27 Task Force members representing Silk Road Member States, International Organizations and UNWTO Affiliate Members from the public and private tourism sector convened in the Silk Road city of Kayseri in Turkey to discuss the strategies and objectives that are to structure Silk Road tourism development for the coming years. The 8^th UNWTO Silk Road Task Force meeting was held on 26-27 April 2018.

Following the recent success of the Silk Road Ministers Meeting at ITB Berlin 2018, held under the theme “2025 Silk Road Tourism Agenda”, Task Force representatives presented concrete strategies and priorities aiming to establish the Silk Road as the most important transnational tourism route of the 21st century.

The input received, together with flagship capacity building projects, trainings and a new Silk Road tourism intelligence pillar presented by UNWTO during the meeting, will be duly reflected within the new Silk Road Action Plan. The timeframe of the programme’s main work document will be expanded from the current two to four years, and incorporate a new tourism development philosophy. While maintaining a global Silk Road perspective, this work document will centre on achieving specific results on a country-by-country basis.

Opened by the Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, the meeting showcased the good work being carried out by the host country in the areas of Silk Road marketing and tourism route development. The conclusions of the Silk Road Task Force meeting will be presented during the 8th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism in Thessaloniki, Greece in October 2018.

The 8^th UNWTO Silk Road Task Force meeting was jointly organized by UNWTO and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.

Please follow this link to access all relevant meeting information, including presentations and the meeting programme.

PR No.: PR 18036

Preliminary results for 2017 indicate that international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) grew by 8% in the EU last year, to reach 538 million, or 40% of the world’s arrivals. The EU has enjoyed continued growth in international arrivals following the global economic crisis of 2009, with annual growth rates exceeding 4% in the last five years.

The UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stated that “Sustained growth in tourism has been instrumental  in the economic recovery of many countries in Europe and around the world, contributing to job creation, economic growth and a healthy balance of payments”

EU countries earned EUR 342 billion in international tourism receipts in 2016 (31% of the world’s total), making a significant contribution to their balance of payments. As EU destinations earn more in international tourism receipts than EU residents spend on international tourism (EUR 315 billion), EU consequently boasts a surplus of EUR 27 billion in the travel trade balance.

International passenger transport (rendered to non-residents) is estimated to have generated another EUR 67 billion, resulting in total export earnings from international tourism of EUR 409 billion. This represents 6% of the EU’s exports of goods and services, making tourism the fourth largest export category, after chemicals, automotive products and food.

Over two million businesses dedicated mainly or partially to tourism operate in the EU, most of them small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), employing some 12 million people. For individual EU economies, the direct contribution of tourism to GDP is as high as 11%.

The UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili added that “Tourism is a key pillar of the EU strategy for jobs and inclusive growth and I am confident that our strong partnership with the European Union will continue to drive the quality, sustainability and competitiveness of the European tourism sector forward”.

EU tourism is driven by both domestic and international visitors. Accommodation establishments in the EU offered 31 million bed-places in 2016. Guests spent a total 3.1 billion nights, half of which were by domestic visitors (residents) and half by international visitors. Of the 1.5 billion international nights, 1.1 billion were spent by guests from EU countries and 413 million by guests from outside the EU.

EU-UNWTO cooperation

The European Union Tourism Trends report provides a comprehensive overview of tourism in the European Union and constitutes a tool for policy makers and other tourism stakeholders for developing market strategies and enhancing the knowledge base of the EU Virtual Tourism Observatory. The report is the result of a cooperation agreement between UNWTO and the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission (DG GROW) and is part of the ‘Enhancing the Understanding of European Tourism’ initiative. The project aims to improve the socio-economic knowledge of the tourism sector, enhance the understanding of European tourism and contribute to economic growth, job creation and the overall competiveness of tourism in Europe.

Download the full report European Union Tourism Trends:

Download from UNWTO e-Library here

Download from EU Virtual Tourism Observatory here

Contacts:

UNWTO Senior Media Officer Marcelo Risi

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / mrisi@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org

The UNWTO.TedQual Programme is pleased to announce that the following Tourism Education programme at the Akdeniz University has been awarded the UNWTO.TedQual Certification:

• Bachelor in Tourism Management

List of Institutions with UNWTO.TedQual certified tourism education and training programmes

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The UNWTO.TedQual Programme is pleased to announce that the following Tourism Education Programmes at Turiba University, Latvia, have been awarded the UNWTO.TedQual Certification:

Renewal Process:

• Bachelor in Tourism Hospitality Management
• Master in Tourism Strategic Management

List of Institutions with UNWTO.TedQual certified tourism education and training programmes

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PR No.: PR 18031

The event, which is being held for the second year in a row, will bring together experts from around the world to discuss the opportunities and challenges arising from the development, implementation and management of innovative products and services based on new technological solutions.

“Innovation and technology present a unique opportunity to transform tourism into a more competitive, smarter and more sustainable sector,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

According to the Minister of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda of Spain, Álvaro Nadal, the Conference is an example of collaboration among all administrations to modernize the sector and improve it technologically. Nadal said that Asturias has all the qualities for the event to be a success and surpass the 500-participant attendance figure of last year's edition.

“Asturias has always been committed to a sustainable tourism model. That is why we open our doors to this conference, where professionals from all over the world will put innovation at the service of intelligent and responsible tourism development,” said the regional Minister of Employment, Industry and Tourism of the Principality of Asturias, Isaac Pola.

The Conference  will feature lectures and round tables in which participants will discuss the opportunities and challenges for tourism deriving from the most important digital trends such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, the Internet of Things, Location Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Blockchain and Virtual & Augmented Reality.

Other topics to be addressed include; digital transformation within destinations, technological solutions to measure the impact of tourism, smart destination governance, the importance of new technologies for sustainable development, as well as the role of open platforms and data management to improve the competitiveness of tourism destinations.

New additions to the Conference: Hackathon and research

Immediately preceding the Conference, the first Hackathon for Smart Destinations (#Hack4SD) will be held, focused on the development of smart solutions to boost the sustainability of tourism (23-24 June).

Academics and entrepreneurs will also have the opportunity to share their research on the following topics: evidence-based destination management; new technological solutions for monitoring sustainable tourism goals; the linkage between the circular economy and tourism, as well as the importance of accessibility in smart destinations. The deadline for submission of these research papers is 30 April.

Also until 30 April, entrepreneurs and start-ups are invited to submit videos presenting their innovative services or tourism products for smart destinations.

Related links:

Information and registration

Submission of papers

Submission of videos

Conference programme

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Nuria Muñoz of the SDWC2018 Coordination Office: coordinationoffice@smartdestinationsconference.com

Contacts:

UNWTO Senior Media Officer Marcelo Risi

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / mrisi@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org

The UNWTO.TedQual Programme is pleased to announce that the following Tourism Education Programme at NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences Strategy, Education & Research, The Netherlands have been awarded the UNWTO.TedQual Certification:

Renewal Process:

• B.A. in Hotel Management
• B.A. in International Hotel Management

List of Institutions with UNWTO.TedQual certified tourism education and training programmes

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