PR No.: 16024

By adhering to the Code, the private sector signatories commit to respect its principles; to promote the Code among its partners, providers, staff and clients, making sure that its provisions are known and respected as far and wide as possible; and to report to the World Committee on Tourism Ethics on the measures taken to implement the Code.

As stated by Márcio Favilla, UNWTO Executive Director for Competitiveness, External Relations and Partnerships, on the occasion of the signature “tourism’s exponential growth in recent years comes with increased responsibility for all and this is why today’s commitment is so important; the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics constitutes the most efficient tool to channel corporate responsibility commitments towards our society and communities.”

“Travel to Sweden is becoming more and more popular among tourists from Europe as well as for those traveling from long-haul markets such as Japan, China, India, Russia and the USA. Cooperation with UNWTO highlights Sweden’s commitment to being a responsible, sustainable and attractive destination”, said Maud Olofsson President of Visita. Eva Östling, CEO of Visita, added that “tourism is one of Sweden's most important industries with an export value of 97 billion SEK. But the potential is much higher. The goal is to double this in ten years”.

Magnus Nilsson, President  of Svenk Tourism said “now we'll insert the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism in the Swedish tourist industry's national strategy. With a focus on sustainability, we will work towards ensuring that by 2020 Sweden is the natural destination for the global traveler”.

The UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism 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 maximise the sector’s benefits while minimising 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 it was acknowledged by the United Nations in 2001.

The relevance that the private sector can have in promoting a more responsible tourism sector, lead UNWTO to develop since 2011 the Private Sector Commitment to the Code. As of January 2016, 451 companies and associations from 64 countries –from airlines and hotels, to tour operators and associations– have joined the commitment to uphold ethical standards and ensure the implementation of the Code in their operations. 

Additional information:

Download the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics

Pictures of the signing

Contact:

UNWTO Media Officer: Rut Gómez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 

PR No.: 16023

Meeting Minister of Tourism of Greece Elena Kountoura at the side-lines of ITB to discuss the situation and prospects of tourism in Europe and Greece, Mr Rifai said “we have no doubt that Greece will maintain a powerful image worldwide as a major tourism destination and that the country will consolidate its growth in 2016, as shown by booking trends”.

Ms. Kountoura said “the Aegean islands are already showing a positive trend in bookings and are ready to welcome an increased number of tourists for the current season”. The diversification of the touristic offer, the development of new destinations and the opening of high-end accommodation facilities and services are some of the measures taken by the Greek government to enhance tourism, as highlighted by the Minister of Tourism of Greece in the meeting.

“Meeting with leading tour operators at ITB, we have received very positive feedback from the German travel market, which has confirmed the increased demand in bookings for Greece”, added Ms. Kountoura.

This news is timely for Greece as the country is advancing implementation of its new tourism policy framework, launched in 2015 to enhance international tourism.

Contact:

UNWTO Senior Media Officer: Ruth Gomez

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

PR No.: PR 16009

The neZEH toolkit is a practical instrument for hotel owners to assess their energy consumption levels and identify appropriate measures for energy efficiency improvement and reaching nearly-zero levels. This tool will be available for users by mid-March, 2016.

The neZEH initiative aims to support the tourism sector in Europe to comply with European Union regulations for nearly zero buildings (nZEB) according to which all 28 EU countries will need to reach nZEB levels by 2020.

“As tourism is a force for good, we need to ensure the promotion and development of sustainable, resilient and responsible tourism, which requires vision, innovation, correct planning, good management, sound monitoring and the inclusion of all the relevant stakeholders, including consumers” said Mr. Márcio Favilla, UNWTO’s Executive Director for Operational Programmes and Institutional Relations at the opening of the Conference.

The project, co-financed by the European Union, builds upon the UNWTO Hotel Energy Solutions, which has since 2011 engaged 20,000 users worldwide and 1,500 hotels in Europe in better understanding how to become energy efficient and more competitive.

NEZEH is developed within the principles of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns and particularly of the 10YFP Programme on Sustainable Tourism (10YFP STP), led by UNWTO together with the governments of Morocco, Republic of Korea and France, with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The initiative will provide technical expertise to the private sector while fostering tourism public policies in the areas of energy efficiency and help the tourism sector in its contribution to the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About NEZEH

The nearly Zero Energy Hotels – neZEH - is a project co-funded by the European Commission in the frame of the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, aiming to accelerate the rate of large scale renovations of hotels into nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) by providing technical advice to committed hoteliers and demonstrating flagship nZEB projects in the European hospitality sector.

The neZEH partnership is composed by 10 partners across seven European countries: Technical University of Crete, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems Lab (Greece) - the coordinator - World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Network of European Region for a Sustainable and Competitive Tourism (NECSTouR), Sustainable Innovation (Sweden), Creara Consultores S.L. (Spain), Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (Croatia), Istituto Superiore sui Sistemi Territoriali per l’Innovazione (Italy), Agency of Braşov for Energy Management and Environment Protection (Romania), Federation of European Heating and Air-conditioning Associations (Netherlands) and  ENERGIES 2050 (France). 

Useful links:

NEZEH Nearly Zero Energy Hotels

HES Hotel Energy Solutions

UNWTO Sustainable Development of Tourism Programme

 

PR No.: 16011

Shopping Tourism “is a highly relevant component for travelers when choosing and preparing their trip” underlined Yolanda Perdomo, Director of the Affiliate Members Programme at UNWTO.

The event included the presentation of the latest figures, trends and strategies on shopping tourism and of how this segment is transforming the promotion of destinations worldwide. Jörn Gieschen, Researcher at the Instituto de Empresa (IE) and the MasterCard Observatory on Premium Markets and Prestige Products underlined that “shopping tourism is intimately related to city travel which constitutes 58% of the total”.

"There is an additional concept about shopping tourism: that of small and local shopping experiences which according to our research is much more attractive for travelers than the big global brands" he added. One of the trends shared was the so-called ‘Bleisure’ - the combination of Business and Leisure. “58% of business travelers add a day or even a weekend to their business trip” he said.

Maria José Pérez, from 'Madrid 7 stars', an initiative that engages 300 brands, commented that 80% of Chinese tourists who travel to Madrid position shopping as a major motivation.

Eva Ruiz Cendon, Director of Marketing at Mastercard indicated that "despite the fact that 80% of payments worldwide are done in cash, electronic and mobile payments offer excellent opportunities for businesses.” She also shared the company’s
Priceless Cities Programme, that engages cities such as Madrid and New York. The initiative facilitates leisure activities in relevant destinations in cooperation with brands and shops.

One of the most awaited interventions of the 2^nd Conference on Shopping Tourism was Michel Durrieu, Director of Tourism at the Ministry of Foreign affairs and International Development in France, who introduced the issue of sustainability linked to shopping tourism, mentioning a recent innovation: the digital certificate.

Speaking about the most visited city in the world, Paris, Durrieu added that shopping and gastronomy are major criteria to decide on destinations, and therefore should be included in any strategy. Diversity, price and quality, opening hours, customer orientation in shops, handicrafts and souvenirs quality were mentioned by the Director of Tourism in France, as key aspects to advance in shopping tourism. 

Ángela Castaño, Head, Tourism Product Area, Turespaña, Hugo Rovira, General Director, NH Hotel Group, Luciano Ochoa, General Manager, Innova Tax Free and Elena Foguet, Business Director, Value Retail were among the participants during the conference.

Additional information:  

UNWTO Global Report on Shopping Tourism

Contact details:

UNWTO Media Officer: Rut Gómez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 

UNWTO Communications and Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 

PR No.: 15100

“Culture is intimately linked with tourism and this report reflects not only the importance of the protection and preservation of tangible and intangible heritage in tourism development, but also the UNWTO’s commitment to these values through initiatives such as the training programmes we carry out or the existence within our Organization of the Silk Road Programme,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

In addition to featuring how routes of a cultural nature add value to the experience of travellers, the Global Report on Cultural Routes and Itineraries also highlights the positive impacts generated by these itineraries in terms of sustainability and benefits for local communities. The publication also reinforces the initiative launched by UNESCO in 2005 consisting of the creation of a specific category in the classification of Heritage Sites devoted to cultural routes by highlighting the relationship between culture and tourism and the importance of public-private cooperation in the development of such routes. 

Gabriel Barceló Milta, Vice-President of the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands and head of its Ministry for Innovation, Research and Tourism which is responsible for UNWTO Affiliate Member ATB, said: “This collaboration with the Organization is an opportunity to motivate other destinations to publicize their cultural routes, which not only constitute a valuable asset of a destination, but also play a key role in enabling visitors to better enjoy their experience and get to know other cultures and traditions.”

The report was prepared by the UNWTO and the Tourism Agency of the Balearic Islands with the collaboration of nearly 20 UNWTO Affiliate Members, which shared their case studies: Adventure Travel Trade Association, Associação de Hotéis Roteiros de Charme, Bournemouth University, Comune di Venezia, DASTA, Hungarian National Tourist Office, IREST, Madison MK, Observatorio Turístico del Estado de Guanajuato, ProColombia, Região de Turismo do Algarve, SENATUR, Singerman and Makón, STPP, Turismo de Bogota, Universidad del Salvador, Universitaria Los Libertadores, University of Bologna, University of Business in Prague and University of Molise.

Additional information:  

Download the publication “Cultural Routes and Itineraries” (available in English only)

UNWTO Silk Road Programme

Contact:

UNWTO Media Officer: Rut Gómez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

PR No.: 15095

The agreement comes at a particularly relevant moment, as the international community celebrates International Mountain Day on 11 December. This year’s celebrations focus on the promotion of mountain products as a tool to boost local economies. Tourism can play a fundamental role in this regard as one of the main economic sectors in many mountain destinations.

Seasonality is a common issue for a large number of tourism destinations worldwide, resulting in important economic challenges in terms of the profitability of companies and wealth generation in destinations. Seasonality also has considerable environmental and socio-cultural impacts including congestion management, use of natural resources, seasonable employment and social pressure.

A new UNWTO Affiliate Member, the Mountain Tourism Cluster works to find innovative and creative ways of overcoming seasonality and create sustainable development-related strategies in mountain destinations.

“Given the impact and complexity of seasonality in tourism, it is fundamental to ensure that innovative programmes are put in place by public and private sectors that increase visitation during off peak months and foster demand all year around. We are thus very pleased to be collaborating with the Mountain Tourism on research and actions aimed at this important challenge,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

The agreement is another important step in UNWTO’s work in the area of mountain tourism. Within this framework, UNWTO and the Government of the Principality the Andorra have co-organized the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism since 1998. In March 2016, the 9th edition of this bi-annual event will explore the way in which sport and adventure activities can help mountain destinations maximize the socio-economic benefits brought by tourism all year round.

 

Additional information:  

Know more about the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism

3^rd UNWTO Conference for Overcoming Seasonality

Mountain Tourism Cluster

International Mountain Day

 

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer: Rut Gómez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218