UN Tourism News - Executive Council Special Edition

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22 Sep 20

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UN Tourism News - 22 September 2020

Executive Council Special Edition

António Guterres: Video Message to the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization

“Tourism can be a force for good in our world, playing a part in protecting our planet and its biodiversity, and celebrating what makes us human: from discovering new places and cultures to connecting with new people and experiences. This Executive Council is an important platform for collaboration, to explore the way forward, and to support the future of tourism, on which millions of people’s livelihoods depend.”

Report by the Secretary-General
to the Executive Council

Part 1: Delivering for Members & Tourism

Part 2: Leading Tourism's Global Repsonse to COVID-19

Part 3: How to #RestartTourism

Executive Council Presentations:

UNWTO Executive Council Backs Strong, United Plan for Global Tourism

The Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has met in-person and virtually for its 112th session. This was the first major in-person event involving tourism and the United Nations held since the COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. The Executive Council was able to gather 170 delegates from 24 countries, who all agreed to support the Tbilisi Declaration with its commitment to making international travel safe again. The Council also decided to open a first UNWTO regional office.

UNWTO Investment Forum

The UNWTO Investment Forum (IF) is an open strategic high-level platform that focuses on investment attraction, promotion and facilitation to provide a set of practical measures concerned with improving the predictability of investment frameworks, streamlining and speeding up requirements related to foreign investors, and enhancing coordination and cooperation to promote investments among stakeholders, such as host and home country governments, foreign investors and domestic corporations, as well as innovators in the tourism sector.

Launch of the UNWTO Recovery Tracker

UNWTO launches the most comprehensive data dashboard on tourism indicators to track the recovery of the sector. The tracker includes information on international tourist arrivals, set capacity in international and domestic routes, air travel bookings, hotel searches and bookings, occupancy rates and demand for short term rentals. Data shows year to date performance as well as the monthly evolution for the world, regions and subregions as well as the top ten destinations worldwide.

Executive Council – 112th session

The Executive Council's task is to take all necessary measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of its own decisions and recommendations of the Assembly and report thereon to the Assembly. The Council meets at least twice a year. The Executive Council will hold its 112th session in Tbilisi, Georgia, from 15 to 17 September 2020.

On our radar:

United Nations Comprehensive Response to COVID-19

Saving Lives, Protecting Societies, Recovering Better, September 2020

UNWTO media highlights:

	Saudi Arabia to host first Mideast regional office of UN’s global tourism body

	Georgia to host 112th session of executive council of UNWTO

	UNWTO Executive Council: We Support Georgia's Efforts, Measures to Restart Tourism

	UNWTO Executive Council Backs Strong, United Plan for Global Tourism

	UNWTO Executive Council backs strong, united plan for Global tourism

	UNWTO to open Middle East office in Saudi capital Riyadh

	Saudi tourism minister, UNWTO chief sign deal to establish regional office in Riyadh

Most Popular On Social Media:

	“Tourism can be a force for good.” Thank you @UN SG @antonioguterres for addressing the #UNWTOECGeorgia with your video message. Your landmark support and recognition reinforces our commitment to work towards a sustainable recovery of tourism for people, planet and prosperity.

	We're thrilled to start plans to open our first-ever Regional Office in Saudi Arabia! A thriving sector in the region, we thank the government of Saudi Arabia for recognizing the tourism sector as a powerful driver of growth & recovery at all levels!

	The 170 delegates from 24 countries at the #UNWTOECGeorgia are ready to build the restart of tourism. Determination and cooperation are the only way forward!

	Verificado A new milestone for tourism At the 112 Executive Council, we signed the "Tbilisi Declaration", a comprehensive statement to keep making tourism a key pillar of the #Agenda2030. With sustainability, cooperation and innovation we #RestartTourism!

	UNWTO is a trusted data source for other international organizations to assess and help countries recover. International Monetary Fund Chart of the Week shows #UNWTO data and prospective scenarios to estimate the impact of #Covid19 on current account balances.