International tourist arrivals reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2024. According to UN Tourism, more than 285 million tourists travelled internationally in January-March, about 20% more than the first quarter of 2023, underscoring the sector’s near-complete recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. In 2023 international tourist arrivals recovered 89% of 2019 levels and export revenues from tourism 96%, while direct tourism GDP reached the same levels as in 2019. UN Tourism’s projection for 2024 points to a full recovery of international tourism with arrivals growing 2% above 2019 levels. In line with this, the newest data released by the UN specialized agency for tourism show that: The Middle East saw the strongest relative growth, with international...
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UN General Assembly hosts Tourism for Sustainable Development event The United Nations General Assembly has held a second thematic event focused on tourism and the sector’s critical role in critical role of tourism in advancing sustainable development and resilience. Organized by the President of the General Assembly in collaboration with UN Tourism, the event was held at the UN Headquarters within the framework of Sustainability Week. The presence of Member States, Observers, civil society organizations, and UN agencies reflected a growing collective commitment to harnessing the transformative power of tourism for inclusive and sustainable development. Addressing the General Assembly, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The growing significance of the to...
Read MoreUN Tourism and the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) have launched a new report highlighting the need to measure the social and environmental impact of tourism on urban destinations. The report assesses into the current situation and challenges of tourism data at the city level. The analysis will help advance the creation of global database of urban tourism, enabling better understanding and benchmarking of its size and value, both globally and by region. More and better data needed The new report provides an overview of the current situation of tourism data collection and reporting in 22 destinations in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. The study: Identifies existing indicators and relevant data, highlighting the efforts taken to...
Read MoreThe World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has entered a new era with a new name and brand: UN Tourism. With this new brand, the Organization reaffirms its status as the United Nations specialized agency for tourism and the global leader of tourism for development, driving social and economic change to ensure that “people and planet” are always center stage. To achieve this goal, UN Tourism engaged the services of Interbrand, the leading global branding agency. Interbrand successfully translated the Organization’s renewed vision for tourism into a new visual identity and brand narrative. This involved renaming the Organization, transitioning from UNWTO to UN Tourism. At the same time, a new brand narrative was meticulously crafted, one that seamlessly aligns with UN Tourism’s centra...
Read MoreFollowing a strong 2023, international tourism is well on track to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 According to the first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of the year, international tourism ended 2023 at 88% of pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 1.3 billion international arrivals. The unleashing of remaining pent-up demand, increased air connectivity, and a stronger recovery of Asian markets and destinations, are expected to underpin a full recovery by the end of 2024. Middle East, Europe and Africa performed strongest in 2023 The latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer provides a comprehensive overview of the sector's performance in 2023, tracking recovery by global region, sub-region and destination. Key takeaways include: 1. The ...
Read MoreDelivering on the climate action commitments of the Glasgow Declaration
Tourism at COP28 UNWTO has brought together sector leaders at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to showcase the progress made in implementing the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action on Tourism. In time for the world’s most important climate conference, the Declaration has been officially included in the Global Climate Action Portal of UNFCCC. Climate Action Plans for Tourism The Glasgow Declaration was launched at COP25 in Glasgow (2021), with signatories committing to achieving Net-Zero by 2050 at the latest. Signatories also commit to delivering dedicated Climate Action plans around the Declarations Five Pathways (Measure, Decarbonize, Regenerate, Collaborate and Finance). In Dubai: UNWTO outlined the collective progress with the first ...
Read MoreUNWTO leads expert seminar on international tourism law at Salamanca UNWTO has laid the strong foundations needed for countries everywhere to provide greater legal certainty to all operators in the tourism sector. The first seminar on the International Code for the Protection of Tourists (Salamanca, Spain, 30 November – 1 December 2023) welcomed legal experts, academics and public and private sector representatives, to address the achievements of the Code in the two years since its launch as well as to assess the challenges in the years ahead. A landmark International Code for Tourists The pandemic highlighted the urgent need for a consistent legal framework for assisting tourists. Even during the biggest crisis in the history of tourism, UNWTO created the landmark legal instrume...
Read MoreInternational tourism is on track to recover almost 90% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), an estimated 975 million tourists travelled internationally between January and September 2023, an increase of 38% on the same months of 2022. The newest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer also shows: World destinations welcomed 22% more international tourists in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, reflecting a strong Northern Hemisphere summer season. International tourist arrivals hit 91% of pre-pandemic levels in the third quarter, reaching 92% in July, the best month so far since the start of pandemic. Overall, tourism recovered 87% of pre-pandemic levels in January-Septemb...
Read MoreThe UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism has been held for the first time in La Rioja, one of the world’s leading wine tourism destinations, with the focus placed firmly on inclusion and sustainability for local communities and territories. Paving the way towards inclusive growth, especially in rural areas, requires clear policies and a commitment to embracing digital transformation and innovation. Recognizing this, the Conference brought together key stakeholders and leaders from across the growing wine tourism sector to address priorities including education, skills development and the effective use of data. Unlocking excellence in Wine Tourism The 7th edition of the UNWTO conference welcomed thought-leaders from both emerging and established wine destinations, inc...
Read MoreMembers of the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) have met to exchange insights on the importance of governance, participatory approaches and timely data in advancing sustainability in destinations. Made up of leading destinations, members of the World Tourism Organization’s INSTO network are at the forefront of work to conceive and implement sustainable development practices at the ground level. These practices, which focus on inclusivity and making decisions based on evidence, are leading to a positive shift towards tourism development that is both resilient and inclusive. Data-driven transformation The meeting showcased the Observatories’ efforts in various measurement areas such as local satisfaction levels, destination carrying cap...
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