PR No.: PR 14059
In light of the growing importance of pilgrimages and spiritual routes to tourism development around the world, UNWTO, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism of Spain and the Regional Government of Galicia are organizing the First International Congress on Tourism and Pilgrimages.
With this backdrop, the First International Congress on Tourism and Pilgrimages to take place in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on 17-20 September 2014, aims to highlight the positive contributions of pilgrimages and spiritual routes to sustainable and responsible tourism, as well as the contribution of tourism to cultural understanding and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage related to ancient trails and sacred places.
”With their unique historical, cultural and natural features, pilgrimages represent vital opportunities to further strengthen tourism’s ability to foster intercultural dialogue and contribute to the protection of religious and spiritual sites,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.
The Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, Isabel Borrego, recalled that “the city of Santiago de Compostela is a reference for religious tourism in Spain. To visit its historic centre, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and walk the Santiago path are unique experiences. Spain has much to offer in terms of religious tourism”: Santiago, intense pilgrimages and religious celebrations, important monasteries and cathedrals and many religious festivities of great interest.”
According to UNWTO estimates, 300 to 330 million tourists visit the world´s key religious sites every year, making spiritual tourism a significant part of both domestic and international tourism.
Bringing together experts from a diverse range of countries including Argentina, Australia, India, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Paraguay, The Republic of Korea, Spain and Thailand, among others, the Congress will address issues such as the role of pilgrimages as drivers of local development, identify the motivational factors behind the demand for spiritual tourism, and analyze strategies in developing and marketing sustainable pilgrimage tourism products.
Useful links:
1st UNWTO International Congress on Tourism and Pilgrimages
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 14047
UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, and the French Minister of State in charge of Tourism, Fleur Pellerin, met to discuss the new tourism strategy of France as well as how to further strengthen the collaboration with UNWTO. Issues on the agenda included visa facilitation, taxation and the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (Paris, 30 June 2014).
Mr. Rifai commended the decision of France to place tourism as a national ‘cause’ and welcomed the 30 measures recently announced by the Government to promote the competitiveness of the sector, in particular the visa facilitation measures. These include, among other, the extension of the ‘visas in 48 hours’ initiative, launched in China in early 2014, to several Gulf countries, South Africa and India. Ms. Pellerin explained that the measure had translated into an exponential growth in the number of visas issued in the Chinese market from 30 to 250%.
“The call by President Hollande to place tourism as a national cause clearly shows the value that is awarded to the sector in France as a means to create jobs and improve the balance of payments”, said Mr Rifai. “France is a tourism leader, the most visited destination in the world, and is aware that keeping such position in today’s competitive market requires strong cross-cutting policies that support the sector. At UNWTO we particularly welcome the measures adopted by France to promote visa facilitation, one of our priorities, as we trust that, as our research shows, these measures yield significant return in terms of economic growth and job creation”, he added.
Further issues on the agenda included tourism taxation and the integration of tourism under the portfolio of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, a decision welcomed by UNWTO as it provides an opportunity to advance key issues such as travel facilitation and the inclusion of tourism in the international trade agenda. On the issue of taxation, Mr Rifai recalled UNWTO position on the importance of evaluating the global impact on the economy of any changes in tourism taxation and welcomed the fact that a possible raise of tourism taxes in France currently under discussion is being seriously debated considering such impact.
On the occasion of his visit to France, Mr Rifai addressed the 3rd Parliamentarian Meeting on Tourism (3e Rencontres Parlementaires sur le Tourisme: Et si le redressement passait par le tourisme?) highlighting the role of the sector in accelerating the economic recovery in Europe.
Useful links:
Full speech by UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai (in English)
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
