The UNWTO.TedQual Programme is pleased to announce that the following Tourism Education Programmes at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya have been awarded the UNWTO.TedQual Certification:
Renewal
List of Institutions with UNWTO.TedQual certified tourism education and training programmes
PR No.: PR 18091
Madrid, Spain, 16 November 2018 – Following the first edition held two years ago, the 2nd International Congress on World Civilizations and Historic Routes (15-16 November) concluded today in Sofia, Bulgaria. In the framework of the European Year of Cultural Heritage and the EU-China Tourism Year, the event explored how tourism along historic routes can help to safeguard and promote tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Tourism of Bulgaria, the congress explored the role of national and regional public bodies in enhancing of historic routes, particularly across nations. It gathered Ministers from four continents, as well as public and private experts representing iconic cultural tourism routes including Route 66, the Way of Saint James (Camino de Santiago), the Phoenicians’ Route and the Silk Road.
“Historic routes can play a major role in revealing the unique history, culture and natural assets of territories along them, becoming a powerful promotional tool and a unique instrument to increase tourism competitiveness for many destinations”, said UNWTO Deputy Secretary-General Jaime Cabal opening the event.
Nikolina Angelkova, Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria, outlined her plans to advance cultural tourism in Bulgaria. “Cultural tourism can play a key role in turning Bulgaria into an all-year-round tourism destination. We are considering creating an ancient civilizations’ route incorporating UNESCO monuments, which would better acknowledge and promote the Balkan region as a tourism destination,” she said.
Discussions centred on identifying best practices in tourism development, management and promotion that can help to harness the tourism potential of historic routes, enhance the value of their cultural heritage, and preserve their authenticity. Successful examples were exchanged of well-developed and managed historic routes, with a focus on ways to maximize tourism’s socio-economic impacts for local communities and contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.
In recent years cultural tourism has emerged as a major driver of demand, in line with travellers’ growing interest to immerse themselves in tourism ‘experiences’ such as local rituals and traditions. The congress produced a useful set of recommendations that can provide guidance to all tourism stakeholders interested in harnessing the potential that cultural heritage routes offer for enhancing the attractiveness and competiveness of destinations.
Video recordings of the 2nd International Congress on World Civilizations and Historic Routes will be uploaded early next week.
Useful links:
Recordings of the Congress (coming soon)
UNWTO Regional Department for Europe
Contacts:
UNWTO Communications Department
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@unwto.org
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2018
EURAC Research Center for Advanced Studies
South Tyrol, Italy
The Sustainable Tourism Observatory of South Tyrol (STOST) is the first observatory in Italy that will monitor and evaluate tourism development in the province of Bolzano-Bozen (South Tyrol) in northern Italy. It is based on a partnership of the province, the tourism research and planning centre Eurac Research and Innovation Development Marketing, South Tyrol’s regional development agency and destination management organization.
of monitoring area
inhabitants
per year
*hotels and other establishment
establishment
rooms
Primary source markets
peak quarter
MISSION
The Observatory is aiming at continuously monitoring, evaluating and communicating on South Tyrol’s (i.e. the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen) tourism developments and the impacts they have. With the generated data in areas such as mobility, climate change, regional products and quality control, employment and many other topics, the Observatory will support awareness-raising activities and decision-making processes of different stakeholders groups, serving the local community as think-tank that fosters communication, collaboration,and evidence-based destination management.
Tourism represents a very strong pillar of South Tyrol’s overall economy. In early 2017, South Tyrol issues a new tourism strategy for 2030 that contains a number of trends and measures relevant for sustainable tourism development. While launching the strategy, it became obvious that the establishment of a monitoring system for sustainable tourism in South Tyrol would help to foster the implementation of the strategy while motivating the destination’s stakeholders to proceed on the ongoing path towards improved sustainability in tourism. In addition, the Italian Strategic Plan for Tourism (PST) and the activities of the Working Group on Sustainable Tourism of the Alpine Convention were other strategical frameworks that were drivers to establish the Observatory.
INSTO Key Issue Areas, plus Innovation
Sustainable Consumption and Production
Ski Tourism and other Nature Sports
Biodiversity and Nature Protection
Cultural Heritage and Traditions
Mobility
Land Use and Spatial Planning
Visitor Management and Satisfaction
Adaptation to Climate Change
Following INSTO’s core values of inclusiveness and participation, Eurac Research and IDM implemented in total 26 qualitative stakeholder interviews with local and external experts, residents and tourists and organized a local stakeholder information exchange in summer 2018 in order to gather an overview of the needs, desires and priorities of local stakeholders that served as basis for developing the strategic direction, including key monitoring issue areas and objectives) for the Observatory. By combining secondary and primary data and processing it with specific tools of analysis, a total of 14 groups of keywords could be identified, indicating locally desired areas for investigation. Out of this exercise and the review of different existing indicator systems, a total of 19 issue areas were identified as priority monitoring areas for South Tyrol, with a list of related indicators for each area which will be discussed, selected and prioritized with stakeholders in the destination.
The UNWTO.TedQual Programme is pleased to announce that the following Tourism Education programmes at La Rochelle Business School have been awarded the UNWTO.TedQual Certification:
List of Institutions with UNWTO.TedQual certified tourism education and training programmes available
PR No.: PR 18047
Madrid, Spain, 13 June 2018.- On 23 and 24 June, the Spanish city of Oviedo will host the 1st Hackathon for Smart Destinations. This initiative of the World Tourism Organization, the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and the Government of the Principality of Asturias, with the collaboration of Minube, will take place within the framework of the 2nd UNWTO World Conference on Smart Destinations.
The aim of the Hackathon will be to design smart technology-based solutions that can contribute to making tourism more sustainable.
The idea is rooted in the conviction that technological solutions are crucial instruments in order to ensure and strengthen the sustainability and competitiveness of destinations. It is a powerful way of creating solutions for better managing tourism’s success. The objectives are to decouple growth from natural resource consumption, ensure quality as well as the satisfaction of both visitors and local communities, and to show that—if well managed— tourism can be an agent of change.
The Hackathon is open to developers, designers and tourism professionals who are invited to present innovative and sustainable solutions for tourism and compete for more than 10,000 euros in prizes, to be awarded to the best applications, among other prizes.
Information on how to sign up for the Hackathon
Information on the 2nd UNWTO World Conference of Smart Destinations
Contact:
UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel.: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org
PR No.: PR 18046
Madrid, Spain, 13 June 2018 – The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) stressed the importance of tourism and technology providing opportunities for innovation and creating the jobs of the future, in its 63rd European Commission meeting held in Prague, Czech Republic (11-13 June 2018).
As UNWTO and its European Member States gathered to set the agenda for the region, Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili described the Organisations´s intention to make innovation part of the solution to the challenge of marrying continued growth with a more sustainable and responsible tourism sector.
In a strategic discussion on innovation and the digital transformation, Mr. Pololikashvili made clear his vision to create an ecosystem of government policies, funds and strategic projects that nurture disruptive ideas and entrepreneurship, for which he enlisted the help of Member States and private sector members in the region.
“Together we can set a vision that considers tourism as a policy priority, a knowledge creator and innovator, and a sector of maximum value for all”, said Mr. Pololikashvili.
This year’s World Tourism Day, on September 27, will focus on tourism and the digital transformation. Celebrations will take place in Budapest, Hungary and worldwide.
Also at the meeting, UNWTO outlined plans for improving skills, education and specialized tourism training under the newly-launched UNWTO.Academy, and reaffirmed its engagement with Europe to face safety and sustainability challenges related to managing large tourist numbers.
Useful links:
Agenda of the 63rd Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe
Contacts:
UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@unwto.org
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PR No.: PR 18045
Madrid, Spain, 11 June 2018 – The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has signed up to the Financial Management Framework Agreement between the United Nations (UN) System and the World Bank Group, which facilitates engaging in joint projects.
A letter of adherence to the Agreement, which recognizes specific UN entities, will allow UNWTO and the World Bank to work closer together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries.
This Agreement came into use after World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and UN Secretary-General António Guterres signed a Strategic Partnership Framework on 18 May 2018, in which a key cooperation area is supporting the funding and implementation of projects to help countries reach the SDGs.
“This is the recognition of UNWTO as an important potential World Bank partner and will provide more visibility to the Organization, increasing the possibilities to participate in joint projects”, said Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
UNWTO Member States can request to borrow funds from the World Bank in order to partner with UNWTO on tourism development projects.
Useful links:
Press release on UN-WB Strategic Partnership Framework
Contacts:
UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@unwto.org
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PR No.: PR 18042
Madrid, Spain, 6 June 2018 - In line with its vision of advancing sustainability through tourism, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) released its flagship publication ‘Tourism for Development’ in Brussels on 6 June during the European Development Days (EDD), and called for greater awareness of sustainability in tourism policies and business practices as well as in tourist behaviour.
‘Tourism for Development’ provides concrete recommendations on how to use tourism as an effective means for achieving sustainable development. It shows that tourism has a global reach and has positive effects on many other sectors. Not only does the sector spearhead growth, it also improves the quality of people’s lives, supports environmental protection, champions diverse cultural heritage and strengthens peace in the world.
Moreover, if well planned and managed, tourism can effectively and directly contribute to the shift towards more sustainable lifestyles and consumption and production patterns. But to get there the tourism sector must, as an agent of positive change, make evidence-based decisions that ensure a consistent contribution to sustainable development.
This two-volume report showcases 23 case studies from around the world of tourism contributing to sustainable development in all its dimensions. “This report offers tangible, wide-ranging evidence of the fact that tourism can make a meaningful and substantial contribution to achieving sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
The report portrays tourism as a driver of sustainable development and can lay the groundwork for stakeholders to build on tourism’s opportunities by changing policies, business practices and consumer behaviour.
According to the report, this requires measuring tourism’s impact accurately and regularly, and putting the results at the service of the right policies, business practices and consumer behaviour.
‘Tourism for Development’ calls for governments to establish and enforce inclusive and integrated policy frameworks for sustainable tourism development. Businesses, on the other hand, need to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability in core business models and value chains, while individuals and civil society should also adopt sustainable practices and behaviour.
UNWTO presented ‘Tourism for Development’ at EDD, Europe’s leading forum on development organized by the European Commission. More than 180 people contributed to the publication in a global consultation with governments, organizations and civil society. UNWTO gives special thanks to the George Washington University for its contribution.
Useful links:
Tourism for Development Report Volume I
Tourism for Development Report Volume II
UNWTO Management Vision and Priorities
European Development Days website
Contacts:
UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@unwto.org
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