PR No.: PR 17053

The Krakow Conference has served to present the UNWTO Recommendations on the Responsible Use of Ratings and Reviews on digital platforms. The guidelines were developed by the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) with the collaboration of TripAdvisor, Minube and Yelp.

“Online ratings and reviews are now playing a major role in tourism. The purpose of these new recommendations by the World Committee on Tourism Ethics is to ensure that all actors are playing fair and transparent.” Said Pascal Lamy, Chair of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics.

"The UNWTO Recommendations on the responsible use of ratings and reviews on digital platforms are a groundbreaking work resulting from a strong partnership and engagement of TripAdvisor, Minube and Yelp. We know that ratings and reviews are today critical for consumer decisions and UNWTO and the World Committee on Tourism Ethics could not have advanced this important work without them," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

“As the UNWTO rightly states, user-generated content is here to stay. What is important is that platforms which host reviews and ratings take steps to ensure the content is useful, accurate and unbiased. This whitepaper sets out some important guidelines about what consumers should expect of any review platform, as well as clear advice for business owners on how best to engage with reviews,” commented Helena Egan, global director of industry relations at TripAdvisor, “TripAdvisor is committed to upholding the principles set out in this whitepaper for the benefit of consumers and businesses alike. We hope others in the global hospitality sector will also follow suit.”

On the same occasion TripAdvisor has signed the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. In the last years, TripAdvisor has become the largest site of travel-related content with more than 500 million of traveler reviews. The incorporation of TripAdvisor to the signatories of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism enhances the potential of this non-binding document which is the major guidance global text on responsible tourism.

The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) is a comprehensive set of principles designed to guide key-players in tourism development. Addressed to governments, the travel industry, communities and tourists alike, it aims to help maximize the sector’s benefits while minimizing its potentially negative impact on the environment, cultural heritage and societies across the globe.

Adopted in 1999 by the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, its acknowledgement by the United Nations two years later expressly encouraged UNWTO to promote the effective follow-up of its provisions. Although not legally binding at this stage, the Code features a voluntary implementation mechanism through its recognition of the role of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE), to which stakeholders may refer matters concerning the application and interpretation of the document.

Since 2011 a total of 513 companies and associations from 69 countries have adhered to the Private Sector Commitment to the Code, pledging to promote and implement its principles and report the actions taken in that respect to UNWTO on a regular basis.

Additional information:

UNWTO Recommendations on the Responsible Use of Ratings and Reviews on digital platforms

Global Code of Ethics

World Committee on Tourism Ethics

International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development Website

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

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

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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

PR No.: PR17053

 

The Krakow Conference has served to present the UNWTO Recommendations on the Responsible Use of Ratings and Reviews on digital platforms. The guidelines were developed by the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) with the collaboration of TripAdvisor, Minube and Yelp.  “Online ratings and reviews are now playing a major role in tourism. The purpose of these new recommendations by the World Committee on Tourism Ethics is to ensure that all actors are playing fair and transparent.” Said Pascal Lamy, Chair of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics.  "The UNWTO Recommendations on the responsible use of ratings and reviews on digital platforms are a groundbreaking work resulting from a strong partnership and engagement of TripAdvisor, Minube and Yelp. We know that ratings and reviews are today critical for consumer decisions and UNWTO and the World Committee on Tourism Ethics could not have advanced this important work without them," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. “As the UNWTO rightly states, user-generated content is here to stay. What is important is that platforms which host reviews and ratings take steps to ensure the content is useful, accurate and unbiased. This whitepaper sets out some important guidelines about what consumers should expect of any review platform, as well as clear advice for business owners on how best to engage with reviews,” commented Helena Egan, global director of industry relations at TripAdvisor, “TripAdvisor is committed to upholding the principles set out in this whitepaper for the benefit of consumers and businesses alike. We hope others in the global hospitality sector will also follow suit,” she added.  On the same occasion TripAdvisor has signed the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. In the last years, TripAdvisor has become the largest site of travel-related content with more than 500 million of traveler reviews. The incorporation of TripAdvisor to the signatories of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism enhances the potential of this non-binding document which is the major guidance global text on responsible tourism.  The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) is a comprehensive set of principles designed to guide key-players in tourism development. Addressed to governments, the travel industry, communities and tourists alike, it aims to help maximize the sector’s benefits while minimizing its potentially negative impact on the environment, cultural heritage and societies across the globe. Adopted in 1999 by the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, its acknowledgement by the United Nations two years later expressly encouraged UNWTO to promote the effective follow-up of its provisions. Although not legally binding at this stage, the Code features a voluntary implementation mechanism through its recognition of the role of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE), to which stakeholders may refer matters concerning the application and interpretation of the document.  Since 2011 a total of 513 companies and associations from 69 countries have adhered to the Private Sector Commitment to the Code, pledging to promote and implement its principles and report the actions taken in that respect to UNWTO on a regular basis. Additional information: UNWTO Recommendations on the Responsible Use of Ratings and Reviews on digital platforms Global Code of Ethics International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development Websit "Journey of a review" video Contacts: UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60  UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

PR No.: PR 17048

Social responsibility champions, academics, private sector and representatives from national tourism administrations will meet in Krakow with civil society and international organizations to discuss how advance in the shared responsibilities of tourism development. The Congress acquires particular relevance as it takes place during the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, which is being celebrated worldwide throughout 2017.

The event, with the presence of Rajan Datar host of The Travel Show BBC World News’ flagship travel programme, will feature the views of policy makers and companies such as NH Hotel Group, TripAdvisor, ClubMed, TUI, and Amadeus IT Group. National, regional and international organizations like the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), European Destinations of Excellence Network (EDEN), UNESCO World Heritage Centre and VisitScotland will also share their best practices.

Topics under discussion include strategic policy frameworks and models of governance as well as innovative and multi-stakeholder management models for the development of a more responsible and inclusive tourism sector.

Special attention will be devoted to the Tourism for All, the preservation of natural and cultural resources and best practices that contribute to socio-economic empowerment of local communities, women and youth.

The 3rd International Congress on Ethics and Tourism is organized by UNWTO in partnership with the Government of Poland and the European Commission.

Additional information:

The ‘Enhancing the Understanding of European Tourism’ Project is a joint project by UNWTO and the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission (DG GROW). The project aims to improve the socio-economic knowledge of the tourism sector, enhance the understanding of European tourism and contribute towards economic growth and job creation, thus improving the competitiveness of the sector in Europe. The project includes three components: 1) increased cooperation and capacity building in tourism statistics; 2) assessment of tourism market trends; 3) promotion of cultural tourism through the Western Silk Road; and 4) promoting sustainable, responsible, accessible and ethical tourism. The project is co-financed with COSME funds and will run until February 2018.

Useful links:

Programme of the event

3rd International Congress on Ethics and Tourism

UNWTO Ethics and Social Responsibility Programme

European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG-Growth)

World Committee on Tourism Ethics

UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

UNWTO Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

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

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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

PR No.: PR 17045

More than 300 participants from 32 countries gathered for the conference.

Opening the event, Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili said: “It is significant to note that mountains make up more than 65% of the country’s landscape, and the government has been active in effectively using the aforementioned resource and advancing opportunities in tourism. According to various studies, Georgian ski destinations have the potential to generate more than 300 million US dollars in revenues from visitors. In this light, the Government of Georgia has focused considerable financial resources on sustainable development of the country’s mountain destinations, including implementation of major infrastructural projects.”

“Besides its economic potential for remote areas and isolated regions, mountain tourism is a key catalyst to raise awareness on sustainable tourism and to help us become more committed travelers, institutions and enterprises, a challenge especially pertinent at the present moment as we are celebrating the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development,” said Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General.  

The conference was structured around five key sessions conducted by 25 international speakers from 17 countries:

1. Sustainable tourism in mountain destinations: challenges and long-term outlook

2. Mountain resort planning: an integrated planning approach and illustration of good practices in developing mountain destinations

3. Investment and incentive policies: legislative framework and investment-friendly practices

4. Product diversification and attracting new markets: a strategic approach to improve the positioning of mountain destinations

5. New revolutionary tools for mountain destinations: innovation and the digital media

Prior to the conference, eight companies and associations joined the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism: Adjara Group Hospitality; Caucasus Travel; Explore Georgia; Georgian Events, Georgian Incoming Tour Operators Association; Georgian Tourism Association (GTA); Living Roots; and Tourist Agency ‘VisitGeorgia’.

On the occasion, UNWTO Secretary-General Rifai was awarded the Order of Honor by Prime Minister Kvirikashvili for his contribution to the development of tourism in Georgia, for strengthening the relationship between UNWTO and Georgia, and for raising awareness about Georgia as a tourism destination internationally.

Additional Information:

Programme of the Conference

UNWTO Global Code of Ethics

Webportal of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

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

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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

PR No.: PR 17035

The meeting held on the morning of 24 March consisted of two sessions. The first focused on the concept of “smart mobility”, addressing the challenges of connectivity on the European continent and the potential of new technologies. The second round table explored strategies to empower small and medium-sized businesses to capitalize on the opportunities offered by the digital market, especially with regard to relations with the traveller.

“New technologies are an essential component of the tourism sector, not only in terms of exchange of information and knowledge, but also in the development of applications and methodologies to ensure the progress of more sustainable practices in the sector in areas such as climate change or the preservation of tangible and intangible heritage,” UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said at the opening of the event.

“For transport and tourism in the European continent, the future is already here. Digitalization has revolutionized everything from destination choice to mobility options or payment methods. Modern travellers are technology users and are more demanding than ever.  They expect to have to have everything at their disposal with just one click. In advancing towards societies that value connectivity and individual consumer needs, the European Union must create the right conditions for an operational and functional digital single market, as well as emphasize the value of innovation,” explained Claudia Tapardel, MEP and co-director of the Intergroup on Tourism Sector Development and Cultural Heritage in Europe.

“The digitalization of the travel and tourism sector is one of the main challenges facing the sector in order to remain competitive in Europe. It is our responsibility as a leader in the development of technology for travel and tourism to promote spaces for discussion and collaboration in which companies and institutions work together on the question of innovation, as is the case of this conference. Innovation in the field of smart multimodal mobility and support for SMEs in digital adoption are two key strategic axes for us,” said Juan Jesús García, who is responsible for Institutional Relations for Europe at the Amadeus IT Group.

Among the participants in the discussions were Romanian Minister of Tourism Mircea Dobre, Malta’s Minister of Tourism Edward Zammit Lewis, Iuliana Gabriela Aluas, Deputy Head of Unit of the European Commission on Tourism and Emerging and Creative Industries, together with other members of the European Parliament, the Vienna Tourism Board and representatives of the European Travel Commission, the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT) and the private sector such as Blablacar.

The link between new technologies and innovation in the tourism sector is one of the priority areas of work of the World Tourism Organization, which recently held the First Conference on Smart Destinations.

This topic is particularly relevant in light of the celebration in 2017 of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, a global campaign led by the UNWTO.

Europe’s growing interest in tourism

Europe is the world's leading tourist destination with 580 million international tourists in 2016. According to the UNWTO’s projections, in 2030 there will be 1.8 billion international tourist arrivals in the world, a figure that in Europe will be about 750 million, more than 40% of the total.

Within the European Union, the tourism sector comprises 1.8 million enterprises, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. Tourism accounts for 5 per cent of gross domestic product and 5.2 per cent of jobs in the labour force (employing about 9.7 million people). Considering linkages with other economic sectors, this contribution is even higher (more than 10% of GDP and at least 12% of total employment, i.e., some 13 million workers).

The presence of the sector in the European institutions has been growing steadily since the holding in June 1999 of the European Council session which dealt with the theme “Tourism and Employment”. Important steps were subsequently taken with the communication “Working together for the future of European tourism” (2001) and the Council Resolution on the future of Tourism, which encouraged cooperation between public and private players in the European tourism sector.

The European Tourism Forum, which began in 2002, discussed the topic of the digitalization of tourism at its fourteenth edition held in Luxembourg in 2015. Other initiatives are the EDEN project, focused on the promotion of emerging tourism destinations that have implemented sustainable principles and the Programme for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, COSME.

Additional information:

Programme of the event

Website of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

Murcia Declaration on Smart Destinations

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

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

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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

PR No.: PR 17034

Achieving more accessible, inclusive and sustainable tourism is one of the objectives of sectoral policies on the European continent, but also one of the challenges for Europe to remain competitive and maintain its status as the world’s most visited destination. The working session organized by UNWTO, the Amadeus IT Group and the European Parliament aims to analyse current and future ways of working to help travel and tourism companies meet the challenges of this new paradigm through innovation.

“2016 has been the seventh consecutive year of tourism growth and we expect this trend to continue in the future. This means that we will have to work to make the sector more sustainable, more accessible and more inclusive and for this, technology and innovation are the most useful key tools,” explained UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

“The European Parliament is working intensively to develop innovative but also competitive solutions that place the traveller in a more integrated and connected Europe,” said Claudia Tapardel, MEP and Co-Chair of the Intergroup on European Tourism Development and Cultural Heritage.

“At the Amadeus IT Group, we are proud to work with the European Parliament and UNWTO to open up a space for discussion to help the sector respond to the challenges the new digital environment brings to the tourism sector. We put at the service of this excellent initiative our knowledge of technology and the experience of working with tourism companies in 195 countries,” said Juan Jesús García, head of Institutional Relations for Europe at the Amadeus IT Group.

This event takes place within the framework of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, a global campaign led by UNWTO. The Organization recently held the First World Conference on Smart Destinations, which addressed the need to move towards more accessible environments that respect natural and cultural heritage as the main asset of the tourism sector.

Additional information:

Programme of the event

Website of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

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

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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

PR No.: PR 17038

Despite many challenges facing Europe in 2016, tourism has once again shown extraordinary strength and resilience, reinforcing its contribution to economic growth, job creation and social wellbeing in the European Union (EU-28).

The 28 countries of the EU boasted a solid growth in international tourist arrivals of above 4% in 2016, exceeding the world’s average growth rate, and increasing by 21 million to 499 million.

2016 was the 7th consecutive year of sustained growth for the EU-28 following the 2009 global economic and financial crisis, with 107 million more tourists than the pre-crisis level of 2008.

“Tourism is today one of the key pillars of the EU strategy for jobs and inclusive growth. UNWTO is very pleased to be working alongside the European Commission in monitoring international tourism trends, advance product development and sustainable tourism in Europe”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. 

About the ‘Enhancing the Understanding of European Tourism’ Project

‘Enhancing the Understanding of European Tourism’ is a joint project by UNWTO and the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission (DG GROWTH). The project aims to improve the socio-economic knowledge of the tourism sector, enhance the understanding of European tourism and contribute towards economic growth, job creation, thus improving the competitiveness of the sector in Europe. The project includes three components: 1) increased cooperation and capacity building in tourism statistics; 2) assessment of tourism market trends; 3) promotion of cultural tourism through the Western Silk Road and; 4) promoting sustainable, responsible, accessible and ethical tourism.

The project is co-financed with COSME funds and will run until February 2018.

Useful links:

UNWTO in Collaboration with the European Union

Virtual Tourism Observatory

UNWTO Tourism Market Trends Programme

European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG-Growth)

UNWTO World Tourism Barometer

UNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2016 Edition

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

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

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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

PR No.: PR 17019

‘Smart destinations’ are key to sustainable development and contribute not only to advances in the tourism sector but also in societies at large. The use of technological solutions contributes effectively to evidence-based decision making, prioritization of measures and anticipation of future scenarios, which is essential for responsible management of tourism and its impacts.

Topics such as smart destination systems for regular and timely measurement, intelligent promotion of tourist sites and digital accessibility formed part of the parallel presentations given over the three days.

Improved accessibility of destinations thanks to new solutions, the opportunities and challenges deriving from geo-referenced data, big data and open data platforms, and enhanced environmental protection through smart tools were also part of the discussions. Furthermore, changing travel behaviours and increasing personalized customer experiences, new business models and the role of entrepreneurs, improved participatory processes supported by smart solutions, the relation between travellers and local communities, and the sharing of existing applications were at the core of the conference.

“‘Smart tourism’ is not a trend, but the future of tourism development,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai opening the conference. “The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 is the perfect framework to conduct such an event, as it addresses major challenges and opportunities of the tourism sector in the coming years,” he added.

“Spain has not only accepted the concept of ‘smart tourism’, but it has also launched related projects and actions, such as the conversion of the island of El Hierro and other cities such as Palma into ‘smart destinations’, or the development of normative work on this topic,” said State Secretary of Spain for Tourism, Matilde Asián.

”Destinations have to assume the new global framework: a complex context in which tourists’ behaviour and new technologies are changing economic structures and related policies; we are in a new scenario of continuous evolution,” said the President of the Murcia region, Pedro Antonio Sánchez.

Additional information:

List of sponsors: Iberia, Amadeus, Union Pay, SAP, Drore Technology, Telefónica, Región de Murcia, Ayuntamiento de Caravaca de la Cruz, Diócesis de Cartagena, Grupo Fuertes, Reina, Estrella de Levante, Salzillo, Limcamar, CaixaBank, UCAM, Real e Ilustre Cofradía de la Santísima y Vera Cruz de Caravaca, Interapothek

Co-Sponsors: Fundación CajaMurcia, Iberdrola,

Collaborators: Instituto de las Industrias Culturales y de las Artes, Auditorio y Centro de Congresos Víctor Villegas, Turismo de Murcia, Visualtis, Predif, Iurban.es, ,International Federation for IT and Travel&Tourism, Tur4All

Videos of the sessions and interviews

Photos of the event

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

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

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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