“Work Together and Make Tourism Pillar of Peace”, UNWTO Addresses EU Ministers

• Europe
• 18 Mar 2022

UNWTO has been recognized for asserting the values of tourism and promoting the sector as a pillar of peace and recovery. At an informal meeting of EU Tourism Ministers, the French Presidency of the European Council welcomed the leadership of UNWTO and noted the strong unity of the sector in the face of an historic challenge.

Addressing delegates, the UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili warned of the ‘triple threat’ of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the climate emergency and war in Europe. Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, UNWTO has added its voice to the strong condemnation of the wider United Nations system and other international bodies. In Dijon, representatives of the French Presidency were joined by Ministers from across the region in commending the unequivocal stance taken by the UNWTO leadership.

Tourism has an active role to play in reasserting our shared values and promoting peace

Tourism as a beacon of peace and hope

Secretary-General Pololikashvili stressed that, in the face of such challenges, “tourism has an active role to play in reasserting our shared values and promoting peace”, adding that it is a role the sector is fulfilling. “Just as we did during the pandemic, we are seeing the best of tourism, and this support will grow in size, scope and power over the days ahead,” he added.

As the Ministers of Tourism of the 27 EU states met in person for the first time since the start of the pandemic, UNWTO also made the case for enhanced cooperation and solidarity. “We are stronger together,” Secretary-General Pololikashvili told the conference, which also featured the participation of European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton. All of the delegates were urged to recognize the key role that the restart of tourism will play in promoting international solidarity and in providing hope for millions of people in every global region.  

Tourism’s Restart Underway

UNWTO has welcomed the steady lifting and easing of the travel restrictions introduced in response to the pandemic. As of 15 March, seven countries around the world have completely lifted their COVID-19 related restrictions, fully in line with the recommendations of UNWTO and the World Health Organization (WHO, and Ministers of the 27 EU member states were urged not lose focus on the challenges still standing in the way of the sector’s recovery.

The UNWTO Secretary-General called on the EU governments to provide tourism with the support it needs to make a difference, while also commending the recovery plans of many EU member states. “Targeted help for tourism will benefit every level of the sector, most notably small and medium-sized businesses and individual workers”, which represent up to 80% of the tourism sector, he said. He also made clear that now is the time for tourism to step up its climate action commitments, with cooperation again cited as the essential foundation for building a more sustainable and resilient sector.

Tourism’s Restart Underway

Tourism’s Restart Underway

Tourism’s Restart Underway

Tourism’s Restart Underway

Related links:

• Download the news release in PDF
• UNWTO: Regional Department for Europe
• Tourism Raises its Voice for Peace

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Innovation, Sustainability and Digital Transformation: High-Level Panel in Andorra to Discuss Keys for the Future of Tourism

• All Regions, Europe
• 2 Mar 2022

11th edition of the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism

Under the theme "A new approach to the future" the 11th edition of the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism, will be held on 23-24 March in Andorra and will feature more than twenty international speakers who will explore innovative solutions for the development of sustainable snow and mountain tourism. This was announced today at a press conference in Madrid in which the Director of Tourism of the Government of Andorra, Sergi Nadal, and the Executive Director of the World Tourism Organization, Zoritsa Urosevic, participated.

Over the two days of this edition, more than 300 professionals from the tourism sector, leading experts and multiple institutional representatives are expected to attend and discuss issues such as the recovery of the sector, sustainable development, the promotion of digitalization, the demand for more local, authentic and sustainable experiences, the preservation of resources and investment in innovation, among other matters. Participants will include Damien Zisswiller, Director of Engineering and Development of Territories at Atout France; Leigh Barnes, Corporate Communications Manager of Intrepid Travel; Michele Rumiz, Director of Slow Food Travel; Jeremy Smith, co-founder of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergence; and Jordi Grau, chef of Restaurant Ibaya.

Organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of Andorra and the Parish of Canillo, the Congress is part of the celebrations of the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development

At the press conference, Sandra Carvao, UNWTO’s Chief of Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness highlighted: "At a time of new challenges we have to take the opportunity to rethink the contribution of tourism to the development of mountain regions. Together, we must find concrete solutions that bring benefits and opportunities to communities, structured around sustainability and innovation to ensure a balance with the fragile environment of the mountains."

Sergi Nadal, Director of Tourism of the Government of Andorra, said that "the driving force of the digital transformation for the reactivation of tourism is a key element for the future of the sector. This year, with the aim of aligning ourselves with this objective, the Congress will bring together top international to share experiences and new models that are being promoted around the world". Likewise, Nadal underlined the strategic role of Andorra and pointed out that "for the country and, especially, for Canillo, as host parish, it is a pleasure to once again serve as the venue this year of this leading event for the tourism sector and, especially, for snow and mountain tourism".

Reactivation and new trends

The inauguration of the 11th World Congress of Snow and Mountain Tourism will be presided by Xavier Espot Zamora, Head of Government of Andorra, Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, and Francesc Camp Torres, Mayor of Canillo.

The Congress includes a high-level round table on the recovery and the future outlook for mountain destinations, which will serve as a framework to align actors from all sectors and frontiers with regard to policies and actions. The necessary policies to advance mountain tourism will be discussed by Mr. Fernando Valdés, Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, Mr. Jordi Torres Falcó, Minister of Tourism and Telecommunications of Andorra; Mr. Simon Zajc, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of Slovenia; and Ms. Sofia Zacharaki, Minister of Tourism of Greece.

To address the main topics, the meeting will be divided into four sessions that will discuss digital transformation and the tourism of the future; gastronomy and sustainable consumption; innovative experiences in mountain destinations; and the growing consumer demand for the sustainability of destinations. In addition, in the context of the Congress, UNWTO will present, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the recently published report on Sustainable Mountain Tourism

World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism
The Congress is an initiative of the seven parishes and the Government of Andorra, together with the UNWTO, with the aim of constituting a forum for permanent debate on the development and sustainability of tourism in mountain areas. Held biennially, the first edition took place in 1998 in Escaldes-Engordany and, since then, each edition is organized in a different parish. 

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• For more information
• 11th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism
• Mountain Tourism

UNWTO and UEFA Partner Around Shared Values of Sport and Tourism

• Europe
• 23 Feb 2022

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) today announced their partnership around shared values and a common vision for the future.

The leaders of both organizations met at the UEFA headquarters and agreed to jointly promote the benefits of sports and sports tourism for development and opportunity for all, including young people. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin recognized the values shared by tourism and football, both prominent people-led sectors with the capacity to promote understanding, friendship and solidarity and drive social and economic change.

Working together, UNWTO and UEFA will build on our potential to celebrate our shared humanity, foster friendship across borders and create experiences and opportunities for people everywhere

Shared objectives

UNWTO and UEFA will work to deliver a legacy across Europe. The UEFA Foundation will join representatives of the different divisions of UEFA at the UNWTO Global Youth Tourism Summit (July 2022, Sorrento, Italy), designed to give young people a say in the future of the sector and to give them the skills and knowledge needed to lead tourism forward. 

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “Tourism and football are natural partners, bringing joy to many millions with benefits going far beyond vacations or single matches. Working together, UNWTO and UEFA will build on our potential to celebrate our shared humanity, foster friendship across borders and create experiences and opportunities for people everywhere.”

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin added: “Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing tourism segments. And tourism and football, as the world’s most popular sport, uniquely complement each other. Sporting events, such as UEFA EURO and UEFA Women’s EURO, are making an exceptional contribution to tourism in the host countries. More importantly, football offers teams and supporters a chance to travel the world, discover new destinations and cultures. I cannot think of a better way to learn more about each other, grow together rather than drift apart.”

Jobs and education

Under the new partnership, UNWTO and UEFA will work together to grow sports tourism across Europe, including through facilitating travel and mobility and through promoting the opportunities for jobs and education this can bring. Both organizations will also jointly champion sustainability within their sectors, in line with the wider United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as the UEFA Sustainability Strategy 2030.

The agreement emphasises the far-reaching impact of both tourism and sports, touching on almost every part of economies and societies the world over. Both sectors are leading employers and champions of youth empowerment and gender equality. Under the guidance of UNWTO and UEFA, tourism and sports are also advancing hard to meet their climate action responsibilities.

UNWTO | UEFA

Zurab Pololikashvili | Aleksander Čeferin

UEFA | UNWTO

Aleksander Čeferin | Zurab Pololikashvili

UNWTO | UEFA

Zurab Pololikashvili | Aleksander Čeferin

UEFA | UNWTO

Aleksander Čeferin | Zurab Pololikashvili

UNWTO | UEFA

Zurab Pololikashvili | Aleksander Čeferin

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• Global Youth Tourism Summit (GYTS)
• Sports Tourism

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UNWTO Returns to Geneva as World Begins to Open Up

• Europe
• 21 Feb 2022

The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will be in Geneva this week for high-level talks focused on the restart of tourism as restrictions on travel are eased in many parts of the world.

Strong Relationship with WHO

UNWTO last undertook an official visit to the home city of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, just one day before COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. Now, as Switzerland joins growing numbers of countries in lifting or easing travel restrictions, UNWTO is back in Geneva for a week of meetings with key partners.

On Tuesday (22 February) Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili will meet with WHO Director-General Dr. Thedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to discuss shared actions and priorities as the world begins opening up again. The two UN agencies will discuss the need for the continued easing of restrictions, having repeatedly warned against their ineffectiveness and the damage that blanket bans on mobility can have on economic and social wellbeing. Talks will also focus on UNWTO and WHO’s shared vision for clearer, more consistent rules and regulations concerning tourism and health, with the aim of restoring trust in international travel and kickstarting recovery.

Deepening ties with the private sector

Strengthening ties with key private sector and civil society partners is crucial in the current circumstances. Secretary-General Pololikashvili will meet with the Director-General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Willie Walsh, as well as with Pierfrancesco Vago, Chairman and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). These meetings will be followed by an official visit to the headquarters of UEFA. Here, the sporting body’s President Aleksander Čeferin will sign a first-ever agreement with UNWTO aimed at promoting sports tourism as a driver of positive change and making the sector more inclusive and resilient.

Key partners in Switzerland

Against the backdrop of Switzerland announcing its plans to significantly ease restrictions on incoming travel, the UNWTO delegation will meet with Eric Jakob, Ambassador of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), whose brief includes tourism policy, as well as with Martin Nydegger, CEO of Switzerland Tourism. Highlighting Switzerland’s commitment to sustainable tourism, the UNWTO delegation will visit Gruyères. The medieval destination was named as a UNWTO Best Tourism Village at the 24th General Assembly in 2021, and this will be the first official visit to one of the locations recognized for their effective use of tourism as a protector of heritage, and as a driver of growth and opportunity. The visit will be hosted by the Mayor of Gruyères Jean-Pierre Doutaz.

In line with UNWTO’s focus on tourism jobs and education, the leadership will also tour the campus of Hotel Institute Montreux (HIM), part of Swiss Education Group, and Glion Institute of Higher Education, part of Sommet Education. Secretary-General Pololikashvili will meet with Yong Shen, CEO of Swiss Education Group, Ulrika Björklund, Dean of HIM, in Montreux, and Benoit-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education, in Glion, and be welcomed to the new UNWTO International Centre Switzerland, located at the Bella Vista Institute of Higher Education in Altdorf, with its first dual-degree tourism program with HIM in Montreux.

In another first, UNWTO will be addressing the UN Press Briefing at UN Geneva, providing an overview of the outcomes of the official visit and highlights on the tourism for development agenda for 2022, advanced by UNWTO.

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• “Blanket Travel Restrictions Don’t Work”: UNWTO Adds its Voice to WHO Statement
• UNWTO to Open International Tourism Education and Training Hub in Switzerland
• UNWTO Announces List of ‘Best Tourism Villages’ 2021

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UNWTO Making Communities Central Part of Tourism’s Future

• Europe
• 15 Feb 2022

UNWTO is supporting communities as they prepare to welcome visitors back and realize the potential of tourism to kickstart recovery and drive sustainable and inclusive growth.

As restrictions on travel continue to be steadily eased or lifted, UNWTO is shifting its focus from supporting its Members as they mitigate the impacts of the historic crisis to rethinking tourism’s longer-term role in building resilience and providing opportunity. Through Technical Assistance packages, UNWTO is on the ground in every global region.

On the ground in Greece

Illustrating UNWTO’s commitment to working with communities themselves to rethink and restart tourism, a new partnership with the Municipality of Skiathos is advancing people-first policies. For decades, tourism has been a pillar of economic growth and opportunity for the residents of the island, one of Europe’s leading destinations. Now, as the sector restarts and recovers from the impacts of the pandemic, UNWTO is working alongside local authorities on a package of technical advice and practical assistance.

In the immediate term, UNWTO experts will work with the Municipality to assess the marketing strategy of the island and recommend adaptations and necessary improvements, with a particular emphasis on the destination’s commitment to using tourism as a driver of sustainable development.  At the same time, and in order to ensure the sector works for everyone on Skiathos, UNWTO will also study local residents’ views on tourism and assess how they can be more involved in tourism planning and development.

This represents the first Technical Assistance package developed by UNWTO in Greece. The Mayor of Skiathos Thodoris Tzoumas welcomed the initiative as a “significant collaboration regarding tourism recovery in Skiathos following pandemic. At present, we are waiting for the initiation of the collaboration. With the synergy and support from the leading bodies of the world and our country when it comes to tourism, we are certain that we will manage to achieve the best results to everyone’s benefit”.

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• UNWTO Regional Department for Europe
• Guiding tourism's recovery

The 1st Global Youth Tourism Summit Gets Underway

• Europe
• 4 Feb 2022

The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Zurab Pololikashvili has joined the Minister of Tourism of Italy Massimo Garavaglia to officially launch the first Global Youth Tourism Summit

Set to take place in Sorrento, Italy from 27 June to 3 July, the Summit will bring children and youth from every global region together, giving them a platform to share their vision and hopes for the sector. In line with UNWTO's commitment to youth empowerment, the initiative will also allow participants to network with leaders from the worlds of politics and business, making them a part of the decision-making process as tourism fulfils its potential as a driver of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Welcoming the first participants, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili emphasized that “tourism is a proven source of opportunity for young people – in cities and in rural communities, from every educational background and in every global region.”

Tourism is a proven source of opportunity for young people – in cities and in rural communities, from every educational background and in every global region

Minister of Tourism Garavaglia added: “Young people can play a major role in overcoming the crisis facing the tourism sector. They can also be an active agent of recovery and change and play a leading role in the transition to a more sustainable tourism, which is an essential if we want to achieve sustainable development. We are all looking forward to welcoming you to wonderful Sorrento.”
 
The young participants were also greeted by the UNWTO Ambassador for Responsible Tourism and celebrated football star Didier Drogba, who encouraged them to be the protagonists of tourism's future and wished them all the best for the upcoming activities.

Online learning and sector-wide expertise

The launch of the Global Youth Tourism Summit coincides with the European Year of Youth. The GYTS series will include several webinars during which the participants will to learn about tourism and sustainability, culture and gastronomy, innovation and climate action, and other relevant topics.
 
The Italian national tourism agency (ENIT) and the regionof  Campania joined forces with the Ministry to support the implementation of the first edition of the Global Youth Tourism Summit. Private stakeholders, including the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre and Bella Vista Institute of Higher Education, have also recognized the importance of the initiative.

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• Global Youth Tourism Summit (GYTS)
• Regional Department for Europe

Barcelona Joins UNWTO’s Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories

• Europe
• 19 Jan 2022

UNWTO has welcomed the Barcelona Tourism Observatory into its growing International Network of Sustainable Observatories (INSTO).

Tourism is one of the leading economic sectors for the city of Barcelona and the surrounding region, responsible for more than 10% of local GDP. The Barcelona Tourism Observatory (BTO) will work to help guide the sector towards greater sustainability. As with other members of the INSTO initiative, the observatory will provide data and analysis to be used to guide evidence-based decision making. This will help Destination Barcelona better deal with the recovery of tourism and in the long run with the large tourist numbers and ensure the sector is managed in a sustainable and responsible manner.

Commenting, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “We warmly welcome Barcelona into our growing global network of observatories. As one of the world’s leading destinations, the Observatory can help Barcelona better manage its tourism sector, recovering and growing back more sustainably for the benefit of visitors and residents alike.”

We warmly welcome Barcelona into our growing global network of observatories

For Turisme de Barcelona, the President of the Executive Committee, Eduard Torres, said the development “reinforces the importance of Barcelona’s international role in the field of tourism knowledge as well as positioning us to make even more progress towards sustainability across our sector”. According to Mr. Xavier Marcé, Councillor for Tourism and Creative Industries of the City Hall of Barcelona, being part of the network “will help the Barcelona City Council in making data-based decisions to achieve the goals of managing the visitor economy within the parameters of sustainability of local economy, as well as increasing the return and benefits to citizens." Núria Marín, the President of the
Barcelona Provincial Council, similarly noted the “the need to link the city of Barcelona with the rest of the province of Barcelona under the concept of Destination Barcelona to analyze the wider reality of tourism activity.”

The Barcelona Tourism Observatory is supported by Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council, Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Turisme de Barcelona. This is the fourth Observatory in Spain, after Canary Islands, Navarra and Mallorca, and brings the worldwide total to 31.

About INSTO

The UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) was created in 2004 with the main objectives to support the continuous improvement of sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector through systematic, timely and regular monitoring of tourism performance and to connect dedicated destinations, helping them to exchange and improve knowledge and understanding about destination-wide resource use and the responsible management of tourism.

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• The UNWTO Network of Observatories
• Barcelona Tourism Observatory

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