optimism for global tourism. UNWTO anticipates a strong year for the sector even in the face of diverse challenges including the economic situation and continued geopolitical uncertainty. Economic factors may influence how people travel in 2023 and UNWTO expects demand for domestic and regional travel to remain strong and help drive the sector's wider recovery."
UNWTO foresees the recovery to continue throughout 2023 even as the sector faces up to economic, health and geopolitical challenges. The recent lifting of COVID-19 related travel restrictions in China, the world's largest outbound market in 2019, is a significant step for the recovery of the tourism sector in Asia and the Pacific and worldwide. In the short term, the resumption of travel from China is likely to benefit Asian destinations in particular. However, this will be shaped by the availability and cost of air travel, visa regulations and COVID-19 related restrictions in the destinations. By mid-January a total of 32 countries had imposed specific travel restrictions related to travel from China, mostly in Asia and Europe.
At the same time, strong demand from the United States, backed by a strong US dollar, will continue to benefit destinations in the region and beyond. Europe will continue to enjoy strong travel flows from the US, partly due to a weaker euro versus the US dollar.
Notable increases in international tourism receipts have been recorded across most destinations, in several cases higher than their growth in arrivals. This has been supported by the increase in average spending per trip due to longer periods of stay, the willingness by travelers to spend more in their destination and higher travel costs due to inflation. However, economic situation could translate into tourists adopting a more cautious attitude in 2023, with reduced spending, shorter trips and travel closer to home.
Furthermore, continued uncertainty caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and other mounting geopolitical tensions, as well as health challenges related to COVID-19 also represent downside risks and could weigh on tourism's recovery in the months ahead.
The latest UNWTO Confidence Index shows cautious optimism for January-April, higher than the same period in 2022. This optimism is backed by the opening up in Asia and strong spending numbers in 2022 from both traditional and emerging tourism source markets, with France, Germany and Italy as well as Qatar, India and Saudi Arabia all posting strong results.
Dear Affiliate Members,
We are pleased to begin the year 2023 with a new edition of the Affiliate Members Newsletter. This monthly publication will inform you about the latest news, events, and initiatives related to your membership and the Affiliate Members network. Additionally, we would like to share with you that the Affiliate Members Department has been working on a strategic analysis that has allowed us to redefine our mission, purpose, and value proposition in order to maximize the benefits we offer you as a member of the UNWTO.
In this edition of our AMNewsletter, you will find a brief description of the mission and purpose of the Affiliate Members Department, and the main objectives of the membership. Also included is the updated calendar of events for 2023, including UNWTO events and those carried out by or with the participation of our Affiliate Members.
Regarding the upcoming initiatives organized by the Affiliate Members Department, we are pleased to inform you that on Tuesday, 10 January, we have scheduled another edition of the Induction Session for Affiliate Members. This webinar is open to all Affiliate Members and it offers the perfect opportunity to learn more about the benefits and resources of the membership and how to make the best out of it.
In preparation for another edition of FITUR (18-22 January, Madrid, Spain), the global meeting point for tourism professionals and the leading fair for inbound and outbound markets in Ibero-America, we are pleased to inform you that In this framework, we will organize the 58th Meeting of the Board of Affiliate Members, as well as another edition of the UNWTO Affiliate Corner, under the theme "Trends taking shape in the travel industry in 2023". Make sure to check out the AMConnected platform to learn how to participate.
After the very positive results of 2022, in terms of participation and engagement of the Affiliate Members within the UNWTO's events and initiatives, the Affiliate Members Department is committed to maintaining and improving the ongoing collaboration and support of the Affiliate Members' initiatives and objectives during 2023 and beyond.
As usual, I am at your disposal and look forward to hearing any comments you might have.
Yours sincerely,
Ion Vilcu
UNWTO, in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and UN Women has launched a free online training course focused on gender equality within the tourism sector.
The course, which is available through atingi.org, is part of the pioneering ‘Centre Stage’ project which is putting women’s empowerment at the heart of tourism development. Aimed at National Tourism Administrations, tourism businesses, tourism students and civil society organizations, it focuses on the importance of gender equality, why women’s empowerment matters and what steps can be taken to advance diversity and inclusion efforts across the sector.
Education is key to reimagining the future of tourism and although our sector employs a huge number of women, equality is remaing a long way off
UNWTO Secretary General said: “Education is key to reimagining the future of tourism and although our sector employs a huge number of women, equality is remaing a long way off. We call on all tourism businesses and organizations to use this free course to train their staff and help us to ensure that tourism continues to be at the forefront of gender-equality efforts.”
The training course can be taken for free at any time in English, Spanish, Arabic, French and Russian on atingi.org. Users are issued with a certificate upon successful completion of the course. For more information, contact: centrestage@unwto.org.
From Austria to Vietnam, 32 destinations from all around the world have been named as ‘Best Tourism Villages 2022’ by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The accolade recognizes rural destinations that are embracing tourism as a driver of development and new opportunities for jobs and income, while preserving and promoting community-based values and products. The initiative also recognizes villages for their commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental – and a focus on developing tourism in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2022, a total of 32 villages from 22 countries across the five world regions were awarded the recognition. The villages were evaluated by an independent Advisory Board based on a set of criteria covering nine areas:
The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO showcase the power of the sector to drive economic diversification and create opportunities for all outside of big cities
Welcoming the news, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For rural communities everywhere, tourism can be a true gamechanger in providing jobs, supporting local businesses and keeping traditions alive. The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO showcase the power of the sector to drive economic diversification and create opportunities for all outside of big cities.”
A total of 136 villages were put forward for consideration by 57 UNWTO Member States (each Member State could nominate a maximum of three villages) for the 2022 edition. From these, 32 were recognized as Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO.
A further 20 villages will enter the Upgrade Programme. All 52 villages will also become part of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Global Network created in 2021 which from this date gathers 115 villages from the five continents. The Network provides a number of benefits including onsite and online training, sharing of good practices and international brand recognition and awareness.
The Best Tourism Villages initiative is the flagship project of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme. The Programme aims to ensure tourism contributes to reducing regional inequalities in income and development, fighting depopulation, progressing gender equality and women’s and youth empowerment, advancing innovation and digitalization, improving connectivity, infrastructure, access to finance and investment, innovating in product development and value chain integration, promoting sustainable practices for more efficient use of resources and a reduction of emissions and waste and enhancing education and skills. The Programme promotes multi-level governance and partnerships and the active involvement and empowerment of communities.
The Best Tourism Villages initiative includes three pillars:
The Award Ceremony will take place in AlUla, Saudi Arabia on 27-28 February 2023 back-to-back with the first presential meeting of the UNWTO Network of Best Tourism Villages.
The next edition of the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO will open in February 2023.
Additionally, UNWTO will work with the following villages participating in the Upgrade Programme:
Applications in 2021 and 2022 were evaluated by an independent Advisory Board. The composition of this multidisciplinary board for 2021-2022 is as follows:
