Tourism leaders from around the world will once again come together for the UNWTO, WTTC & WTM Ministers’ Summit at WTM London this November, to commit to investing in the sector’s sustainable future.
The summit is the largest annual gathering of tourism ministers and will take place on Tuesday 2nd November during WTM London – the leading global event for the travel industry. Ministers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts are invited to take part.
For more than 10 years, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and WTM London have partnered to host a high-level summit, focusing on key challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
The 2021 Summit will also be presenting an opportunity for leaders to discuss ways to build back better and invest in a sustainable future for the travel and tourism industry.
The Ministers’ Summit 2021 could not be more timely and will provide a blueprint for promoting investments in tourism’s sustainable future, one of UNWTO’s key priorities as we guide the global restart of the sector
The UNWTO, WTTC & WTM Ministers' Summit 2021 will provide a practical platform for tourism leaders of the public and private sectors to share best practices and explore investment opportunities, uniting sector leaders and top thinkers to examine tourism’s sustainable future and the essential role that targeted ‘green investment’ will play in achieving this.
WTM London Exhibition Director, Simon Press said:
“This will be our 15th Ministers’ Summit and, as with previous events, what will be discussed and agreed will prove to be of paramount importance. We know how much destinations rely on the tourism industry for economic growth, jobs and wellbeing.
“Yet at the same time, this wellbeing is being threatened by weather that is becoming more extreme – as witnessed in recent news coverage of floods, heat waves, wildfires and other phenomena. We cannot simply sit back and do nothing. Urgent action is needed now to establish a sustainable future for the globe and the people who rely on travel and tourism.
“This will be the second opportunity for ministers and global industry leaders to meet in the wake of the pandemic and is a proven effective platform for exploring the best ways to work together.
“The Ministers’ Summit promises important debate and the exchange of ideas and best practice, to spur action for the good of the communities we support and the environment.”
UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili said:
“The World Travel Market provides UNWTO with a unique platform for bringing together the political influence of governments and public sector leaders and the dynamism of the private sector. The Ministers’ Summit2021 could not be more timely and will provide a blueprint for promoting investments in tourism’s sustainable future, one of UNWTO’s key priorities as we guide the global restart of the sector.”
WTTC President & CEO, Julia Simpson said:
“This Summit comes at a crucial time and will offer a vital forum for planning and sharing ideas for 2021 and onwards, as we begin to recover from this global pandemic. The aim of sustainable tourism is to increase the benefits and to reduce the negative impacts caused by tourism for destinations, and this year’s Minister Summit will address the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”
The UNWTO, WTTC & WTM Ministers’ Summit – Investing in Tourism’s Sustainable Future takes place on the WTM Global Stage at WTM London from 10:30-12:30 on Tuesday 2 November 2021.
The Ministers’ Summit is available for anyone who has registered for WTM London to attend.
Dear Affiliate Members,
I am pleased to share with you the Vol. 35 of our AM News Bulletin.
September was the month of the World Tourism Day. The celebrations for the edition 2021, organized as every year by the UNWTO, were hosted by Côte d’Ivoire. In Abidjan, among several activities which took place to celebrate this special occasion for our sector, the Affiliate Members Department organized the session “UNWTO Affiliate Membership and tourism private sector development in Africa”. At the event, we presented before the African private sector the main benefits and services that we offer to our Affiliate Members, aimed to increase our network in the region.
Another important achievement for us was the organization, within the framework of Iberoseries Platino Industry in Madrid, of the event “Beyond the traditional concept of Screen Tourism”. At the event, we launched the Global Report “Cultural Affinity and Screen Tourism”, result of a fruitful collaboration with Netflix. We are very happy about this project, which represents a starting point to further explore the priority line of action Tourism and the Audio-visual Industry.
In the next weeks/months many exciting events and initiatives will take place. I refer to the World Sports Tourism Congress, that we are organizing with the Catalan Tourism Board on 25-26 November 2021, and especially the 24th UNWTO General Assembly, which is the most important statutory meeting for our organization. This edition is particularly relevant for us, because the new Legal Framework for the Affiliate Members will be submitted to the approval of the General Assembly.
As part of it, it will be celebrated the 43rd Affiliate Members Plenary Session, a key meeting for our network. We will present the draft of the Programme of Work 2022 and organize a new edition of the Affiliate Members Corner, to give the opportunity to our Affiliate Members to present their projects and initiatives and so boost their visibility.
As you can see, many relevant activities will soon take place, and I hope to count with the support and participation of all of you.
As always, I am at your disposal and look forward to hearing any comments you might have.
Yours sincerely,
Ion Vilcu
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UN Tourism News #30 | 07 OCT 2021 |
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Vaccines and Reopen Borders Driving Tourism’s RecoveryInternational tourism enjoyed signs of rebound in June and July 2021 as some destinations eased travel restrictions and the global vaccination rollout advanced in many parts of the world. |
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World Tourism Day 2021 Highlights Inclusive Growth for Tourism’s RestartGlobal tourism has reaffirmed its commitment to making the sector a pillar of inclusive growth. At the official World Tourism Day 2021 celebrations in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, political and business leaders united behind a common message of solidarity and determination to ‘leave nobody behind’ as tourism restarts and grows back. |
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We Have a Winner - UNWTO Students’ LeagueStudents from around the world have been recognized for ideas to make tourism more responsible and sustainable. The 2021 Global UNWTO Students’ League Competition focused on addressing the issue of plastics pollution within the sector, as well as maximizing tourism’s contributions to rural development. |
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Netflix Joins UNWTO to Rethink Screen TourismUNWTO and Netflix have partnered on the publication of a report which looks at the role of film and series as drivers for tourism and cultural affinity. The Global Report on Cultural Affinity and Screen Tourism explores the growing affection one has towards a particular country or culture displayed on the screen. |
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UNWTO and Didier Drogba Partner to Build Opportunity for African YouthUNWTO and the Didier Drogba Foundation have teamed up to highlight the potential of African youth and ensure that both tourism and sport deliver on their potential to provide opportunities for all. |
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International tourism enjoyed signs of rebound in June and July 2021 as some destinations eased travel restrictions and the global vaccination rollout advanced in many parts of the world.
According to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, an estimated 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July 2021, down 67% from the same month in 2019, but the strongest results since April 2020. This compares to an estimated 34 million international arrivals recorded in July 2020, though well below the 164 million figure recorded in 2019.
Most destinations reporting data for June and July 2021 saw a moderate rebound in international arrivals compared to 2020. Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80% in January-July compared to 2019. Asia and the Pacific continued to suffer the weakest results in the period January to July, with a 95% drop in international arrivals compared to 2019. The Middle East (-82%) recorded the second largest decline, followed by Europe and Africa (both -77%). The Americas (-68%) saw a comparatively smaller decrease, with the Caribbean showing the best performance among world subregions. Meanwhile, some small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific, together with a few small European destinations recorded the best performance in June and July, with arrivals close to, or sometimes exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
The true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remain on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel
This improvement was underpinned by the reopening of many destinations to international travel, mostly in Europe and the Americas. The relaxation of travel restrictions for vaccinated travellers, coupled with progress made in the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, contributed to lifting consumer confidence and gradually restoring safe mobility in Europe and other parts of the world. In contrast, most destinations in Asia remain closed to non-essential travel.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “There is clearly a strong demand for international tourism, and many destinations have started welcoming visitors back safely and responsibly. However, the true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remain on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel.”
Although destinations continued to report weak international tourism revenues in the first seven months of 2021, several did record a modest improvement in June and July, and some even surpassed the earnings of 2019. Among the larger destinations, Mexico earned roughly the same tourism receipts in June 2021 as in 2019, and in July posted a 2% increase over 2019.
The same is true for outbound travel. Among the larger markets, France (-35%) and the United States (-49%) saw a significant improvement in July, though tourism spending was still well below 2019 levels.
Prospects for September-December 2021 remain mixed, according to the latest UNWTO Panel of Experts survey, with 53% of respondents believing the period will be worse than expected. Only 31% of experts expect point to better results towards the end of the year. The survey also shows that most tourism professionals continue to expect a rebound driven by unleashed pent-up demand for international travel in 2022, mostly during the second and third quarters.
Almost half of all experts (45%) continue to see international tourism returning to 2019 levels in 2024 or later, while 43% point to a recovery in 2023. By regions, the largest share of experts pointing to a return to 2019 levels in 2024 or later are in Asia and the Pacific (58%). In Europe, half of respondents indicate this could happen in 2023. The Middle East is the most optimistic, with a full recovery expected by 2022.
UNWTO and Netflix have partnered on the publication of a report which looks at the role of film and series as drivers for tourism and cultural affinity. The Global Report on Cultural Affinity and Screen Tourism explores the growing affection one has towards a particular country or culture displayed on the screen.
The findings of the research were presented in Madrid against the backdrop of the Iberseries Platino Industria - the largest international event for professionals linked to the audiovisual industry in Spanish and Portuguese.
The report’s ultimate goal is to support policymakers and key stakeholders within the tourism sector to implement policies that make their destinations attractive for audio-visual producers. At the same time, it aims to help in the building of focused strategies to promote tourism and consumption of local culture, investing in skills and training to develop the local film and creative sectors to ensure a high level of talent, infrastructure and production capacity and integrating tourism and showcasing culture at film festivals to deepen the global audiences’ knowledge.
The joint work of UNWTO and Netflix will help destinations realize the potential benefits of screen tourism
UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “Both tourism and the audiovisual sectors celebrate and promote culture, support jobs and provide opportunities in diverse locations. The joint work of UNWTO and Netflix will help destinations realize the potential benefits of screen tourism.
Dean Garfield, Vice-President, Public Policy, Netflix: “As highlighted in this research, we have been able to demonstrate conclusively what we instinctively already believed, which is that alongside the desire to travel and visit destinations, exposure to screen content also leads to greater interest in heritage, culture, language, and developing interpersonal relationships. This truly demonstrates that the creative industries, cultural exchange, storytelling, and tourism are all interlinked and can transform the way communities perceive and connect with each other.”
Following the presentation of the Global Report, experts on tourism and the audio-visual industry shared their knowledge and insights into changing trends in screen tourism, its positive impacts on strengthening cultural affinity and the role of online streaming services in promoting tourism and cultural affinity between people, cultures and countries in line with the 2030 Agenda. The event also served to underline how public-private partnerships can support destinations to promote themselves as attractive locations for audio-visual producers.
Students from around the world have been recognized for ideas to make tourism more responsible and sustainable. The 2021 Global UNWTO Students’ League Competition focused on addressing the issue of plastics pollution within the sector, as well as maximizing tourism’s contributions to rural development.
The competition attracted over 1,000 students. From these, 155 teams, representing 124 educational institutions in 45 different countries put forward their ideas. As well as being judged on how well their idea would contribute to a specific Sustainable Development Goal, the students were also assessed on the feasibility of their solutions and on their level of teamwork.
The eight winning solutions included works of art, calls to action, Instagram and other digital marketing campaigns, and potential strategies to help both destinations and tourism accommodation providers reduce plastic waste and consumption. Several of the ideas submitted to the competition have already been picked up and implemented by stakeholders across the tourism sector.
The UNWTO Students League is a unique chance for students from around the world to help lead this change
The UNWTO Students League aims to empower and motivate tourism students by giving them real-time experience working in creating and implementing innovative and sustainable solutions for the challenges that the sector is facing.
At the final, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The tourism of tomorrow must be inclusive, sustainable and embrace local values. The UNWTO Students League is a unique chance for students from around the world to help lead this change.”
This initiative bridges the gap between students’ education and training and the realities of the sector. It also enables young people to enter the labour market as highly qualified and skilled professional.
“From the moment that I decided to join this competition, I came into the world of SDGs. It is incredible to me that tourism has an intersection with so many different topics, …a sector that is amazing not just because of what it is about but also because of the many things that make it up.
Vildan Soguktas, from Kinawa Middle School, Michigan, US”
(Rural – Middle School)
“…history has proven and will continue to prove that natural disasters or wars, including the pandemic, will never prevent people from travelling freely... As a team of teenagers who love travelling, we shall do our best for a better world!”
Xin Tong, Ma’anshan No. 7 Middle School, Anhui Province
(Rural Challenge, Middle School 11-13)
We learnt a lot about working together as a team to tackle plastics pollution. As travel and tourism students, it helped us comprehend the scope about this problem. Thank you for this incredible opportunity.
Team Thaajuddeen, Thaajuddeen School, Maldives (Plastics Challenge, High-School 14-18)
“Being able to find new ideas to develop a tourist offer and a positioning for Tabant was an incredible experience for us! Thanks to UNWTO for giving us this opportunity”.
Lucia Tucci & Salvatore Cavallaro, Team Off Beat - Master in Economia del Turismo, Bocconi University
(Rural CHallenge -Undergraudates)
The winners are as follows:
The UNWTO Students League was made possible thanks to the support and experience from partners the Cullinary Tourism Alliance, Digital Tourism Think Tank ,Eurecat, Exo Foundation, Google, Iberia, Instagram, International Trade Center, NH Hotels International, Rusticae, Tress4Humanity, Verne Tourism Experts, and the Ministry of Tourism of Morocco, as well the Plastics Initiative signatories: Bharhka Countryside Cottage Resorts, Chumbe Island Coral Park Zanzibar, Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative, Dark Sky Association, El Rio Foundation, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Fundación Banco Santander, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Guava Amenities, Hostelword Group, Indonesian Waste Platform, Positive Impact Forever, ProAmpac, Radisson Hotels, Sustainable First, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, University of Tasmania, and UNEP
