Tourism for Sustainable Development in the Spotlight at UN High-Level Forum Event

• All Regions
• 12 Jul 2023

This week will bring tourism back to the United Nations headquarters to emphasize the sector’s unique position to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Reflecting the unprecedented relevance of tourism on the UN agenda, UNWTO together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, Republic of Croatia and support from Ministry of Tourism, India, Chair of the G20 Tourism Working Group will gather leaders from the public and private sectors for a high level roundtable at the official side event on “Economic, Social, and Environmental Sustainability in Tourism" which will be held on Friday 14 July within the framework of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

Inspiring and Guiding Action

The high-level event will further advance UNWTO’s work in making tourism a key pillar of sustainable development, most notably through enhanced public-private partnerships. In New York, UNWTO together with partners will:

• Provide a better understanding of the SDGs from the perspective of tourism and inspire further action among both government and private sector stakeholders.

• Present the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the SDGs developed under India’s G20 Presidency.

• Raise awareness about a crucial development that is mobilizing the power of data by forging a global consensus for harmonized data on the economic, social and environmental performance of tourism at international, national and destination levels:  the forthcoming Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST).

• Outline the benefits that private sector can bring to, and draw from, the development of harmonized Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Framework for Tourism Businesses.

• Share the key points of the recently launched “Achieving the SDGs through tourism: Toolkit of Indicators for Projects (TIPS)” developed in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as a comprehensive resource designed to guide users in aligning tourism development projects with the SDGs.

Connecting leading stakeholders

The Forum side event is aimed at inspiring common action between the public, private and academic sectors for the tourism sector to achieve real sustainability by focusing on the economic, social and environmental aspects in tourism as well as governance. Discussions will count on the insights of public, private and academic sector leaders from every global region, as well as key figures from within the United Nations itself.

• Csaba Kőrösi, President of the United Nations General Assembly will join Lachezara Stoeve, President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in officially opening the event.

• Moderated by UNWTO’s Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic, the high-level roundtable discussion will count on the participation of the co-organizer of the event, Croatian Minister of Tourism and Sport Nikolina Brnjac, and Ministers of Tourism of India, Jamaica, Spain and Dr. Ivan Šimonović, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations.

• Representing the private sector will be Matt Callaghan, Director of Customer & Operations at easyJet holidays, while Edward Brooks, Executive Director and co-Founder of Oxford SDG Impact Lab, will provide the academic perspective.

Related links:

• Event page for more information
• Watch it live via UN web TV
• Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
• Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST)
• ESG Framework for tourism businesses
• The Achieving the SDGs through tourism – Toolkit of Indicators for Projects (TIPs) Publication
• Tourism statistics
• Download the News Release in PDF

UNWTO Partners with Alpitour World Around Innovation, Education and Sustainability

• All Regions
• 6 Jul 2023

UNWTO will work with Alpitour World as a strategic partner to advance innovation, education and sustainability across every part of the tourism sector.

Reflecting UNWTO’s focus on harnessing the power of public-private partnerships, the newly-signed Memorandum of Understanding with Alpitour World, will see the two organizations work together around shared strategic goals. In this context, the two organizations will particularly focus on supporting innovators and driving forward the digital transformation of the sector.

Working together for a smarter tourism

The partnership between UNWTO and Alpitour is aimed at strengthening the links between tourism’s public and private sectors. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and Alpitour World President Gabriele Burgio. Among its key aims are to:

• Develop strategic collaborations in the field of tourism innovation, including through supporting the creation of a tourism startup ecosystem.

• Recognize and supporting the best new talent through the organization of Start-Up Competitions focused on advancing tourism’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.

• Advance tourism as a pillar of rural development, including through Alpitour World’s support of the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO initiative.

• Collaborate in training hospitality workers, including through joint education courses and other training materials

This Memorandum of Understanding lays the foundations for future, specific joint initiatives, establishing Alpitour World as a key partner of UNWTO in innovation and sustainability.

• Alpitour World is a leading tourism operator, with its own airline, hotel chain and a global network of more than 2,400 travel agencies.

• As part of the partnership, UNWTO and Alpitour World will hold regular joint meetings and strategy sessions as they continue to advance their collaboration and adapt to the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing tourism.

Related links

• UNWTO Affiliate Members
• Donwload the News Release in PDF

UNWTO Announces Winners of 2023 Students’ League-Bosnia & Herzegovina

• All Regions
• 26 Jun 2023

The second national edition of the UNWTO Students’ League concluded with a celebration of youth talent in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The competition, launched around two categories – high school students and undergraduates - attracted applicants from leading educational institutions from across the country. In making their decision, the expert jury looked at the feasibility of the ideas presented by the teams through their social media campaigns as well as on their potential to contribute to the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Celebrating young tourism talent

In the end, eight teams made it to the final, representing the Srednja stručna škola (Team AANSS Tourist), JU Turističko-ugostiteljska škola Tuzla (Team Champions), Mješovita srednja škola Travnik (Team RoseBrandis), JU Mješovita srednja škola "Bosanski Petrovac (Team StazeSrece), JU Centar srednjih škola (Team Tribuni), Faculty of Economics Pale (Team Tusists Economy), Visoka škola za turizam i menadžment Konjic (Team VS-TIM) and University of Business Studies (Team We Grow with Nature).

The winning solutions from Team RoseBrandis from Mješovita srednja škola Travnik and Team Vs-Tim from Visoka škola za turizam i menadžment Konjic included social media campaigns to support rural development on the Via Dinarica in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Students also created synergies between the different teams by becoming film producers and created a video on traditional folk costumes in Rural areas.

This project is a wonderful experience for young people who will be the bearers of tourism in the future

A multilateral effort

The 2023 UNWTO Students' League: Bosnia and Herzegovina has been organized by UNWTO, under the framework of UNDP BiH "Building Relations for intercultural Dialogue (BRIDGE) Project" which counts on the financial support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). The initiative is implemented and co-financed by the United Nations Development Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP BiH) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH.

For this first national edition, the jury panel was made up of national and international experts from UNWTO, UNDP, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Ministry of Trade and Tourism of Republika Srpska, Verne Tourism Experts and SISMOTUR.

Youth empowerment for tourism’s future

According to the participants, the Students League offered a unique chance to gain practical experience within the tourism sector while also benefitting from networking and mentorship opportunities.

“This project is a wonderful experience for young people who will be the bearers of tourism in the future, because they study tourism, ecology, economics, which are closely related to the sector,” said Team We Grow with Nature from the University of Business Studies.

“By participating in this project, we learned a lot and discovered various hidden treasures both in our and in other countries. The project helped us get introduced to Instagram and how we can use it in business. Most importantly, we had fun and enjoyed participating in this project,” addedTeam RoseBrandis, from Mješovita srednja škola Travnik

The UNWTO Students League Bosnia & Herzegovina has benefited the support of leading international partners, including representatives from the UNWTO Best Tourism ViIlages Programme -  Cumeada and Krupa Na Vrbasu,  Visit Blidinje, Greenways Association, Verne Tourism Experts, Sismotur, Outdoor Bosnia and the City of Trebinje.

Related links

• UNWTO Students' League
• UNWTO Academy
• Download the News Release in PDF

World Travel & Tourism Council & UNWTO Sign Historic MOU

• All Regions
• 21 Jun 2023

In an historic first, the world’s two leading Travel & Tourism organisations representing the global public and private sectors agreed to work together across a number of key objectives.

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations (UNWTO) at the G20 Ministerial meeting (Goa, India), focused on advancing public-private sector cooperation at the global level whilst promoting job creation, talent development and business opportunities around the world.

Strong public-private partnerships are the foundation to transform tourism and build resilience

Together, WTTC and UNWTO will promote tourism in the global and national agendas while working to progress skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment and the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient Travel & Tourism sector. The two parties will also foster community empowerment and inclusion and collaborate around crisis preparedness, management, and recovery, building on the lessons learned from COVID 19 pandemic.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “Through the signing of an historic new MOU, WTTC and UNWTO embark on a new chapter of collaboration together, uniting our expertise to pave the way for a prosperous future for the Travel & Tourism sector.

“Together, we can create a powerful synergy that will shape the global landscape, opening doors to endless opportunities and benefiting travelers, businesses, and destinations alike."

Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, underscored that “we are only stronger if we work together to respond to the interconnected challenges facing our sector. Strong public-private partnerships are the foundation to transform tourism and build resilience, and consolidating our partnership with WTTC will achieve exactly what we need - joining efforts to build a better future through tourism.”

The MOU was signed by WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvil, alongside representatives of the public and private sectors.

Related links:

• Rethinking Tourism: UNWTO and WTTC Ministers Summit 2022
• Download the News Release in PDF

G20 Welcomes Roadmap to Make Tourism Key Driver of Sustainable Development Goals

• All Regions
• 21 Jun 2023

UNWTO has developed with the G20 economies a roadmap for making tourism a central pillar of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As the knowledge partner of India's G20 Presidency, UNWTO delivered the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at the meeting of the Ministers of Tourism of the world's leading economies.

A roadmap for people and planet

Halfway between the 2015 launch of the 2030 Agenda and the deadline to accomplish it, UNWTO called on G20 Tourism Ministers to lead the sector's contribution to accelerating progress towards achieving the 17 SDGs. The Goa Roadmap, developed with the Tourism Working Group, builds upon the five priority areas under India's G20 Presidency:

The Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the SDGs offers the G20 economies a proposed plan of action to lead the way forward towards a better future for all

• Green Tourism: Recognizing the critical need to work towards climate action and environmental protection and related international cooperation, the Goa Roadmap incorporates recommended actions and good practices from G20 economies and guest countries on issues such as financing, sustainable infrastructure and resource management, integrating circular approaches in the tourism value chain and engaging visitors as key actors in sustainability.
• Digitalization: The Roadmap makes clear the wide-ranging benefits of supporting businesses and destinations embrace digitalization, including enhanced productivity, improved infrastructure management and delivering a safer and more efficient visitor experience.
• Skills: Reflecting one of UNWTO's core priorities for the sector, the Roadmap emphasizes the need to provide tourism workers, particularly youth and women, with the skills employers need, to future-proof tourism jobs and to make the sector a more attractive career path. 
• Tourism MSMEs: With Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) accounting for 80% of all tourism businesses worldwide, the Roadmap emphasizes the importance of public policies and public-private partnerships in addressing key challenges, including financing, marketing and skills gaps and market access to support MSMEs through the digital and sustainable transitions.
• Destination Management: The Roadmap presents a set of proposed actions to create a holistic approach to destination management that strengthens public-private-community partnerships and enhances a whole of government approach. It further shares examples of innovative programmes among G20 and invited countries. 

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "As tourism bounces back close to pre-pandemic levels, we must ensure that recovery is sustainable, inclusive and resilient. The Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the SDGs offers the G20 economies a proposed plan of action to lead the way forward towards a better future for all."

Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India, added: "Tourism can be instrumental in addressing many of the challenges faced by our societies while transforming itself to address its socio-economic impacts. Working together on a common roadmap for recovery and long-term sustainability will unlock its immense potential to deliver on the SDGs."

Reducing waste and increasing circularity

On the occasion UNWTO and the UN Environment Programme hosted the side event "Towards a circular economy of plastics in tourism – the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative", in association with the Ministry of Tourism of India.

• The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative provides a common vision for a circular economy of plastics in tourism. The side-event provided delegates and participants with practical guidance to address plastic pollution in tourism operations.
• Participants included country representatives (India, Indonesia), accommodation (ITC Hotels, Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts, The Indian Hotels Company Limited) and aviation (International Air Transport Association, IATA).
• The Central Nodal Agency for Sustainable Tourism of India, a technical agency of the Ministry of Tourism, became a signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, together with the Government of Punjab and the Responsible Tourism Society of India.

UNWTO, tourism and the G20

• The G20 economies represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
• In 2022, the G20 welcomed 74% of international tourists and 73% of tourism exports worldwide. In 2019, pre COVID-19 pandemic the Tourism Direct GDP reached 3.7% of the G20 economies.

Related links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• Tourism 4SDGs
• UNWTO Digital Futures
• Global Tourism Plastics Initiative
• Green Investments for Sustainable Tourism
• Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

UNWTO and Oxford SDG Impact Lab Partner Around Better Tourism Governance

• All Regions
• 13 Jun 2023

UNWTO joins forces with Oxford SDG Impact Lab, with the generous support of easyJet holidays, to develop the first environmental, social and governance - ESG - Framework for Tourism Businesses.

Public, private and academic sectors unite

In line with Sustainable Development Goal 17 on partnerships for development, the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses project brings together leading businesses and top scholars with the multilateral system to co-design a measurement tool that is meaningful and feasible for improved monitoring how tourism businesses impact, and depend on, people, planet and prosperity. UNWTO and Oxford University will carry out a comprehensive mapping of current work, interview pioneering businesses in the accommodation and reservation services industries, and further research and development.

Based on this work, UNWTO plans to issue a first beta version of the ESG Tourism Framework for accommodation and reservation services, with a view to extending it into additional tourism industries over 2024 and launch the finalized, agreed version for global uptake.

UNWTO Executive Director, Zoritsa Urosevic, said "By drawing on the power of international consensus - based on the forthcoming UN Statistical Framework for Measuring Sustainable Tourism (MST) - the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses will provide a comparable and relevant set of indicators for tourism industries. It will empower private and public sectors with more robust data to shape innovative policies, transform business models and promote better tourism governance".

"The ESG Framework brings together the University of Oxford's world class academic research with the international consensus-building ability and expertise of the UNWTO.  Ensuring that this strategic approach is matched with real-world testing and consultation with industry experts, such as easyJet holidays, this project is uniquely placed to bring about meaningful impact in the sustainable tourism sector," said Professor Alexander Betts, University of Oxford's Local and Global Engagement Officer

Matt Callaghan, easyJet holidays' Director of Customer & Operations, said: "We have big ambitions when it comes to making sustainable holidays mainstream and we're committed to playing our part in supporting better tourism governance. So, as the SDG Impact Lab's founding partner we're delighted to be supporting the Lab's work with the UNWTO, to develop a first of its kind environmental, social and governance framework for sustainable tourism.

Actionable data for real impact

In tourism, as in other sectors, the challenge often lies not in a lack of data, but rather in the absence of common and harmonized approaches to organizing data, especially given the complexity of numerous existing initiatives. This hinders the ability to benchmark performance across businesses and to communicate progress of the sector with policy makers. It can even undermine stakeholder confidence.

By applying internationally recognized statistical approaches, this project aims to establish a fundamental level of consensus and alignment in business disclosures, enabling more consistent reporting that is comparable:

• Between businesses within the tourism sector,
• Between tourism businesses and those in other economic sectors, and
• Between business level-data and public-level (national and subnational) data.

Moreover, the ESG Framework will demonstrate the potential of supplementing business–level data with national and global tourism statistics, for more holistic and cost-effective ESG disclosures that make the most of available information.

Developed under the umbrella of the UNWTO Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (SF-MST), applicable to countries and destinations worldwide to guide the production of reliable and comparable data of tourism's economic, social and environmental aspects, the ESG Framework for Tourism businesses will bring the benefits of consensus and harmonization also to the private sector.  

Related links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• ESG Framework for tourism businesses
• On measuring the sustainability of tourism: MST

UNWTO and MSC Foundation look to Net-Zero Future on World Ocean Day

• All Regions
• 8 Jun 2023

To mark the official naming of the MSC Euribia ship, MSC's most energy-efficient to date, international leaders from the worlds of science, policymaking and business explored new paths to responsible consumption and production in tourism as a key strategy for transitioning to a regenerative, carbon-neutral, and circular blue economy.

UN and Private Sector: Together for Ocean Action

The expert panel discussion, organised by the MSC Foundation and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to explore the subject of "Tourism Ocean Action for a Net Zero Future", featured contributions from leaders from across the public and private sectors.

• Opening the event were UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, Ambassador Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean, and UNWTO Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic
• Representing the private sector were tourism and travel professionals from the USA and Europe, including Pierfrancesco Vago, Chair of the MSC Foundation Executive Committee and Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, and world-renowned explorer Mr. Mike Horn.
• Also contributing were keynote speaker Amy Meek, Co-founder of Kids Against Plastic, Carl Gustaf Lundin, Senior Adviser at Mission Blue and an MSC Foundation Advisory Board Member, and Frédéric Degret, Chief Executive Officer of NOAH Regen and UNWTO Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Ocean and Climate Action.

Mapping the Route to Sustainability

With coastal and maritime tourism accounting for at least 50% of global tourism, according to the Ocean Panel, and 40% of all related export value, the high-level discussions focused on the critical interplay of tourism and oceanic sustainability.

• Strategies outlined for achieving this centred on investing in the protection and regeneration of blue carbon ecosystems and nature-based solutions that maximise their ability to draw down carbon, while simultaneously advancing the decarbonisation of tourism operations and enhancing the resilience of local communities.
• Policymakers and business leaders shared insightful policies, strategies and solutions to accelerate tourism ocean action. These included the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, the Global Roadmap for Food Waste Reduction in Tourism, and the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, all building momentum towards a Blue COP 28.

A Shared Vision for Tourism Ocean Action

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "Finding the right balance between tourism operations and the health of our planet has never been more important. Coastal and cruise tourism have a critical role to play in the global economy.

At the same time, coastal and cruise tourism have a key role to play in the protection of our oceans. This is why the UNWTO is working with partners like MSC to advance Climate Action."

Pierfrancesco Vago, Chair of the MSC Foundation Executive Committee and Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group said:  "Our partnership with UNWTO, exemplified in the 'Tourism Ocean Action for a Net Zero Future' panel, is crucial in our shared vision for responsible tourism. MSC Euribia, most energy efficient ship yet, symbolises this commitment. We are confident that we will exceed the International Maritime Organization's 40% carbon intensity reduction goal before the 2030 deadline, and are actively working towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050."

MSC Foundation Executive Director Daniela Picco added "The path to sustainability can only be a journey travelled together in dialogue and concerted action. So I would like to thank UNWTO for their valued partnership in making this event possible."

Related links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• UNWTO and MSC Foundation to Deliver Sustainable Tourism Education at Sea
• UNWTO at COP27: Uniting Tourism Around Tangible Climate Action Plans
• UNWTO - Climate Action

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