PR No.: 15022

Rifai welcomed the priority awarded to tourism within the new government and the continuity of the tourism policy in Greece to ensure that the sector remains a fundamental contributor to the country’s economic growth and stability, and committed to continue supporting Greece in advancing its tourism sector.

“Greece is and will continue to be a leading tourism destination. We are very pleased to see how tourism is a priority for the new government and how there is a strong commitment to pursue current tourism policies, building upon the good results achieved by the sector and taking them further” said Rifai.

Mrs. Kountoura expressed her great satisfaction over the support for the Greek Tourism by the Secretary General of UNWTO and his team and asserted her commitment to the implementation of strategies aiming to further promote Greece as a tourist destination, in cooperation with such an eminent International Body as the UNWTO.

Rifai and Minister Kountoura discussed the prospects for tourism in Greece, with the Minister echoing the positive outlook for the sector in the country and stressed intentions to increase Greece’s engagement in the international tourism community through UNWTO, namely in attracting new markets. 

In 2014, Greece was one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in Europe and the world. International tourist arrivals increased by 23% to surpass 22 million while international tourism receipts grew by 17% to US$ 13.4 billion.

Tourism accounts for 20% of Greece’s GDP and employs 750.000 people, directly and indirectly.

Contacts:

UNWTO Senior Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 

PR No.: 15016

Benchmarking international accommodation standards can help destinations establish hotel classification systems which are more relevant and useful to consumers, hotels, intermediaries and destinations alike. Against this backdrop, the new UNWTO report Hotel Classification Systems:  Recurrence of Criteria in 4 and 5 Star Hotels compares criteria recurrence in 30 European destinations and six destinations in other regions.

Prepared jointly by UNWTO and Norwegian Accreditation (NA), an agency of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries of Norway through its QualityMark Norway programme, the report reveals that despite the existence of many types of classification systems across the globe, there are more similarities than differences, both between geographic groups and between 4 and 5 star categories.

The report also provides a general overview of the existing types of hotel classifications, their benefits and challenges, and offers general guidance on areas to consider when setting up an official classification system.

Findings also suggest that more regular reviews of hotel classification systems can be useful to keep them up-to-date with rapidly evolving consumer needs, particularly with regards to technology and accessibility.

This is the second joint UNWTO/Norwegian Accreditation report on the topic of hotel classification, following Online Guest Reviews and Hotel Classification Systems: An Integrated Approach, published in 2014.
 

Useful links:

Full Report: Hotel Classification Systems: The Recurrence of Criteria in 4 and 5 Star Hotels 
Report: Online Guest Reviews and Hotel Classification Systems: An Integrated Approach 
UNWTO Regional Programme for Europe: 
Norwegian Accreditation

Contacts:

UNWTO Senior Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 

PR No.: 15007

Prime Minister Rajoy accepted the Letter from UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, and the President and CEO of WTTC, David Scowsill, on the occasion of the Spain Global Tourism Forum held in Madrid.

“Tourism is a State policy in Spain”, said Prime Minister Rajoy stressing that the sector accounts for 10.9% of Spain’s GDP and generates one in 9 jobs, and as such “is a strategic sector for both the present and the future of our economy”.

Spain is the third most visited country in the world, and the second destination in terms of foreign earnings from tourism. With tourism representing 25% of all new jobs created in Spain in 2014, the sector remains firmly positioned as one of the country’s most important economic sectors.

“Spain’s remarkable tourism success would not have been possible without support from the highest political level. By accepting the Open Letter, Mr. Rajoy re-affirms the Spanish Government’s incredible backing of the tourism sector, which I trust will continue making the sector a key driver in the country’s economic and social development”, said Mr. Rifai on the occasion.

David Scowsill said: “Spain will host WTTC´s 15th annual Global Summit on 15-16 April in Madrid, where WTTC members – the Chairmen and CEOs of the world’s leading travel and tourism companies - will convene with government ministers and other industry leaders to debate and recommend policies which drive travel and tourism growth. The hosting of this Global Summit underlines Spain’s prioritization of tourism. With the investment and enthusiasm Spain is showing the sector, it is one which will continue to underpin the country’s economy for the long term”.

The UNWTO/WTTC Open Letter calls on Heads of State and Government around the world to acknowledge tourism's key role in delivering more sustained and balanced socio-economic growth and to prioritize the sector higher in national policies in order to maximize its potential.

In 2014, Spain received 65 million international tourist arrivals – a new historic record and the highest growth (+7%) in the last 14 years.

Note to editors:

The UNWTO/WTTC Open Letter outlines Travel & Tourism’s value as one of the world’s largest generators of jobs, a powerful driver of socio-economic growth and development and a key player in the transformation to the Green Economy. To date, the Open Letter has been received by 71 Heads of State and Government.

Useful links:

UNWTO/WTTC Open Letter on Travel and Tourism
Latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer
World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)

Contacts:

UNWTO Senior Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 

WTTC

Head of Communications: Emma Coulthurst
Tel: (+44 ) 207481 6483 

PR No.: 14090

As part of the UNWTO Cities Project, and in the framework of the Istanbul Declaration (2012) on City Tourism, UNWTO, ECM and MODUL University join forces to promote the sustainable development of city tourism as a driver of economic growth.

The three partners will each provide specific expertise to this common goal, which is key to improve planning and decision making by private and public tourism stakeholders in cities worldwide. The project will count on essential research, insights and tools to benchmark city performance developed by European Cities Marketing’s  as well as on TourMIS, a platform for tourism associations to exchange data on overnight stays, hotel capacities and occupancy rate hosted by the MODUL University Vienna.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, welcomed this new partnership. “City tourism has become a strategic element in urban planning and management; thanks to this agreement with ECM and MODUL University Vienna, we will be able to work on systematic data collection on city tourism all over the world”, he said

Commenting on the partnership agreement, ECM President Ignasi de Delàs added: "We are thrilled to partner with UNWTO and MODUL University Vienna, and extend our expertise in benchmarking and measuring city tourism on the global level. This is a milestone in the history of the expertise developed within European Cities Marketing.”

Karl Wöber, President of MODUL University Vienna concluded: “At present, 115 cities enter their information in TourMIS on a monthly or annual basis and I am really honoured to extend the TourMIS database. We will certainly provide guidance to cities willing to participate in the Global City Tourism Benchmarking report so that they can meet the required standards.”

ECM, MODUL University Vienna and UNWTO aim to regularly publish a Global City Tourism Benchmarking Report. The partners will furthermore form a group of international experts to observe and comment on the progress of the project and provide guidelines on how to further integrate indicators on the economic, environmental and social impact of tourism into the current system of city tourism measurement.

European Cities Marketing is a non-profit organisation improving the competitiveness and performance of leading cities of Europe by providing a platform for convention, leisure and city marketing professionals to exchange knowledge, best practice and widen their network to build new business. European Cities Marketing is promoting and linking the interests of 110 members from more than 100 major cities in 36 countries.

Contact information

Flavie Baudot
Tel: +33 380 56 02 00

MODUL Research is a subdivision of MODUL University Vienna that aims to bridge the two domains of basic and applied research. MODUL Research engages in research projects that provide workable solutions to problems that private firms, industry associations, groups in civil society, and governmental organisations have identified as important.

Contact information

MODUL Research

TourMIS 

Prof. Karl Wöber, President

UNWTO

Contact information:

Senior Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: +34 91 567 81 60 

PR No.: 14088

According to the UNWTO Global Report on Shopping Tourism, shopping tourism is gaining in importance within a sector of tourism that is seeking to diversify in both mature and emerging markets. According to the report, “shopping tourism is one of the drivers that will contribute to economic development and job creation worldwide.”

The 1^st International Conference on Shopping Tourism will have the support of FITUR and its dedicated space FITUR SHOPPING, created in order to reinvigorate shopping tourism and to respond to this emerging sector.

“Shopping is becoming an important part of the tourism value chain, it has become a decisive factor at the time of choosing a destination and, in some cases, the primary reason for travel”, said the Secretary-General of UNWTO, Taleb Rifai. “Hosting this first international meeting on shopping tourism will be a unique opportunity to promote analysis and debate on shopping tourism and allow the main players to begin a fruitful and successful conversation” he added.

The International Conference on Shopping Tourism will showcase the different regional perspectives in this sector. Likewise, key representatives from the private sector will share success stories. The conference will conclude with a panel of experts from NYC & Company (New York, USA); Sinclair Global (London, United Kingdom); Turisme de Barcelona (the Barcelona tourist office, Spain); Innova TaxFree (Madrid, Spain); and Desigual (Barcelona, Spain).
 

Useful links:

1^st International Conference on Shopping Tourism

UNWTO Global Report on Shopping Tourism

UNWTO activities at FITUR 2015

Contacts:

UNWTO Senior Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 

PR No.: PR 14087

The UNWTO/WTTC Open Letter on Travel and Tourism calls upon heads of State and Government worldwide to acknowledge tourism's key role in delivering a more sustainable and balanced growth and to prioritize the sector in national policies in order to maximize its potential for development.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, met with Mr. Rama on the sidelines of the International Conference on Managing Seasonality in Tourism, jointly organized by UNWTO and the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism of Albania. During the meeting, Mr. Rama received the UNWTO/WTTC Open Letter on Travel and Tourism, expressing the willingness of the Albanian government to place the global initiative of Travel and Tourism as part of the national agenda.

“Our goal is to integrate the development of sustainable tourism in the country as the only way of empowering each and every area as well as addressing the issue of seasonality. I would like to reassure you of our endeavor to transform the tourism sector in Albania into a strong economic power that brings growth and integration to our national economy” said Prime Minister Rama accepting the Open Letter.

“Albania is truly blessed with spectacular natural and cultural heritage, the backbone of its tourism sector, a sector which has shown impressive growth over recent years,” said Mr. Rifai. “By accepting the Open Letter, the Government of Albania is further strengthening its commitment to the sector and giving important recognition to tourism’s contribution to Albania’s socio-economic development,” he added.

David Scowsill, President and CEO, WTTC, added; “Growth prospects from Travel & Tourism in Albania look very favourable. The Government’s commitment to the sector will bring rewards to the country in terms of increased visitors, spend and employment opportunities”.

In less than a decade, the number of international tourists to Albania more than quadrupled, from 628,000 in 2005 to 2.9 million in 2013, contributing 1.5 billion euros to the Albanian economy. As of the end of June 2014, Albania has already recorded an impressive growth of 26% in the number of international tourist arrivals.

WTTC’s economic data shows that the total GDP contribution of Travel & Tourism to Albania’s economy was ALL239.8bn (16.7% of GDP) in 2013 and is forecast to rise by 5.4% every year to ALL424.0bn (20.9% of GDP) by 2024.

Governments key in managing seasonality

The International Conference on Managing Seasonality in Tourism focused on successful strategies for overcoming seasonality.

In a Ministerial Roundtable, the Ministers of Tourism of Albania and Montenegro, the Vice-minister of Economy of Lithuania, and several other high-level officials from UNWTO Member States highlighted the key role of Governments in managing tourism seasonality, and the importance of targeted policies such as tax incentives aimed at the private sector to curb the effects of seasonality.

Conference participants further highlighted the necessity of well-coordinated public-private partnerships to effectively adapt to and mitigate seasonality, and the need for any measures to take into account the brand and the tourism supply of the destination in order to build on existing strengths and ensure compatibility between current and future developments.

On the occasion, the Albanian Tourism Association (ATA) and the Albanian Travel Operators Union (ATOU) signed the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, pledging to maximise tourism’s benefits while minimising its potentially negative impact on the environment, cultural heritage and societies.

Note to editors:

The UNWTO/WTTC Open Letter outlines Travel & Tourism’s value as one of the world’s largest generators of jobs, a powerful driver of socio-economic growth and development and a key player in the transformation to the Green Economy. To date, the Open Letter has been received by 70 Heads of State and Government.

In signing the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, companies pledge to uphold, promote and implement the values of responsible and sustainable tourism development championed by the Code. They further undertake to report on their implementation of the Code's principles in their corporate governance to the World Committee on Tourism Ethics. 

Useful links:

UNWTO/WTTC Open Letter on Travel and Tourism

International Conference on Managing Seasonality in Tourism

UNWTO Prototype on overcoming seasonality: Punta del Este 365 

UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism 

Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)

Contacts:

UNWTO Senior Media Officer: Marcelo Risi

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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

PR No.: PR 14084

Tourism has become a central component of the economy, social life and the geography of many cities in the world and is ideally positioned to contribute to seize the opportunities stemming from urbanization. The 3^rd Global Summit on City Tourism: New Paradigms in City Tourism Development debated what takes to build new paradigms in city tourism. The Summit focused on four keys areas: the changing environment, knowledge and technology, measurement and how to make city tourism benefit the city and its surroundings.

Participants stressed the need to develop products which are market driven and research based, alerting to the lack of research to properly measure city tourism, its impact and trends. Furthermore, participants highlighted the need to make a city enjoyable to all: citizens, tourists and investors and spread the benefits of city tourism to its surrounding thus multiplying its impact and managing congestion.

The development of clusters that engage public and private players from all sectors was pointed out as central to the new paradigm for city tourism development; a development that needs to be mindful of the fact that tourism is a policy instrument for social cohesion and cultural preservation, beyond its fundamental contribution as an economic activity. Participants also alerted to the need of discussing the new business models emerging within the so-called sharing economy and assess its integration into the planning and development of tourism.

Opening the event, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, stressed the importance of engaging local populations in the whole process of city tourism development “We should always keep in mind that tourism happens in a community and that a city that is not good for its citizens will never be a good tourism destination. A city that is good for its citizens is good for tourists; a city that is loved by its citizens will be loved by its visitors”.

Ms. Isabel Borrego, Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, said “City Tourism is a priority for Spain as it is capable of delivering on two of our key strategic objectives: overcoming seasonality and increase average spending”.

The 3rd Global Summit on City Tourism: New Paradigms in City Tourism Development was organized by UNWTO, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism of Spain and Turisme Barcelona, with the collaboration of the Government of Catalonia, the Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Provincial Council.

Useful links:

Presentations and keynotes from the 3^rd Global Summit on City Tourism 

Photos from the 3^rd Global Summit on City Tourism on Flickr

UNWTO Global Report on City Tourism

Contacts:

UNWTO Senior Media Officer: Marcelo Risi

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

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