Tag: UNWTO

The coordinated rolling out of new health and safety protocols for every part of the tourism value chain – including travel, accommodation, food, and leisure – will make it safer to travel, World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said. “Trust is the new currency of our ‘new normal’. And tourism is ideally positioned to be the vehicle to channel trust,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO’s secretary general. If people trust in governments and in the tourism sector to keep them safe from harm, they will indeed travel tomorrow, he added. “As the ultimate person-to-person sector, and one that promotes solidarity and friendship, ... Read more

Five international air transport and tourism bodies have launched an appeal to international financial institutions, country development partners and international donors to support Africa’s travel & tourism sector which employs some 24.6 million people on the African continent. Without urgent funding, the COVID-19 crisis could see a collapse of the sector in Africa, taking with it millions of jobs. The sector contributes $169 billion to Africa’s economy combined, representing 7.1% of the continent’s GDP. The request is being made by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations, the World Travel & Tourism ... Read more

For many millions of people around the world, tourism is so much more than a leisure activity. Tourism gives them the chance to make a living. To earn not just a wage, but also dignity and equality. Tourism jobs also empower people and provide a chance to have a stake in their own societies – often for the first time. This is what is at risk right now, UNWTO has said. The International Labor Organization, a fellow UN agency of UNWTO, has raised the alarm: As many as 1.6 billion individuals worldwide could be affected by a loss of working ... Read more

The latest data from United Nations’ specialised agency for tourism, UNWTO, shows that all destinations now have travel restrictions in place. Of these, 83% have had Covid-19 related restrictions for four or more weeks already. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism has shown its commitment to putting people first. Our sector can also lead the way in driving recovery. This research on global travel restrictions will help support the timely and responsible implementation of exit strategies, allowing destinations to ease or lift travel restrictions when it is safe to do so. This way, the social and economic benefits that tourism ... Read more

In the third meeting of the committee, UNWTO has urged members to increase pressure on world leaders to rethink tax policies and employment policies relating to tourism and to help make sure businesses survive to help drive wider recovery efforts. This call to action comes as decision makers come under mounting pressure to take concrete steps to help combat COVID-19. Drawing up financial and economic responses has been the central focus of the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank this week, while the European Commission has been enhancing political cooperation within the European Union. The ... Read more

With the corona virus onslaught getting severe by the day, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO), has called on innovators and entrepreneurs to put forward new solutions to help the tourism sector recover from COVID-19. The “Healing Solutions” challenge has been launched to further advance the united response of the wider United Nations system to COVID-19. This global call for entrepreneurs and innovators wants them to submit ideas that can help the tourism sector mitigate the impact of the pandemic and kickstart recovery efforts. In particular, the challenge is aimed at finding ... Read more

The solidarity of the tourism sector and the individual tourists is a key factor in minimising the spread and impact of COVID-19, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have said. UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili has stated that the COVID-19 outbreak is first and foremost a public health issue. “UNWTO is following the lead of WHO, with whom we have enjoyed an excellent working relationship.” Pololikashvili is in Geneva, leading a high level delegation to the WHO’s headquarters to further advance the two agencies’ coordinated response to the COVID-19 outbreak. He added that the ... Read more

The success story of transforming Kerala as an established global tourist destination, will form the theme of discussion at a unique International Conference on Global Trends in Tourism Studies organised by Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS). The seminar is organised on 28th and 29th September as part of the Pearl Jubilee Celebrations of KITTS, with the support of Kerala Tourism, India Tourism and UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will inaugurate the programme at 9.30 am at Amphi Theatre, KITTS in the presence of Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran. Hae Guk Hwang, Deputy ... Read more

Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran addressing the gathering Kerala Tourism has launched the first phase of its ambitious Barrier-free Kerala tourism project on 4th March 2019, making 70 destinations across the state disabled and elderly friendly, becoming the first state in India to implement UN World Tourism Organization’s call for ‘Tourism for All. Inaugurating Phase One of the project, Kadakampally Surendran, Minister Tourism said that the state’s objective was to make all tourism centers accessible to the differently abled by 2021. “Special tour packages for differently empowered tourists, both domestic and foreign, are being planned together with Responsible Tourism Mission,” said ... Read more

Refundit, an Israeli startup, was declared the winner in the final phase of the 1st Global Tourism Startup Competition, organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Globalia. Refundit become winners out of 3000 entries from around the world. The event was held within the framework of the FITUR International Tourism Fair. Applications were open from 26 June to 3 September 2018. The projects were evaluated according to five criteria: uniqueness and viability of the solution, potential impact, business model, scalability and team profile. The Competition sought out the world’s most disruptive initiatives that are transforming the way people travel ... Read more

Outbound tourism from emerging markets, “especially India and Russia”, but also from smaller Asian and Arab markets is expected to continue to grow strongly, predicts World Tourism Organization. Based on current trends, economic prospects and the UNWTO Confidence Index, UNWTO forecasts international arrivals to grow 3 per cent to 4 per cent next year, more in line with historic growth trends. As a general backdrop, the stability of fuel prices tends to translate into affordable air travel while air connectivity continues to improve in many destinations, facilitating the diversification of source markets. Trends also show strong outbound travel from emerging ... Read more

Third UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture is taking place at Lutfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center Istanbul, Turkey, from 3rd to 5th December 2018. The 3rd UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture will build on the outcomes of the two previous editions of this event and their respective Declarations: the 2015 Siem Reap Declaration, which recommended closer and targeted partnerships between stakeholders of culture and of tourism; and the 2017 Muscat Declaration, which committed its endorsers to enhancing the contribution of tourism and culture in national SDG strategies. This year the theme of World Conference is ‘for the Benefit of All’, ... Read more

India’s, cruise tourism industry is expected to expand in the coming years as the projected number of Indians to travel on international cruise is around 3 lakhs by 2020. Referring to a recent report of UNWTO, a senior official of the Indian representative of the Royal Caribbean Cruises, Tirun, said outbound travel from the country will hit 50 million by 2020, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing outbound markets. “We are looking at almost 3 lakh Indians to take an international cruise vacation by 2020,” said Varun Chadha, CEO of Tirun He further said like China, India has huge ... Read more

  Pansy Ho, group executive chairman and managing director of Shun Tak Holdings, and co-chairperson and executive director of MGM China Holdings, has been appointed by the United Nation’s World Tourism Organisation as a Tourism Ambassador, on making her the first ever ambassador in the region. Ho will be promoting global tourism development alongside other appointed Tourism Ambassadors, in her role as UNWTO Tourism Ambassador. Ho has been given the title for her contributions in promoting regional and global tourism cooperation and sustainable tourism. She currently oversees the Global Tourism Economy Research Center, which was created in 2011. She is ... Read more

As part of the World Tourism Day, the Kerala Tourism in association with the Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS) has organized a walkathon from Kowdiar Square to Kanakakkunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister of Tourism, has flagged off the walkathon. A flash mob and mime, highlighting UNWTO’ s theme ‘Tourism and Digital Transformation’ were part of the walkathon performed by the students of (KITTS). Vijayakumar, Chairman, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC); Muraleedharan, MLA; Rajasree Ajith, Director KITTS; B Rajendran, Principal, KITTS; VS Anil, Deputy Director, Tourism; Muraleedharan K, Councillor; Palayam Rajan, Standing Committee Chairman and Shaji ... Read more