The presentation of the outcomes of the Western Silk Road University Challenge took place on 27-28 March 2018 in Toulouse.

Jointly organized by the UNWTO Silk Road Programme of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and ISTHIA – Toulouse School of Tourism, Hospitality Management and Food Studies, University of Toulouse – Jean Jaurès, this project constitutes a novel collaboration with academia that explores the Western Silk Road tourism potential of France, a country located on the historic Western Silk Road route.

During the academic year 2017-2018, the students, guided by ISTHIA professors, analysed the historical involvement of the French territories within the Silk Road network, assessed the Silk Road impact on French culture, and developed a system of Silk Road certification.

The research resulted in a study containing proposals for the Western Silk Road labelling and certification, development of potential thematic French and cross-border routes and tourism products, including strategies aimed at their branding and sustainable management. 

 Additional information on the Western Silk Road Univeristy Challenge can be accessed here.

Azerbaijan, Baku, 4 April 2018 - The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili met H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of Republic of Azerbaijan to discuss the development of the tourism sector in the country and how to further strengthen cooperation between Azerbaijan and UNWTO.

PR No.: PR 18028

PR No.: PR 18027

Mr Pololikashvili met the Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Bakytzhan Sagintayev, to discuss the development of the tourism sector in the country and how to further strengthen cooperation between Kazakhstan and UNWTO. The following issues were addressed during the meeting: support in the implementation of investment projects, trainings for tour guides, reinforcement of cooperation within the UNWTO Silk Road Programme and UNWTO assistance to Kazakhstan in marketing and communication.

During the visit, the Secretary General met Mr Muhamediuly Arystanbek, Minister of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan to discuss the Tourism Strategy 2030. Mr Pololikashvili also visited the Museum of Future Energy established following Kazakhstan hosting of Expo 2017 Astana on the Future of Energy.

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

PR No.: PR 18026

Organized jointly by the seven communes of the Principality, the Government of Andorra and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), this Congress constitutes a permanent forum for debate on the development and sustainability of tourism in mountain areas.

More than 400 participants attended the tenth edition of the Congress, including around thirty speakers from more than 16 countries and experts from Spain, the United States, Finland, France, Greece, Japan, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, among many others.

At the closing of the Congress, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stressed the importance for mountain destinations to not only provide responses to the changing demands of travellers, but also to cover areas that range from “the need to build infrastructure and sustainable accommodations, quality professional training, as well as combating seasonality and optimizing resources”.

As a conclusion of the discussions over three days, the experts highlighted aspects that should mark the roadmap to follow for this segment of international tourism:

• The tourism sector came out of the crisis reaching a record number of tourists and tourism accommodation supply and is taking the necessary steps to cater to a customer profile that is increasingly more demanding and more experienced.
• Digitalization and globalization have created tourists with habits and expectations that are very different from those of traditional visitors, thus requiring products to be adapted to changing expectations on the demand side.
• Certain aspects on the supply side must continue to be improved, keeping in mind that the quality of the visitor's experience should be the central axis of this evolution.
• Being able to offer hotels, ski slopes and tourism facilities that satisfy tourists is just one of the aspects that guarantee the success of a mountain destination. But there are other factors involved, such as knowledge management, the quality of services and the culture of hospitality.
• University training and experiences are applicable to tourism activity, and in this regard, observation and research studies in mountain destinations have helped develop sustainable environments.
• New digital platforms must offer security and trust for both owners and guests.  In the area of accommodation regulations, Andorra presented its new legislation and highlighted its five objectives: respond to new customer behaviours, improve equity among groups of accommodations, reduce unlicensed operations and facilitate the regulation of illegal accommodation, and improve the quality and safety of visitors. In addition, Andorra has introduced online reputation for the first time as a new criterion for the classification of accommodation.

Related links:

About the Congress

More information about Mountainlikers

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