Tag Archives: UNWTO

“Blanket Travel Restrictions Don’t Work”: UNWTO Adds its Voice to WHO Statement

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has welcomed the call of its sister UN agency World Health Organization (WHO) for restrictions on travel to be lifted or eased. Citing the varied global  responses to the emergence of the of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, WHO has reiterated that restrictions on travel are not effective in suppressing […]

Barcelona Joins UNWTO’s Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories

UNWTO has welcomed the Barcelona Tourism Observatory into its growing International Network of Sustainable Observatories (INSTO). Tourism is one of the leading economic sectors for the city of Barcelona and the surrounding region, responsible for more than 10% of local GDP. The Barcelona Tourism Observatory (BTO) will work to help guide the sector towards greater […]

UN report Underscores Importance of Tourism for Economic Recovery in 2022

After a global contraction of 3.4% in 2020 and a rebound of 5.5% in 2021, the world economy is projected to grow by 4% in 2022 and then 3.5% in 2023. Given its importance as a major export category (prior to the pandemic tourism was the third largest in the world, after fuels and chemicals), […]

Making Tourism Stronger and Ready for the Future

This has been another challenging year for our societies, our economies and tourism. Many millions of jobs and businesses remain in peril, at the mercy of an evolving crisis and of the actions of governments. However, we are by no means in the same place we were when the pandemic was declared in March 2020. […]

Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Begins as Chair of World Committee on Tourism Ethics

Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the former Executive Director of UN Women, has been confirmed as the new Chairperson of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics. The 24th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly, which met in Madrid (30 Novemer-3 December) unanimously approved Dr.  Mlambo-Ngcuka’s nomination for the position. She will serve as Chair for four years, […]

ICAO/UNWTO joint statement: International Civil Aviation Day Message

The COVID-19 pandemic brought global air mobility and tourism to an abrupt halt. It also pressed pause on trillions of dollars worth of economic activity. Millions of livelihoods and businesses have been placed at risk. And while increasing vaccination rates are helping to kickstart the return of international aviation and restart tourism, much more still […]

New COVID-19 Surges Keep Travel Restrictions in Place

According to the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report, 46 destinations (21% of all destinations worldwide) currently have their borders completely closed to tourists. Of these, 26 destinations have had their borders completely closed since at least the end of April 2020. A further 55 (25% of all global destinations) continue to have their borders partially closed […]

UNWTO in Kuala Lumpur: First Regional Conference on Women’s Empowerment in Tourism

The UNWTO Regional Conference on the Empowerment of Women in Tourism in Asia and the Pacific – the first event on the topic organized by UNWTO jointly with Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture – brought together more than 500 key virtual participants in addition to around 100 local in-person stakeholders. Alongside UNWTO experts, […]

UNWTO Looks to the Future with EU Tourism Ministers

The Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union included tourism on its programme of work, recognizing the sector’s heightened relevance and importance for inclusive, post-pandemic recovery. Addressing the Ministers, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili commended European leaders for protecting tourism jobs and businesses, and for playing a leading role in restoring confidence in international […]

UNWTO, Panama and NOAH Support Creation of UN Fund for the Climate Neutrality of Tourism

Within the framework of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change COP26, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of Panama and the business group NOAH agreed to work together for the implementation of the United Nations Fund for Climate Neutrality of Tourism. The Fund represents an innovative financing instrument promoted by UNWTO to respond […]

UNWTO and NEOM Launch ‘Tourism Experiences of the Future’ Challenge

The ‘Tourism Experiences of the Future’ challenge will source innovative ideas and disruptive business models related to the tourism needs of the future, in line with growing demand for new experiences. All proposals must be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and should include the introduction or adaptation of digital and technological elements, as well […]

UNWTO and Netflix Partner to Rethink Screen Tourism

The findings of the research were presented in Madrid against the backdrop of the Iberseries Platino Industria – the largest international event for professionals linked to the audiovisual industry in Spanish and Portuguese. The report’s ultimate goal is to support policymakers and key stakeholders within the tourism sector to implement policies that make their destinations […]

Innovation and Partnerships to Make Wine Tourism Driver Rural Development

Aligning with the central focus of World Tourism Day 2021, due to be celebrated 27 September, the Conference brough public and private sector stakeholders together to identify ways to maximise the sector’s potential contributions to inclusive growth. Also on the agenda was advancing digital transformation, marketing and promotion and the conservation of nature through a […]

Vaccinate SIDS to kick start tourism recovery:  UNWTO

With tourism a leading employer and economic pillar for many of the SIDS, the United Nations specialized agency has stressed that pledges to ensure ‘nobody is left behind’ in the recovery phase of the crisis must be backed up with firm actions. Given the relatively small size of the populations of the SIDS, the cost […]

UN agencies stand together to help women in tourism recover

UNWTO has released their Inclusive Recovery Guide for women in tourism, compiled in collaboration with UN Women. UNWTO data shows that women make up the majority of the tourism workforce (54%). Women in tourism are also often concentrated in low-skilled or informal work. This means that they are feeling the economic shock caused by the crisis more acutely […]