The decision to host FITUR is the kind of boldness we need if we are to restart tourism and so kickstart wider recovery
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UN Tourism News #25 | 24 May 2021
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Promoting Innovation and Sustainability as FITUR ReturnsAt FITUR: The International Spanish Tourism Trade Fair (Madrid, 19-23 May 2021), UNWTO ensured sustainability, innovation and responsibility are a central part of the conversation. FITUR was the last global in-person trade fair to take place before the COVID-19 pandemic, and is the first one to return, sending a clear message of the resolve of the tourism sector for a safe and responsible restart. |
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UNWTO Hosts Tourism Leaders in MadridTo celebrate the return of the FITUR International Tourism Fair, UNWTO united leaders from the public and private sectors to send out a strong message that tourism is ready to return. |
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Ideas to Build Back Better: SDGS Start-up Competition Final Held in MadridOn the eve of FITUR, Innovators with ideas to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals were celebrated in Madrid. The final of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition saw 25 entrepreneurs and enterprises recognized for their creativity and commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 ambitious goals. |
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Power of Investments for African Tourism Highlighted as Investour ReturnsThe importance of unlocking the potential of investments for growing African tourism was highlighted as leaders from across the sector met virtually for the 2021 edition of INVESTOUR. |
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Tourism For All – UNWTO Presents “Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development” - Compendium of Best PracticesThe UNWTO Affiliate Members Department, within the framework of the activities of the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, organized the Expert Meeting on Accessible Tourism – Good Practices on Accessible Tourism in Nature Areas at FITUR Next. |
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UNWTO Gives Voice to the Initiatives of the Private Sector at FITUR 2021UNWTO Affiliate Members from the tourism sector presented their initiatives on tourism recovery at the ‘’UNWTO Affiliate Members Corner’’, held on 21 May at FITUR 2021. The event saw initiatives covering topics such as the digitalization, innovation and marketing strategies. |
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UNWTO Supports Special Edition of the CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism Awards at FITURThe third edition of the CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism Awards was held today at the CaixaBank stand at Fitur, the first major international mobility experience in Europe this year, with the presence of Ion Vilcu, Director of the Affiliate Members Department of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and representatives of CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism. |
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The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Google have signed a new agreement to work together and lead global tourism’s recovery through innovation, education, and market intelligence.
The new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) builds on past cooperation between the UN specialized agency for tourism and Google. With destinations in some parts of the world looking to restart tourism, the new partnership will focus on harnessing the power of innovation, education, data and market intelligence to drive sustainable and inclusive recovery.
Notably, the two organizations will host trainings for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), using a new Capacity Building Curriculum developed by Google. These sessions will empower destinations to switch to digital, with the training adapted to reflect their specific circumstances and the unique challenges every destination currently faces.
The new Capacity Building Curriculum will also complement existing joint initiatives, and a data sharing agreement for Google’s Travel Insights to power a portion of the UNWTO's tourism recovery tracker.
The strong partnership between UNWTO and Google will help put innovation and digital at the centre of tourism’s recovery
Alongside this, the Tourism Accelerator Program, designed by Google in partnership with UNWTO, will also be scaled up globally. A pilot program launched across EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) in 2020 showed the value of working with policymakers to put digital at the heart of their tourism recovery plans and the benefits of upskilling DMOs so they can make effective use of data and market intelligence.
The partnership will go beyond empowering destinations and businesses during the immediate recovery phase. Under the agreement, Google will provide ongoing support for a number of UNWTO’s leading initiatives, including Startup Competitions designed to promote and support innovation across the sector.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The strong partnership between UNWTO and Google will help put innovation and digital at the centre of tourism’s recovery. By working together, UNWTO and Google will empower destinations, businesses and tourism workers to realize the power of data and market intelligence, both increasingly important as global tourism looks to restart and recover.”
We’re honored to be working alongside UNWTO in this vital effort to support the global tourism sector on its path toward broader economic recovery
Google’s Managing Director for Travel Partnerships Gianni Marostica says: “We’re honored to be working alongside UNWTO in this vital effort to support the global tourism sector on its path toward broader economic recovery. It’s critical that both policymakers and businesses have the tools and insights they need to reconnect with travelers in a digital environment.”
Looking ahead, UNWTO and Google will also collaborate on joint research projects related to tourism. The results will further establish both parties as thought leaders and provide governments, destinations and businesses with the trusted data and insights they need to guide tourism towards recovery.
UNWTO Affiliate Members from the tourism sector, including private entities, associations and tourism boards across the world, have presented their initiatives and projects on tourism recovery at the ‘’UNWTO Affiliate Members Corner’’, held on 21 May at FITUR 2021, the International Tourism Fair Trade in Madrid (Spain). The forum, organized by the UNWTO Affiliate Members Department, provided a professional space for the UNWTO Affiliate Membership to showcase their projects at this important international tourism fair, one of first international mobility events in Europe.
The event saw initiatives covering topics such as the digitalisation and innovation in tourism, marketing strategies for the recovery of tourism, and reactivation strategies to achieve a safer, more inclusive and more sustainable tourism sector when travel resumes.
Among the participating companies were top private entities, tourism boards, tourism organizations and associations such as Expedia Group, Allianz Partners, the Moscow City Tourism Committee (Russia), the Catalan Tourism Board (Spain), the Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (Turkey), Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council (CPTQ) (Mexico), Turisme de Barcelona (Spain), NECStouR (Belgium), the Tourism Observatory (Eurecat), FENALCO (Colombia), Fundación Mallorca Turismo (Spain), the Starlight Foundation (Spain), Turisme de Barcelona (Spain), Expedia Group (USA), Turismo de Santiago de Compostela (Spain), World Leisure Organization (USA) and the Guanajuato Tourism Observatory & Secretary of Tourism of Guanajuato (Mexico).
Ion Vilcu, Director of the UNWTO Affiliate Members Department, said: "I am very pleased with the level of participation in the UNWTO Affiliate Members Corner at FITUR 2021, and the very interesting projects shared. The event offered the perfect opportunity to learn from each other, exchange ideas and expertise and cooperate more closely to restart the tourism sector. From the Affiliate Members Department, we are committed to continue supporting the activities of our members through initiatives such as this one, in the common effort to advance the resumption of a better, more inclusive and sustainable tourism sector''.
The cultural diversity and knowledge of indigenous peoples can bring innovative experiences and new business opportunities for tourism destinations and local communities, and help them recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on this, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has partnered with the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA) on a set of guidelines, designed to ensure this type of experiences are respectful and led by the indigenous communities themselves.
The new UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guide, Issue 4: Indigenous Communities, is the fourth set of guidelines addressing the socio-cultural impacts of COVID-19 issued by UNWTO. The partners call for placing Indigenous communities at the centre of recovery plans and for partnerships geared towards gathering accurate data on Indigenous tourism, and how it has been affected by the pandemic.
These recommendations draw on the partners’ expertise and set out solutions for the socio-economic empowerment of Indigenous Peoples through tourism. These include transitioning from “assisting” to “enabling” indigenous entrepreneurship, strengthening skills and building capacities, fostering digital literacy for running tourism businesses, and acknowledging the relevance of indigenous peoples by destination authorities and the tourism sector overall.
The Guide, launched on the occasion of the International Day of Cultural Diversity, builds on the decade-long partnership between UNWTO and WINTA. The two organizations work together to enable indigenous communities untap their tourism potential and promote their success stories. The most recent collaboration, the Weaving the Recovery Project, focuses on empowering Indigenous women through responsible tourism experiences and indigenous artisanship in Latin America.
The recommendations also benefitted from inputs provided by the Organization for the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In recent years, the OECD has also significantly advanced its policy research and promotion of good practices and networks championing indigenous tourism within its Member countries.
UNWTO stands ready to support platforms which reinforce indigenous peoples’ networks, making them the ultimate decision makers of tourism operations affecting their livelihoods.
The global tourism sector has come together to show its unity and readiness to restart as soon as conditions allow.
To celebrate the return of the FITUR International Tourism Fair, UNWTO united leaders from the public and private sectors to send out a strong message that tourism is ready to return. Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili welcomed distinguished guests to the Royal Theatre in Madrid, among them the newest UNWTO Ambassadors, including the manager of Atlético de Madrid football club Diego Simeone and model and entrepreneur, Valeria Mazza.
The decision to host FITUR is the kind of boldness we need if we are to restart tourism and so kickstart wider recovery
Reflecting unprecedented levels of political support for tourism, joining UNWTO at the evening event were Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain and the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida. Furthermore, the sector’s ability to touch on almost every part of society was further reflected in the naming of UNWTO’s latest Ambassadors. Joining Mr Simeone and Ms Mazza in accepting the honor in Madrid were the latest UNWTO Special Ambassador for Gastronomy Tourism, chef Ramón Freixa Riera and business leaders Alejandro Bulgheroni and Frank Ranieri.
Secretary-General Pololikashvili said: “Now is the time for ambition and bold steps. The decision to host FITUR is the kind of boldness we need if we are to restart tourism and so kickstart wider recovery. And this show of unity is the kind of cooperation we need to restart tourism in a coordinated and responsible manner, for the benefit of many millions of people worldwide.”
At FITUR 2021, UNWTO has addressed some of the key challenges facing tourism while also advancing solutions for its safe, responsible and sustainable recovery. Following on from the final of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition, UNWTO is also advancing another of its priorities, the promotion of investments in African tourism, as well as strengthening partnerships with private sector actors.
The UNWTO Affiliate Members Department, within the framework of the activities of the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, organized the Expert Meeting on Accessible Tourism – Good Practices on Accessible Tourism in Nature Areas at FITUR Next.
This event provided a space to recognize the importance of incorporating accessibility into the tourism practices in nature environments, share knowledge and experiences by UNWTO Affiliate Members and other tourism stakeholders, and provide recommendation on how to strengthen accessibility and create an accessible tourism for all.
At the event, the publication Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development – Compendium of Best Practices, available in the UNWTO E-Library, was launched and presented to the audience. This publication is the result of the work carried out in the last months by the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, coordinated by the Affiliate Members Department and chaired by the Spanish Network for Accessible Tourism (Red Estable).
We trust this publication will provide all relevant stakeholders with tools and resources to make their tourism destinations, facilities and services accessible for all
Its aim is to create an accessible pathway in nature, from which to descry a new approach for inclusive tourism development in natural areas, which is very much in line with the UNWTO priority to foster an Accessible Tourism for All and so contributing to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The compilation of best practices included in the publication and the final recommendations provides innovative, inclusive, and sustainable solutions that enable access to nature for all the people.
In the words of UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili: There is still a lot of work to be done, as we are still far from guaranteeing a universally accessible tourism sector. However, we trust this publication will provide all relevant stakeholders with tools and resources to make their tourism destinations, facilities and services accessible for all. We also hope it will serve as a source of inspiration for them to continue working, so that tourism becomes truly accessible.
Within the framework of the event, representatives of the entities which contributed to the publication shared with the audience their projects, all very different in terms of contents but sharing the common goal of promoting an Accessible Tourism for All and supporting the right of people with disabilities to travel. Accessible accommodations in nature, accessibility to natural parks and beaches, and the use of plastic to manufacture accessible products were only some of the topics that were presented.
The third edition of the CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism Awards was held today at the CaixaBank stand at Fitur, the first major international mobility experience in Europe this year, with the presence of Ion Vilcu, Director of the Affiliate Members Department of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and representatives of CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism.
These awards are yet another example of the commitment of CaixaBank—a UNWTO Affiliate Member—to the tourism market and, specifically, to social and innovative projects in the tourism sector in Spain.
In this special edition, the best social and innovative initiatives launched by the sector in 2020 to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis were recognized. Three private Spanish entities in the hotel sector, Artiem Hotels, Apartmentos Vistasol and HOSBEC, were announced as the winners in the national phase of this third edition for their respective initiatives in the “Social”, “Innovation” and “Institutional” categories of the awards.
The jury for the awards was composed of CaixaBank specialists in the tourism sector and Corporate Responsibility, professionals from leading institutions in the sector, such as the UNWTO and the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations (CEHAT), as well as representatives of chambers of commerce.
The UNWTO welcomes with great enthusiasm the initiatives of CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism aimed at implementing more sustainable practices, which ultimately make tourism companies more competitive, with the goal of promoting the development of the sector in line with the values and priorities of the 2030 Agenda.
Innovators with ideas to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals have been celebrated in Madrid. The final of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition saw 25 entrepreneurs and enterprises recognized for their creativity and commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 ambitious goals.
Organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with the support of over 25 partners from across the global innovation ecosystem, this competition is the biggest innovation initiative ever launched by any part of the wider United Nations system. In all, more than 10,000 applications from 138 different countries were received, each of them promising to advance one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Today’s winners can inspire new ways to accelerate progress towards sustainability, equality and inclusivity
“Today’s winners can inspire new ways to accelerate progress towards sustainability, equality and inclusivity,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in a message congratulating the finalists. Every global region was represented among the 25 winners at the final event in Madrid, held on the eve of the FITUR International Tourism Trade Fair.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili added that “the winners of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition can get us back on track to building a better, more sustainable future for both people and planet”.
The competition final highlighted the power of tourism to help reach the 2030 Agenda through driving progress in waste and resource management, green energy production, destination experiences and decarbonization, as well as through creating decent jobs for all, promoting inclusivity and gender equality and protecting ecosystems.
The winners of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition can get us back on track to building a better, more sustainable future for both people and planet
The event also highlighted the strong level of political support for UNWTO’s mission to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Joining Secretary-General Pololikashvili at Madrid’s Royal Theatre were the Ministers of Tourism of Sri Lanka and Panama, the Ambassador of Qatar to Spain, the Mayor of Madrid José Luis Martínez-Almeida and Spain’s Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés.
Against the backdrop of the final, UNWTO also supported Apolitical and Mastercard during a special panel event on Digital Country Partnerships, highlighting key actors rebuilding tourism through innovation. Special thanks were also given to sponsors and collaborators of the SDGs Global Startup Competition, including the main partner, Wakalua (the innovation hub of Globalia), partner airline Qatar Airways, and collaborators such as Telefonica, Amazon Web Services, Amadeus, amongst others – see the full list here.
18 May 2021
We have less than 10 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
And we are in the midst of a global pandemic that is setting back progress.
To get back on track, we need to unleash the power of new ideas and embrace a sustainable transformation.
Tourism has a critical role to play, and I commend the United Nations World Tourism Organization for its leadership.
Its SDGs Global Startup Competition is promoting innovation and a better recovery.
The competition attracted more than 10,000 applicants from 138 countries, and the ideas are as diverse as the innovators themselves.
All these startups have the potential to be scaled up and drive a positive transformation in our societies.
They can inspire new ways to accelerate progress towards sustainability, equality and inclusivity.
I thank everyone who has taken part in the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition, and I look forward to seeing these bright ideas being put into action.
