Asia and Pacific Countries Advance Shared Vision of Tourism for Development

• Asia and the Pacific
• 19 Jun 2023

UNWTO's Member States came together for the 35th meeting of its joint Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia to assess the major challenges to tourism development in the region for the years ahead.

UNWTO's Members from Asia and the Pacific met as recovery from the impacts of the pandemic on tourism in the region steadily accelerates. According to UNWTO data:

• Worldwide, twice as many people travelled internationally in the first three months of 2023 than in the same period of 2022, taking global tourism back to 80% of pre-pandemic levels.
• For Asia and the Pacific, however, international arrivals got back to 54% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the quarter.
• Recovery across the region is expected to accelerate following the re-opening of China to tourism. China was the world's biggest tourism source market in 2019. Reflecting the significance of the moment, a high-level delegation from UNWTO visited China in February to mark the official re-opening.

Asia and the Pacific plays a key role in the state of our sector. It is a top source market, a hub of tourism innovation and home to many of the world’s leading businesses and most exciting destinations

"It is no exaggeration to say that, over the past year, all eyes in global tourism were on Asia and the Pacific," said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. "Asia and the Pacific plays a key role in the state of our sector. It is a top source market, a hub of tourism innovation and home to many of the world's leading businesses and most exciting destinations."

Demonstrating Cambodia's strong political support for UNWTO's mission, Prime Minister Hun Sen met with the Secretary-General to discuss the steady acceleration of tourism in the region after the pandemic, while emphasizing the sector's vital importance for sustainable development of tourism in the country and across the wider region.

UNWTO welcomed a participation to the joint Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia Joint Commission, including 15 Ministers, Deputy Ministers of Tourism and Ambassadors, and with 25 countries represented. The Meeting was held in conjunction with the 55th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific (CAP), the 59th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for South Asia (CSA), the UNWTO Conference on International Code for the Protection of Tourists and the UNWTO Affiliate Members Roundtable.

Asia and Pacific Members Support UNWTO Priorities

Member States were provided with an overview of UNWTO's achievements guiding tourism forward, based on its Programme of Work and current priorities including:

• Education: Of the 300 education programmes certified by UNWTO's Ted.Qual initiative, 160 are offered in Asia and the Pacific, to help tourism professionals grow in their careers. To support youth empowerment, UNWTO is also launching national versions of its Students League, with China currently developing its own edition.
• Investments in Tourism: Fostering the implementation of sustainable investment frameworks for the promotion of tourism investments and job creation in a post-pandemic world was one of the main objectives of UNWTO's Executive Training Programme in the Republic of Korea last November. And in Phnom Penh, UNWTO invited Members to join the 2023 World Tourism Day celebrations (27 September), to be held around the theme of "Green Investments".
• Sustainability: UNWTO announced that the Batanes Tourism Observatory in the Philippines has become the newest member of the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO), with an institution in Japan set to follow soon.

Advancing the International Code for Protection of Tourists

Ahead of the Commission meeting, UNWTO held a special conference on its International Code for the Protection of Tourists (ICPT). Here:

• Cambodia, the Maldives and Indonesia became the newest signatories to UNWTO's International Code for the Protection of Tourists.
• UNWTO's Member States across the Asia and the Pacific region adopted the Phnom Penh Declaration on the ICPT, promoting its implementation to ensure clear, transparent and efficient frameworks to protect tourists as consumers to foster confidence in travel.

Affiliate Members Roundtable

Under the theme "Public-private cooperation at the core of tourism sustainable development", discussions focused on the importance of finding mechanisms to reinforce the dialogue between all tourism stakeholders and showcased tangible examples of initiatives and projects implemented by Affiliate Members to foster sustainable practices in the tourism sector.

Looking Ahead

In line with UNWTO's statutory obligations, Members from East Asia and the Pacific nominated China, Indonesia, Japan and Republic of Korea to represent the region on the UNWTO Executive Council.

The two Commissions for East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia also agreed that:

• The 36th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia will be held in Cebu, Philippines in 2024.
• World Tourism Day 2025, to be held around the theme of "Tourism and Sustainable Transformation" will be hosted by Malaysia.

• Download the News Release in PDF
• CAP-CSA, 55TH CAP, ""35th CAP-CSA, 55th CAP, 59th CSA and UNWTO Conference on the International Code for the Protection of Tourists & UNWTO Affiliate Members Roundtable
• Asia and Pacific Unite in Support of the International Code for the Protection of Tourists
• Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific

Batanes Islands in the Philippines joins the UNWTO Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories

• Asia and the Pacific
• 20 Jun 2023

UNWTO has welcomed Batanes in the Philippines as the latest addition to its International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).

Led by the Batanes Tourism and Hospitality Monitoring Centre (BTHMC), in collaboration with the province and its local stakeholders, this observatory is committed to supporting the sustainable development of tourism based on evidence and a participatory approach. These commitments are instrumental in building a sustainable and resilient tourism sector that benefits the local people, the Ivatans, as well as visitors, while ensuring environmental and cultural conservation. The observatory joins UNWTO’s growing international network of observatories, all of which are dedicated to creating inclusive and healthy spaces for both visitors and host communities, while promoting the responsible management of tourism.

Inclusive decision-making

For a destination like the Batanes Islands, such measurement work is even more relevant as it will help to preserve the uniqueness of the islands and build a responsible sector that benefits the local people and visitors alike

Through a participatory process, the Observatory has gained detailed insights into the key sustainability issues identified by the indigenous Ivatans and will continue to expand its measurement focus towards environmental and social areas in line with the INSTO Framework. This approach will help the Batanes Islands in managing tourism development responsibly and sustainably, by taking a holistic view and developing adequate, innovative strategies.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For any destination, measurement is important as it provides a better understanding of where a destination stands and where it wants to go. For a destination like the Batanes Islands, such measurement work is even more relevant as it will help to preserve the uniqueness of the islands and build a responsible sector that benefits the local people and visitors alike. We are very pleased to welcome the Batanes Observatory as a new member of the INSTO network.”

The governor of Batanes, Ms. Marilou Cayco noted: "We are honoured to become the first member in the International Network of Observatories in the Philippines. Being part of this network will allow us to better assess the impact of the growing tourism sector in the Batanes Islands and provide us with the relevant evidence to inform future policies and decisions to ensure that tourism is sustainable and resilient".

About Batanes and its Observatory

Batanes is the northernmost province of the Philippines, located around 160km north of the mainland.  An archipelago of ten islands, of which the three largest are inhabited, its capital is Basco and the province is home to the indigenous Ivatan people. The islands are also home to some unique plants and endemic animals, and serves as a sanctuary for migratory birds.

The Observatory is managed by a multi-disciplinary team from the Asian Institute of Tourism, the Department of Hotel Restaurant and Institution Management, and the Institute of Civil Engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman. A technical working group composed of tourism stakeholders in Batanes work closely with the research team in managing the operations of the Observatory. In addition, a partnership with the Batanes State College and the Provincial Government of Batanes has been established for carrying out research activities.

Related Links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• INSTO Overview Observatories
• Batanes Promotional Website
• UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories
• INSTO Tools and Resources
• UNWTO Measurement of Sustainable Tourism Initiative (MST)

Category tags

Asia and Pacific Unite in Support of the International Code for the Protection of Tourists

• Asia and the Pacific
• 16 Jun 2023

Cambodia, the Maldives and Indonesia have become the newest signatories to UNWTO's International Code for the Protection of Tourists. At the same time, UNWTO's Member States across the Asia and Pacific region have adopted the Phnom Penh Declaration on the Code, promoting its dissemination and implementation across the region as a fundamental tool to ensure clear, transparent and efficient frameworks to protect tourists as consumers to foster confidence in travel.

A landmark for tourists' protection

The International Code for the Protection of Tourists is the first ever legal instrument designed to create internationally recognized standards for the protection of tourists at the international level.

• The Code was created by UNWTO with the active participation of more than 100 countries, international organizations, tourism experts and private sector stakeholders.
• It was formally adopted at the 24th UNWTO General Assembly (December 2021). Member States were invited to apply it at the national level.
• The Code provides greater legal clarity to States through a common and harmonized framework on how to assist tourists in emergency situations and help them develop laws, regulations and policies for the protection of tourists as consumers.

People want to feel safe and protected when they travel and UNWTO has led the way in creating the first legal tool that will help restore trust in travel

New Signatories

Member States of both UNWTO and the United Nations are encouraged to adhere to the Code:

• Cambodia, the Maldives and Indonesia are the latest national-level signatories. They join Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Moldova, Myanmar, Paraguay, Portugal and Uruguay.

"People want to feel safe and protected when they travel and UNWTO has led the way in creating the first legal tool that will help restore trust in travel," said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. "The number of countries joining this initiative to incorporate it into national legislations keeps growing and we are proud to welcome Cambodia, the Maldives and Indonesia as the newest signatories."

Sharing Best Practices

Within the framework of the 35th Joint Meeting of the Regional Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the Commission for South Asia (Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 15-17 June), a conference on the International Code provided a platform for regional tourism leaders to share insights, best practices and lessons learnt on how this legal tool supports tourism recovery and trust after the severe crisis caused by the pandemic. The Conference

• Counted on unprecedented high-level participation of delegations from Asia and the Pacific countries, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, Ministers of Tourism from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives and the Philippines and Vice Ministers of Tourism of China and Iran
• Benefitted from the participation of Uruguay as "Champion of the Code" and a leader in the assistance to tourists in emergency situations. .
• Offered expert insights on how the Code closes existing gaps in legal frameworks and contributes to greater international harmonization.
• Underscored the need to promote closer public-private links to better coordinate responsibilities when assisting tourists and protecting consumer rights.

Phnom Penh Declaration

The "Phnom Penh Declaration on the International Code for the Protection of Tourists" was adopted by the Member States of the Asia and the Pacific region before the conference and officially launched under the high patronage of the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia. The Declaration:

• Reaffirms the commitment of the Asia and the Pacific region to strengthen cooperation to improve the assistance available to international tourists in emergency situations.
• Underlines the need to promote closer linkages between governments, tourism service providers and other tourism stakeholders for a better protection of tourists as consumers.

The Declaration reflects Cambodia's commitment to assist tourists in emergency situations, as shown in February 2020 when rescuing more than 1,000 passengers stranded at sea on the MS Westerdam cruise ship.

Code for the Protection of Tourists

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Code for the Protection of Tourists

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Code for the Protection of Tourists

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Code for the Protection of Tourists

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Related links:

• Download the News Release in PDF
• Phnom Penh Declaration on the International Code for the Protection of Tourists
• International Code for the Protection of Tourists
• 35th CAP-CSA, 55th CAP, 59th CSA and UNWTO Conference on the International Code for the Protection of Tourists & UNWTO Affiliate Members Roundtable
• Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific