Indonesia Becomes First Signatory of UNWTO Tourism Ethics Convention

• Asia and the Pacific
• 2 Oct 2020

The Republic of Indonesia has become the first signatory of the Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics, the landmark instrument created to ensure global tourism is fair, inclusive, more transparent, and works for everyone.

The ceremony, hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Madrid, is a significant step towards the ratification of the Convention, which was adopted during the 23rd meeting of the UNWTO General Assembly in September 2019. With the sector currently facing up to the biggest crisis in its history, today’s signing was a clear sign that Member States are looking to UNWTO for firm leadership and remain committed to its mission to use this pause as an opportunity to realign tourism.

The Convention was hailed as a “big step forward” towards introducing a universal, legally binding ethical code for tourism, one of the world’s most important socio-economic sectors. In a special ceremony attended by the country’s Ambassador to Spain Bapak Hermono and hosted at the UNWTO headquarters, Indonesia became the first country to sign, signalling its strong commitment to uphold the highest ethical principles as it expands its tourism sector.

Indonesia played an important role in the drafting of the Convention as part of the Committee that converted the Global Code of Ethics in Tourism into an international legally binding instrument. A Member State since 1975, it is currently working with UNWTO to restart tourism in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, UNWTO conducted a virtual meeting with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to explore solutions for the safe reopening of Bali to international visitors. In this regard, technical assistance from UNWTO will be provided in due course.

Related links

• Download the press release in PDF
• UNWTO: Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility
• COVID-19 and Vulnerable Groups: Towards an Inclusive Response
• UNWTO Launches Comprehensive Recovery Tracker

Category tags

UNWTO Members Meet to Enhance Cooperation, Build Trust and Restart Tourism in Asia and the Pacific

• Asia and the Pacific
• 1 Jul 2020

Representatives of 29 Member States and territories joined private sector leaders to identify ways of restarting tourism across Asia and the Pacific region in a safe and sustainable manner. The 32nd meeting of the Joint Commission for Asia and the Pacific of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was held as growing numbers of countries begin to re-open their borders to tourism.

Working together to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on tourism was top of the agenda, with participants agreeing on the need to strengthen international cooperation to respond effectively and then restart a sector that supports millions of livelihoods across the region. In particular, Ministers of Tourism and Heads of Delegation from the 29 countries and territories identified priorities for the months ahead, including the need to implement enhanced safety and security protocols in order to restore confidence and get tourism moving again.

The sudden and unexpected fall in tourist arrivals has hurt economies, put many jobs at risk and threatened the progress made in sustainable development, especially in those countries that are particularly dependent on tourism

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Asia and the Pacific was the first global region to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden and unexpected fall in tourist arrivals has hurt economies, put many jobs at risk and threatened the progress made in sustainable development, especially in those countries that are particularly dependent on tourism. As we restart tourism, international cooperation is key to building trust and giving people the confidence to start travelling again.”

The meeting, which given the extraordinary circumstances was held virtually, featured more than 150 participants both from UNWTO Member States as well as from across the network of UNWTO Affiliate Members. The high-level discussions built on the United Nations specialized agency’s existing work in the region, including its focus on making tourism an important driver of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.   

The 33rd UNWTO Joint Commission Meeting for Asia and the Pacific will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2021, with the date still to be confirmed.

Related Links

• Download the news release
• The 32nd Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific & the UNWTO Commission for South Asia
• UNWTO Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific
• UNWTO and COVID-19: Putting People First

Category tags

UNWTO Hosts Training Seminar on Ice and Snow Tourism in Heilongjiang Province, China

• Asia and the Pacific
• 5 Feb 2020

More than 120 participants from different prefectures of Heilongjiang Province, China, took part in a special UNWTO training seminar on winter tourism and on making the sector open to everybody.

Experts from UNWTO are currently working alongside the Heilongjiang Provincial Culture and Tourism Department to finalize two different plans for the regional tourism sector. The Heilongjiang Provincial Inclusive Tourism Development Plan aims to grow the regional tourism sector in an inclusive manner between 2020 and 2030.

Alongside this, the Ice and Snow Tourism Development Plan is aimed at consolidating the province’s status as a leading seasonal tourism destination and will also run between now and 2030.

To ensure a strong start to the partnership, a special training seminar focused on the strategic recommendations and pilot projects for both Plans was held on 14 January 2020 in the provincial capital of Harbin. Among the participants were senior tourism officials and private sector representatives, as well as experts from UNWTO.

With the feedback received during the seminar, UNWTO is now finalizing the overall tourism planning strategy for the province as well as the specific plan for ice and snow tourism. Both of these will then be officially presented to the Heilongjiang Department of Culture and Tourism