Advancing Safe Mobility for Stronger Recovery

• All Regions
• 11 Jul 2022

UNWTO joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Spain in the recent High-Level Meeting on Safe International Travel held in Ibiza on 7-8 July.

The High-Level Meeting focused on the lessons learned from the impact of the pandemic on international mobility and tourism, to build resilience to face future crises.

“The progress during these past two years, alongside increased coordination among governments, have prompted the basis for a strong recovery”, said Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili. Underscoring that “vaccine equity remains a big challenge”, he stressed that “implementing what we have learned is critical for how we deal with future pandemics, as we work to consolidating how we grow back better”.

Participants recognized that the recovery of cross-border travel requires easing and lifting COVID-related travel restrictions as far as possible, while ensuring public health considerations

The progress during these past two years, alongside increased coordination among governments, have prompted the basis for a strong recovery

Chaired by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain, Reyes Maroto, the meeting gathered health and the tourism sector representatives of over 30 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other UN agencies such as the International Organizational for Migration (IMO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The High-Level Meeting on Safe International Travel was held in support of the G20 Indonesian Presidency of 2022.  Backed by key stakeholders such as OECD, WHO, ICAO and UNWTO, participants encouraged the Indonesian chair to incorporate the main points into the relevant initiatives of the G20 process,, namely the G20 Health Working Group’s priority on Harmonizing global health standards focused on the Harmonization of COVID-19 and other Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD) Certificate Recognition at the Point of Entry. 

On the occasion, UNWTO and OECD released an impact assessment of the pandemic on tourism showcasing how the sector was among the most affected.

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF

Tourism Statistics Inform UN on Sustainable Development

• All Regions
• 14 Jul 2022

A United Nations global assessment of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) makes clear the important role that tourism must play in achieving the ambitious agenda for change.

Launched at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which this year is held around the theme of ‘building back better’ from the pandemic, the UN reports draw on UNWTO’s statistical work to track tourism’s role in delivering meaningful progress for people and the planet. Specifically, the UN SG Progress report on SDGs with its statistical annex will serve as an input to the deliberations of the HLFP. Alongside this, the Sustainable Development Goals Extended Report is aimed at the wider public and provides an overview of all 17 Goals with infographics, including those illustrating the relevance of tourism.

Prepared in collaboration with the entire UN Statistical System, the reports and their latest available data show that action is needed to accelerate the delivery on the SDGs and to step up national measurement efforts, including for the tourism sector.

As demonstrated in section on SDG8 (‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’), tourism a major force of development was one of the most affected economic sectors by the COVID-19 Pandemic as global GDP from tourism nearly halved between 2019 and 2020, with wide-reaching consequences for jobs, local businesses and conservation efforts.

On SDG12 (‘Responsible Production and Consumption’), UNWTO’s statistics serve to highlight the importance of national efforts to implement standardized tools like Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSAs) and the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). Both underpin the UNWTO-led Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) that assesses the social, economic and environmental impacts and dependencies of tourism—at national and sub-national levels -. These tools also underline the importance of multistakeholder collaboration which is fostered through the Sustainable Tourism Programme of the One Planet network.

As countries build back better and aim to build more sustainable and resilient tourism, various policy frameworks have recognized the need for these measurement tools to guide their efforts and thus contribute to more evidence-based policymaking. Examples at the international and regional level are the UNWTO Recommendations for the Transition to a Green Travel and Tourism Economy  and the AlUla Framework for Inclusive Community Development Through Tourism, both welcomed and endorsed by the G20, the European Parliament resolution on establishing a strategy for sustainable tourism, the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework, UNWTO General Assembly resolutions and UN Statistical Commission decisions.

Related links

• Download the news release
• UNWTO Tourism Statistics Database
• UNWTO Economic Contribution and SDGs
• UNWTO Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism
• UN SDG Global Database
• UN SG Report on Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals
• Sustainable Development Goals Extended Report (2022)
• High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

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La Rioja to host 2023 edition of the UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism

• All Regions
• 12 Jul 2022

The 7th edition of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Conference on Wine Tourism will be held in La Rioja in 2023. This new edition was presented at the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture, with the participation of Concha Andreu, President of the Government of La Rioja; Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism; and the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili.

The Conference has become a leading international forum on trends, tools and opportunities to advance wine tourism. It provides an opportunity for experts and professionals, as well as consolidated and emerging destinations in this tourism segment to exchange knowledge and experiences.

During the official presentation, which was hosted at the Vivanco facilities in Briones, Pololikashvili thanked Spain and La Rioja for hosting the 2023 edition of the Conference, and highlighted the potential of wine tourism as a driver of the growth of local economies and as an engine of social change: “This is a sector that can lead a positive change,  especially in many rural communities, creating jobs and opportunities in the most depopulated areas, boosting economic growth and preserving the natural and cultural environment.”

This is a sector that can lead a positive change, especially in many rural communities, creating jobs and opportunities in the most depopulated areas, boosting economic growth and preserving the natural and cultural environment

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• Gastronomy and Wine Tourism
• 6th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism

UNWTO Welcomes Top Music Promoter Pino Sagliocco as New Ambassador for Tourism

• All Regions
• 7 Jul 2022

The music promoter Pino Sagliocco has been unveiled as the newest UNWTO Special Ambassador, joining a growing list of illustrious figures using their influence and celebrity to promote the power of tourism. In his new role, Mr Sagliocco will join Giorgio Armani, Lionel Messi and other leading figures from the worlds of business, sport, gastronomy and culture in championing tourism as a pillar of sustainable development and of opportunity for all.

Mr Sagliocco, who is President of the Live Nation Group in Spain, was given the honor by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili at a special ceremony held at the MOM Culinary Institute in Madrid. The Secretary-General praised the new UNWTO Ambassador for his tireless work promoting musicians from all over the world, and for his support of UNWTO, as illustrated by his presence at the 112th session of its Executive Council in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2020.

Music and tourism are both powerful vehicles for bringing people together, to celebrate culture and to peace and understanding

“Music and tourism are both powerful vehicles for bringing people together, to celebrate culture and to peace and understanding,” Secretary-General Pololikashvili noted. “UNWTO is proud to welcome Pino Sagliocco into our growing family of Ambassadors and l look forward to working closely with him to grow sustainable tourism, both in Spain and worldwide.”

Over the course of his stellar career, Mr Sagliocco has worked with some of the world’s biggest artists, among them Prince, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and many more. His continued enthusiasm for music as a natural partner to travel has helped make him a strong ally of UNWTO’s mission, as recognized by his new status as Special Ambassador. With musical tourism emerging as one of the major new trends for the sector, Mr Sagliocco’s long history as an innovator will help maximise its positive impacts, both economically and socially. Famously, he gave the world the merging of two different musical styles for the opening song of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics by Montserrat Caballè y Freddy Mercury, and he has continued to innovate and break boundaries.

Related links

• Download the news release
• UNWTO Tourism Ambassadors

Scaling-up Tourism Action at UN Ocean Conference

• All Regions
• 30 Jun 2022

Tourism has the potential to lead the shift towards a circular and regenerative blue economy, the UN Ocean Conference has been told.

UNWTO centred the discussions on tourism in a special Tourism Ocean Action side event of the Conference, held this week in Lisbon. Organized alongside the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme and in collaboration with the governments of Portugal and Kenya, the discussions highlighted the strong incentive that tourism provides for ocean conservation.

As part of its responsible recovery, tourism needs to play a more active role in protecting coastal and marine environments

Tourism’s role in coastal conservation

Addressing the Conference, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Our wellbeing depends on a healthy ocean. As part of its responsible recovery, tourism needs to play a more active role in protecting coastal and marine environments. That’s why we are taking steps to shift to a more circular and resilient tourism model, and the benefits of this will be felt far beyond the sector itself.”

High level representatives from Portugal, Kenya and the Republic of Fiji including the Minister of Economy and Maritime Affairs of Portugal, H.E. Antonio Costa Silva; the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife of Kenya, Hon. Najib Balala; the Minister of Commerce, Trade Tourism and Transport of the Republic of Fiji, Hon. Faiyaz Koya; presented frontrunning tourism policies and stressed the importance of finding a balance between the environment and the economy and jobs creation through tourism. The UN Resident Coordinator for the Maldives and UNEP’s Ecosystem Division Director also took part in the side event.  

“As we implement the sustainable tourism action plan 2020 – 2023, we are promoting changes in consumption behaviour, looking at the circularity of materials and at the efficiency in the use of resources, while supporting tourism companies adopt ESG and connecting marine protected areas with tourism” said H.E. Antonio Costa Silva, Minister of Economy and Maritime Affairs of Portugal.

Key ocean and climate initiatives outlined

In particular, the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, including its five pathways “measure, decarbonize, regenerate, collaborate and finance” and the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, which supports the sector’s readiness to the upcoming international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution, were put forward as effective tools to accelerate tourism ocean action and new signatories to the latter were announced.

“The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative supports readiness of the tourism sector to meet upcoming regulations, especially in light of the upcoming international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution. To meet the real need for strong mobilization, the largest businesses need to also be engaged,” noted UNEP, Susan Gardner, Director, Ecosystems Division

Turismo de Portugal recalled having signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism alongside the European Travel Commission. The Travel Foundation reminded of the need to build the knowledge of tourism stakeholders, especially small and medium enterprises. The need to trigger investments at scale in the protection and regeneration of ecosystems was highlighted by private sector representatives from Iberostar Group, which presented its coastal health strategy, and NOAH Regen, which presented an innovative finance model to protect and regenerate blue carbon ecosystems, building on the side-event on “Blue Carbon Ecosystems for Regenerative Tourism” organized on the previous day in collaboration with Forum Oceano.

Related Links

• Download the news release in PDF
• Tourism Ocean Action - Towards a Circular and Regenerative Blue Economy
• The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism
• Global Tourism Plastics Initiative
• Watch the Tourism Ocean Action side event

UNWTO participates in the 6th edition of Conecta Fiction & Entertainment

• All Regions
• 24 Jun 2022

The World Tourism Organization presented its initiatives in audio-visual tourism and its vision regarding the future of the sector. With the support of the World Tourism Organization, the 6th edition of Conecta Fiction & Entertainment was inaugurated, an event on the co-production and networking of series and entertainment content for television organized by the Government of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, Turismo Castilla-La Mancha and the Castilla-La Mancha Film Commission.

The main objective of Conecta Fiction & Entertainment is to promote investment and high-quality audio-visual productions through the exchange of good practices, innovative projects and training workshops with experts in the sector.

During the event’s opening session, Ion Vilcu, Executive Director of the UNWTO Affiliate Members, said: “Tourism and the audio-visual industry have a natural link. Travellers connect directly with the sites where films and television series are made, which gives these places added value to support the sustainable development of the tourism sector.”

Tourism and the audio-visual industry have a natural link

For her part, the Minister of Economy, Business and Employment of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha, Patricia Franco Jiménez, highlighted the importance of strengthening the positioning of the region as an attractive destination for international production companies. In addition, she underlined that “the audio-visual sector helps us strengthen the tourism indicators we have in the region, such as the number of employees, which has reached the highest figures recorded, only behind 2019”.

Among the participants in this event of international significance in the audio-visual industry are companies such as Movistar, HBO Spain, RTVE, Netflix, Rai and Mediaset Spain.  

Enlaces relacionados:

• Conecta Fiction & Entertainment
• Cultural Affinity and Screen Tourism - The Case of Internet Entertainment Services
• Download the press release in PDF

President Joins UNWTO in Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in the Dominican Republic

• All Regions
• 23 Jun 2022

Women entrepreneurs from across the tourism sector came together in Santo Domingo for a special workshop focused on financing, marketing, networking and innovation.

Forming part of UNWTO’s Centre Stage project and organized in partnership with the country’s Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), the one-day event saw around 200 female Dominican entrepreneurs share their experience and knowledge while also benefitting from expert insights into growing tourism businesses and making the sector a driver of gender equality and sustainable development.

Joining the entrepreneurs in a show of support, President of the Republic, Mr. Luis Abinader and the Minister of Tourism, Mr. David Collado, stressed the important role tourism is playing in the economic wellbeing of the country. The President singled out the opportunities being created in established tourism hubs like Punta Cana, as well as emerging destinations such as Pedernales.

As part of Centre Stage, MITUR has been working actively since November 2021 to implement policies that take into consideration the specific needs of women working in tourism. According to UNWTO research, women in tourism have been hit harder by the impacts of the pandemic than men working in the sector, emphasizing the need to incorporate a gender perspective into policymaking. The Centre Stage project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ), the Germany Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and UN Women. 

Related Links:

• Download the press release
• Centre Stage Project