Wellness and health tourism stands ready to offer significant benefits for destinations worldwide – but will need coordination, investments and a skilled workforce to fully deliver on its potential. That was the key takeaway message as leaders from the public and private sectors met for the UNWTO Conference on Education and Skills in Medical and Wellbeing Tourism in Sofia, Bulgaria. In organizing the conference within the framework of its 68th Regional Commission for Europe, UNWTO made clear the growing importance of health and wellbeing tourism as a pillar of growth and opportunity. # UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili joined Ilin Dimitrov, Minister of Tourism for Bulgaria, in opening the conference, applauding Bulgaria for identifying the potential of health tourism...
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The World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) has met again to advance its work around inclusive and decent work in tourism, environmental sustainability, intercultural dialogue, and digital transformation. Building a more ethical sector The World Committee on Tourism Ethics - a subsidiary body of the UNWTO General Assembly - is an independent and impartial body responsible for interpreting, applying and evaluating the provisions of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. The current World Committee on Tourism Ethics is made up of: Chair: Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; Full Members: Meyada Belal, José Ignacio Besga Zuazola, Luis Fernando Jiménez Guzman, Sue Longley, Lawal Mohammed Marafa, Hiroaki Matsuura, Daniela Otero, Gabriela Tigu and Alternate Members: Gunnur Diker, Shahid...
Read More“Put people front and centre!” was the core message as UNWTO brought together global branding experts, journalists and content creators to rethink narratives around tourism communications. Against the backdrop of the 118th session of its Executive Council in Punta Cana, UNWTO hosted a special Thematic Session. Alongside assessing the evolution of tourism communications, the Session saw leading experts explore current and future opportunities for more effectively portraying tourism as an essential driver of development, both in traditional media and on content platforms. "New Narratives in Tourism" With tourism high on the political agenda like never before, UNWTO is leading the shift in tourism communications, with a greater focus on the sector's unique power as a driver of...
Read MoreUNWTO has launched a new report to determine the status of rural tourism in its Member States and identify the main challenges and opportunities of tourism as a driver for rural development from a policy perspective. "Tourism and Rural Development: A Policy Perspective - Results of the UNWTO Survey on Tourism for Rural Development to Member States" represents the first baseline document of UNWTO on tourism and rural development with the participation of Member States worldwide. Key Findings: Rural Tourism for Opportunity More than half of all Member States (59%) stated that rural tourism is a priority Almost all Member States (96%) foresee a better future for rural tourism in the upcoming years The creation of new jobs, improvement of livelihoods and fighti...
Read MoreUNWTO has welcomed the end of the public health emergency phase for COVID-19 with a summary analysis of the travel restrictions introduced in response to the pandemic. The decision by the World Health Organization (WHO) to determine that COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern represents a major milestone in the global effort to combat the virus. In this context, UNWTO has released its analysis of both the introduction and lifting of travel restrictions during all stages of the pandemic´s emergency phase. "The end of COVID-19 travel restrictions: Summary of findings from the COVID-19 related travel restrictions reports", highlights key findings of the 11 reports published by the United Nation...
Read MoreInternational tourism is well on its way to returning to pre-pandemic levels, with twice as many people travelling during the first quarter of 2023 than in the same period of 2022. What we've learned The second UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of the year shows that the sector's swift recovery has continued into 2023. It shows that: Overall, international arrivals reached 80% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023 An estimated 235 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months, more than double the same period of 2022. Tourism has continued to show its resilience. Revised data for 2022 shows over 960 million tourists travelling internationally last year, meaning two-thirds (66%) of pre-pandemic numbers were recovered. Recovery by Reg...
Read MoreSports tourism can play an increasingly important role in the economic diversification, growth and sustainable development of destinations worldwide. The 2nd edition of the World Sports Tourism Congress (WSTC), organized by UNWTO, Government of Croatia through its Ministry of Tourism and Sport, and the Affiliate Member Croatian National Tourist Board, brought together experts and leaders from across the sports and tourism sectors, alongside representatives of destinations and businesses. Held under the theme "Tourism and Sports United for Sustainability", the Congress focused on key issues such as sports tourism's economic impact and its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: "Sports Tourism plays a key r...
Read MoreWhile mountain tourism has become an increasingly relevant motivation for travel, data on its size and impact remains scarce, a new report from the UN agencies the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Mountain Partnership (MP) makes clear. Mountain tourism represents between 9 and 16% of international tourist arrivals worldwide, translating into 195 to 375 million tourists for 2019 alone. However, the scarcity of domestic mountain tourism-related data make it difficult or even impossible to assess the economic, social and environmental impacts of this important segment. This new report aims to address this data gap. Mountain tourism for sustainability and inclusion Mountains are home to around 1.1 billio...
Read MoreDestination 2030: UNWTO and the Global Tourism Economic Forum (GTEF) have outlined their plans in Lisbon Since the first Forum was held in 2012, the two organizations have partnered around promoting closer links between governments and tourism’s private sector. Building on this success, UNWTO and GTEF have announced plans for a revamped and enhanced annual Forum to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the event in Macau, China (21 September). The location of subsequent Forums will then alternate between Macau and a different host country, to be jointly selected by UNWTO and GTEF. Announcing the plans in Lisbon, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “UNWTO is proud to work with the Global Tourism Economic Forum to unite governments and private sector leaders and addre...
Read MoreUNWTO has further advanced its focus on investments in a more resilient and sustainable tourism by strengthening its cooperation with both the international community and with the private sector. In this context, UNWTO has joined the World Investment for Development Alliance (WIDA). As part of the Alliance, UNWTO will work to enhance both the level and effectiveness of investment in the sector with the aim of supporting and accelerating the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “Investment is all too often the missing ingredient for turning our shared plans for a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism sector into reality. UNWTO is proud to join the World Investment for Development Allian...
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