UN Tourism News #23 | 12 April 2021
Harmonized travel and health rules are essential to restore confidence and #RestartTourism

Advancing Harmonized Travel Protocols and Financing Tourism’s Survival

UNWTO has again convened its Global Tourism Crisis Committee to lead the sector in harmonizing travel and health protocols and securing vital financing for businesses struggling to survive an historic crisis.

Tightened Travel Restrictions Underline Current Challenges for Tourism

One in three destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism. The emergence of new variants of the COVID-19 virus has prompted many governments to reverse efforts to ease restrictions on travel, with total closures to tourists most prevalent in Asia and the Pacific and Europe.

Tourist Arrivals Down 87% in January 2021 as UNWTO calls for Stronger Coordination to Restart Tourism

New data shows an 87% fall in international tourist arrivals in January as compared to 2020. UNWTO continues to call for stronger coordination on travel protocols between countries to ensure the safe restart of tourism and avoid another year of massive losses for the sector.

UN Agencies Partner for Guide to Help Women in Tourism Recover from Crisis

UNWTO marked International Women’s Day 2021 with the release of our Inclusive Recovery Guide for women in tourism, compiled in collaboration with UN Women. The pandemic risks rolling back progress made towards achieving gender equality and efforts to empower women and girls.

UNWTO Welcomes EU Support and Urges Europe to Lead the Way in Tourism’s Restart

UNWTO has again stressed the importance of collaboration as it welcomed European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas to Madrid for a high-level meeting focused on the joined-up response to the ongoing crisis, and on advancing plans for tourism’s vital restart.

Governments Join Sector Leaders in Backing Principles for International Code to Protect Tourists

More than 100 countries, international organizations and leading business groups have agreed to adopt harmonized standards for assisting tourists caught up in emergency situations. The Committee for the Development of an International Code for the Protection of Tourists has agreed on the text of the first two Chapters of the Code, containing seven key principles for a landmark legal code aimed at restoring confidence in international travel in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vaccinate SIDS to Restart Tourism Kickstart Recovery, UNWTO Urges

UNWTO calls for the international community to show solidarity with Small Island Developing States by ensuring they have access to COVID-19 vaccinations.

On our radar:

Tomorrow Today - What's new in UNWTO's Innovation, Education and Investments Department?

Innovation:

• The UNWTO Rural Tourism Global Startup Competition was launched on 6 April seeking to source new startups that advance tourism’s contribution to rural development, support recovery and achieve the SDG’s. Deadline for applications: July 2021.
• On an onboarding session for the winners of UNWTO SDG Startup Competition, UNWTO partner AWS Startups welcomed the winners with up to $25,000 in AWS credits.

Education:

• Inspiring the Future of Tourism Education (VIDEO): This educational get-together explained the benefits and opportunities of accessing the UNWTO Tourism Online Academy powered by IE University.

Investments:

• "Tourism Investment Trends & Challenges During COVID-19". UNWTO joined forces with fDi Intelligence from the Financial Times to launch a series of regional webinars focused on green finance mechanisms available through financial institutions.
• Green Investments for Hotel Revitalization: Together with IFC, UNWTO launched this webinar with practical measures for a faster recovery of the tourism sector through the promotion of green finance mechanisms.

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