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UNWTO Ministerial Meetings - Shared Determination to Restart Tourism and Drive Recovery
Over the past month, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was able to hold virtually meetings of its five Regional Commissions to share responses to the challenge of COVID-19 and their plans for the restart of tourism in the wake of the pandemic.
For the first time ever, the five regional bodies of Member States of the United Nations specialized agency, met virtually rather than in person. The annual series of meetings got underway with the Regional Commission for Africa, and this was followed by meetings of the Regional Commissions for the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific and finally the Middle East region. In all instances, representatives of Member States, including Ministers of Tourism, were joined UNWTO Affiliate Members, including leaders from across the private sector.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The meetings of the UNWTO Regional Commissions has shown the universal determination to restart tourism, and to do so with an emphasis on sustainability and on ensuring the benefits are shared as widely as possible. At the same time, the insights of UNWTO Member States from around the world make clear that, while some destinations are re-opening to tourists, this crisis is not yet over in many places, and that the tourism sector continues to require strong political and economic support if we are to safeguard livelihoods and protect whole economies in these challenging times.”
The meetings of the UNWTO Regional Commissions has shown the universal determination to restart tourism, and to do so with an emphasis on sustainability and on ensuring the benefits are shared as widely as possible
In the final meeting of this round, the Regional Commission for the Middle East featured nine Ministers of Tourism, as well as representatives from the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the Arab Tourism Organization, the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Islamic Development Board.
Chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the virtual meeting focused on ensuring all destinations are ready to welcome tourists back, with enhanced hygiene protocols in place so as to make tourists feel safe and confident. Discussions also centred on the important role innovation and digital transformation will play in the future of tourism across the Middle East region.
In all cases, UNWTO’s leadership used the occasion of the meetings of the Regional Commissions to share the practical and technical support made available to both governments and the private sector. The UNWTO Guidelines for Restarting Tourism provide a clear action plan for growing back stronger and better, and the Tourism Recovery Technical Assistance Package outlines the support available to all Member States, including assistance in devising new marketing strategies.
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UNWTO Webinar: Ready for take-off? What do travellers expect from destinations
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Executive Council - Ninety-sixth session
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UNWTO and Telefónica Partner To Help Destinations Use Data and AI to Drive Tourism’s Sustainable Recovery
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has strengthened its partnership with Telefónica, the Spanish multinational telecommunications company. As tourism restarts around the world, Telefonica deepens its collaboration with the United Nations specialized agency to advance market intelligence in order to accelerate the sector’s recovery from the impact of COVID-19.
As it guides the sector through the challenge posed by the pandemic, UNWTO has prioritized innovation as a key means of growing tourism back stronger and better. Additionally, with the global community now left with less than 10 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (“The Decade of Action”), UNWTO is also driving tourism’s movement towards sustainability. This collaboration with Telefónica, which builds on an existing partnership, is designed to use digital transformation to support sustainable recovery and future growth.
Data to help destinations
As UNWTO leads tourism’s restart, our partnership with Telefónica will allow us to provide Member States and the sector as a whole the tools they need to accelerate recovery, build trust by guaranteeing safety and promote sustainability
UNWTO and Telefónica will work together to promote the effective use of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence across the tourism sector. This will help destinations better understand tourist behaviour, allowing them to market their products more effectively. Management of data will also help destinations better manage tourist flows within the context of the new health and safety protocols being rolled out in response to COVID-19.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The digital transformation of tourism will allow the sector to grow back stronger from the standstill caused by COVID-19. As UNWTO leads tourism’s restart, our partnership with Telefónica will allow us to provide Member States and the sector as a whole the tools they need to accelerate recovery, build trust by guaranteeing safety and promote sustainability.”
Digital-led transformation
Miguel Llopis, Industry Lead of Public Sector in IoT and Big Data at Telefónica, added: “Tourism will return with force but the sector will have to face a structural transformation where new digital technologies, such as IoT and Big Data, will be a differential factor of competitive advantage.”
Telefónica and UNWTO have worked together to launch a series of visualization tools within the UNWTO Global Data Dashboard that allows for a better understanding of key performance indicators in tourism.
Also to mark the start of this new phases of collaboration, UNWTO joined Telefónica, Turismo de Portugal, the Tourism Authority of Buenos Aires and the Secretary of Tourism of Chile (SERNATUR) for a special virtual training session for destinations in the Americas. This focused on exploring how the use of Big Data can add value to the tourism sector and lead recovery.
Related Links
- Download the news release
- UNWTO Américas Webinar: Maximizando el big data para generar valor en el mercado doméstico
- UNWTO Partners with Telefonica to Promote Tourism Sector Digitalization
- UNWTO Tourism Data Dashboard
- EBRD and UNWTO Partner to Boost Tourism Recovery
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UNWTO Official Visit to Italy as Borders Re-Open Across the Schengen Zone
Against the backdrop of the re-opening of borders across Europe, a high-level delegation from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has arrived in Italy to begin a first official visit to a Member State since the COVID-19 pandemic brought international travel to a standstill.
The closure of tourism operations for several months has had a devastating effect for many businesses and millions of livelihoods across the world. To kickstart recovery, countries within the Schengen Zone (26 countries in Europe) are now reopening their borders to tourists.
Following an official invitation by Italy, the UNWTO Secretary-General started an official visit (1-4 July), and met the Minister of Culture, Cultural Heritage and Tourism Dario Franceschini, to learn more of the country’s plans for the steady and sustainable restart of a sector that is a leading employer and helps preserve the country’s unique cultural heritage.
UNWTO is leading the restart of tourism, and Italy has demonstrated its commitment to harnessing the power of the sector to drive wider societal recovery
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Strong domestic leadership and a commitment to cooperating across borders are imperative for the responsible return of tourism and the many benefits it offers, both within the Schengen Zone and worldwide. UNWTO is leading the restart of tourism, and Italy has demonstrated its commitment to harnessing the power of the sector to drive wider societal recovery.”
Guiding tourism’s restart
Mr Pololikashvili commended the Italian Government on their efforts thus far and emphasized his continued support for making sure that all tourism related activities can gradually restart. He also presented the resources that UNWTO has developed to help guide tourism’s restart, including the Recommendations for Recovery, a roadmap for both governments and the private sector. Over the next four days of the visit, the Secretary-General will visit Rome, Milan and Venice, where he will get a close insight into how tourism sector and various destinations have been responding to the devastating impact of the COVID-19.
This is the first official trip undertaken by UNWTO since restrictions on travel were introduced in response to the pandemic. During the lockdown phase, the United Nations specialized agency has been working closely with its Member States and the private sector to mitigate the impact on jobs and economies while also preparing for tourism’s restart.
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As Tourism Restarts, Our Responsibilities Remain
Four months ago, UNWTO asked its Members, the tourism sector and tourists themselves for patience. To stay at home for today so we could travel again tomorrow.
Tomorrow is now here.
The restart of tourism means the return of hope and opportunity for many millions of people around the world.
This week, Europe leads the way in restarting tourism. Destinations throughout the Schengen Zone are once again open. The lifting of borders will have an immediate and significant impact on economies and livelihoods.
For Spain, host country of UNWTO, and neighbours Portugal, the occasion will be marked by a special ceremony. The presence of His Majesty King Felipe VI and President Pedro Sánchez of Spain alongside President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Antonio Costa of Portugal is testament to the significance of tourism’s restart for both countries.
So too is the practical support that tourism has received, including from the very highest political level. The European Commission has provided an unprecedented degree of economic support for the sector. And at the national level, has France has echoed our call to back tourism with actions and not just words, giving the sector and the businesses that make it the economic help they need to survive and lead recovery.
To reflect this, UNWTO is changing gears in how we support our Member States and tourism at large.
This week I resume person-to-person official meetings as I lead a delegation on an official visit to Italy and to the Vatican City.
This is an opportunity to show our support for tourism and for a country that is not only a true global tourism leader, but which was one of the worst-affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in all of Europe.
Our visit to Italy will allow us to learn more about important steps being taken to make tourism more sustainable, more resilient and more innovative. It also offers an opportunity to celebrate what makes tourism: people.
This will be the first of a series of visits as the world steadily opens up again, allowing us to lead by example in supporting tourism and making our sector a vital tool for recovery.
At the same time, it is only right that we remain cautious. This crisis is far from over. In other regions of the world, borders remain closed to tourism and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. The human toll, economic cost and social impact are still growing. This is no time for complacency.
And even where the worst appears to have passed, the threat of the pandemic returning means we must act responsibly and make public health our priority.
During these difficult months, tourism has stepped up to meet this unprecedented challenge with determination and an unparalleled spirit of solidarity. We carry this into the next stage.
Tourism’s restart is a step towards ending many weeks of uncertainty and replace it with a renewed sense of confidence. As we meet in person again, we can build trust, the essential foundation as we work together to grow back stronger and better. But this will only work out, if we act with responsibility – it’s better to be right, than to be first.
Zurab Pololikashvili,
UNWTO Secretary-General
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Small Island Destinations in Critical Need of Urgent Support as Tourism Plunges, UNWTO Warns
Without strong support, the sudden and unexpected fall in tourism could devastate the economies of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has warned. Since tourism is a strong socio-economic pillar of many SIDS, the impact that COVID-19 is having on the sector places millions of jobs and businesses at risk, with women and informal workers the most vulnerable.
In the second of its Briefing Note series on Tourism and COVID-19, UNWTO has highlighted the severe impact the pandemic could have on livelihoods in these destinations. According to the latest data from the United Nations specialized agency, tourism accounts for more than 30% of total exports in the majority of the 38 SIDS. In some countries, this proportion is as high as 90%, making them especially vulnerable to falling tourist numbers.
Such a major shock translates into a massive loss of jobs and a sharp decline in foreign exchange and tax revenues, which curbs public spending capacity and the ability to deploy necessary measures to support livelihoods through the crisis, UNWTO further warns.
International Tourists dropped 47% in the first four months
International tourist arrivals have fallen dramatically, and destinations that rely on the sector for jobs and economic wellbeing such as small islands will be hit the hardest
In 2019, SIDS welcomed some 44 million international tourist arrivals and the sector earned US$55 billion in export revenues. International tourist arrivals were down 47% in the first four months of this year.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption. International tourist arrivals have fallen dramatically, and destinations that rely on the sector for jobs and economic wellbeing such as small islands will be hit the hardest. As such, measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on these states and to stimulate the recovery of tourism are now more critical than ever.”
Informal workers and women at greatest risk
The United Nations estimates that SIDS economies could shrink by 4.7% in 2020 as compared to 3% for the world economy.
The UNWTO Briefing Note also highlights the risk posed to those working in the informal economy by the sudden fall in tourist arrivals in SIDS. As a sector, tourism is a leading global employer and, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than half of all workers in the accommodation and food services sector in most SIDS reporting data are women. In many, this proportion is even higher, including in Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago (70%+).
At the same time, workers in the informal economy are at risk of falling into poverty as the impact of COVID-19 is felt in SIDS and other low- and middle-income countries worldwide, UNWTO also warns.
Related Links
- Download the news release
- UNWTO Briefing Note – Tourism and COVID-19, Issue 2, Tourism In SIDS – The challenge of sustaining livelihoods in times of COVID-19
- UNWTO Briefing Note – Tourism and COVID-19, Issue 1. How are countries supporting tourism recovery?
- UNWTO Online interactive dashboard on country and international policy responses to COVID-19
- UNWTO Data Dashboard – International Tourism and COVID 19
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EBRD and UNWTO Partner to Boost Tourism Recovery
- EBRD and UNWTO to boost recovery of the tourism sector
- More than 10 countries to be included in the plans
- Actions include safety and hygiene protocols and incentive plans to revive demand
The rapid spread of coronavirus has had a massive impact on many sectors of the global economy, with tourism being among the hardest hit. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) are joining forces to boost the recovery of the tourism sector across the 38 economies where the Bank invests.
According to analysis by UNWTO, all worldwide destinations introduced restrictions on travel in response to Covid-19 ꟷ an unprecedented act. While some destinations are starting to ease restrictions, the crisis is far from over and this lockdown has led to a massive fall in international tourist arrivals.
In light of such unprecedented events, the EBRD and UNWTO have agreed to take immediate action to facilitate the recovery of tourism. The support is currently envisaged for a number of countries, including Albania, Armenia, Croatia, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
The immediate response was designed along the three pillars of the UNWTO’s Tourism Recovery Technical Assistance Package. It includes measurement of the impact of Covid-19, recovery plans with incentives to revive the tourism sector, protocols to ensure the enhanced safety, hygiene and security of tourists and employees, marketing of measures that can boost tourism demand, capacity-building for tourism officials and training for tourism sector enterprises in adopting the new protocols. A key element is to preserve human capital as well as to adapt and strengthen inclusion.
The two organisations are longstanding partners and signed a first Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in 2015, which they renewed in 2019.
This cooperation expands the existing partnership and builds on the UNWTO’s recently adopted Covid-19 Tourism Recovery Technical Assistance Package, which includes three pillars through which the organisation plans to assist the sector: 1) economic recovery, 2) marketing and promotion and 3) institutional strengthening and the building of resilience.
The EBRD is committing all of its activity in 2020-21 to helping its regions counter the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with investment expected to reach up to €21 billion. The Bank will target all sectors of the economy, including tourism and hospitality which were particularly affected by the Covid-19 crisis.
Related Links
- Download the news release
- UNWTO: Tourism Recovery Technical Assistance Package
- The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
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UNWTO Welcomes New App Designed to Facilitate Safe and Secure Border Crossings
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has partnered with Wanderlust World for the launch of a new App designed to facilitate safe and seamless travel in the wake of COVID-19.
As many countries around the world begin to ease travel restrictions introduced in response to the pandemic, the United Nations specialized agency has welcomed the responsible restarting of the sector. At the same time, UNWTO has stressed the importance of maintaining trust in tourism in these uncertain times.
The restart of tourism must be managed cautiously and responsibly, with public health the primary concern, and making full use of innovation
The new WORLD TOURIST IDENTIFICATION App is one of many solutions developed to meet the new demands of both tourists and destinations, and one of a number of initiatives UNWTO is working alongside to drive tourism’s recovery. The App allows tourists to carry digital copies of key documents in one place. This will make identification of tourist arrivals easier, quicker and safer. The app is also designed to reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The restart of tourism brings opportunity for millions, especially those whose livelihoods are dependent on the sector. This restart must be managed cautiously and responsibly, with public health the primary concern, and making full use of innovation. The WORLD TOURIST IDENTIFICATION app promises to facilitate travel across international borders, promoting trust and building confidence in tourism, essential foundations for the sector’s recovery.”
Since the start of the current crisis, UNWTO has been promoting the power of innovation to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on tourism and to prepare the sector to recover better and stronger, such as the UNWTO Healing Solutions for Tourism Challenge which attracted more than 1,000 applications from innovators and entrepreneurs in more than 100 countries.
Related links
- Download the news release
- Tourism and COVID-19
- The Future Is Now! UNWTO Recognizes World’s Best Innovators Facing Up To COVID-19
- Healing Solutions for Tourism Challenge
- Innovation, Investments and Digital Transformation