UN Tourism News - Previous editions

Millions of people missed chances to explore different places and embrace different cultures and customs. And the world lost out on opportunities for tourism to create jobs, support businesses, kick-start development, and to protect and preserve the very things we leave our homes to see.

UNWTO has guided the tourism sector since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis and we will keep calling on the global tourism community to mitigate the economic and social cost of the pandemic with safety and responsibility for millions across the world.

The United Nations, of which UNWTO is proud to be a part, was established to promote peace among nations and allow us to work together to build a better future for all.

75 years on, this mission is more relevant than ever.

Work together to build a tourism sector that works for everyone, where sustainability and innovation are part of everything we do.

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 goes hand-in-hand with a responsibility to preserve the spirit of international solidarity that has characterized our response to this shared crisis, a response that has included international institutions, the civil society at large and individual citizens.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has welcomed Spain’s readiness to lead the way in restarting tourism. The head of the United Nations specialized agency attended a meeting with Spanish President Pedro Sánchez in Madrid today to learn about his government’s work to ease restrictions on travel introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Tourism can be a platform for overcoming the pandemic. By bringing people together, tourism can promote solidarity and trust”: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

UNWTO Secretary-General calls for tourism as a key role in spreading trust more widely, with benefits traveling far beyond tourism itself.

UNWTO and WHO Joint Statement on COVID-19

As the current outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) continues to develop, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) are committed to working together in guiding the travel and tourism sectors’ response to COVID-19.

We are at the beginning of the United Nations “Decade of Action”. With just 10 years remaining to fulfill the 2030 Agenda and its Global Goals, UNWTO is making sure tourism is at the heart of the conversation. 

Highlights: General Assembly, Chimelong and World Tourism Day.
Key Reports: Women in Tourism, CO₂ and Tourism and Indigenous Tourism.
Key Data: Tourism Growth, Tourism Across the World and Tourism Data Dashboard.
And more... 

World leaders met in Madrid for the UN Climate Summit, COP25, and UNWTO was there representing the transformative power of tourism. At a special official side event, UNWTO released a landmark new report analysing the carbon emissions of the different modes of transport in the tourism sector. 

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in collaboration with UN Women, The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), World Bank Group and Amadeus, has launched the long-awaited second edition of the Global Report on Women in Tourism.

UNWTO’s Member States unanimously welcomed Palau as a full Member at the General Assembly. The Pacific nation is made up of 240 islands and is committed to growing its tourism sector in a responsible and sustainable manner.

In St Petersburg yesterday, the UNWTO General Assembly officially adopted the International Convention on Tourism Ethics. This is a big step forward as UNWTO works to make the global tourism sector fairer, more ethical and more transparent.

Cities making big strides forward in sustainability and accessible tourism were the big winners in St Petersburg last night

This new online publication from UNWTO will bring you the latest news and insights relating to tourism and development around the globe.