While 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...
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Destination 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...
Read MoreThe Government of Mallorca, Consell de Mallorca, and the Mallorca Tourism Foundation and UNWTO have hosted the second edition of the Sustainable Destinations Summit, gathering leading experts, organizations and companies to share best practices and perspectives on environmental, social and economic sustainability in destinations. The Summit emphasized tourism as a force for good, with momentum building towards a regenerative and nature-positive future. UNWTO and the Government of Mallorca welcomed more than 400 delegates at this year's event, which showcased the latest developments in sustainability for destinations. Discussions highlighted the interdependence of tourism on natural and cultural resources and the potential mutual benefits, while also providing unique first hand perspe...
Read MoreUNWTO emphasized tourism’s commitment to contributing to the acceleration of SDG6 on Water and Sanitation At the United Nations 2023 Water Conference, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provided substantial inputs, underscoring the role of tourism in safeguarding water resources and contributing to the acceleration of Sustainable Development Goal 6, to "Ensure access to water and sanitation for all", and to the wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Emphasising the sector-wide determination to do more, UNWTO joined tourism stakeholders in committing to the Water Action Agenda, a major outcome document of the UN 2023 Water Conference and collection of all water-related voluntary commitments. In New York, UNWTO was joined by the Government of Austria to host a specia...
Read MoreUNWTO Best Tourism Villages ceremony at AlUla Tourism importance for rural development was the message at the heart of the Best Tourism Villages Ceremony. The initiative is one of the pillars of UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme. Every year, Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO recognizes destinations which stand out for their commitment to sustainability in all its aspects - economic, social and environmental - and the preservation and promotion of community-based values. Alongside the ceremony itself, the First Annual Meeting of the Best Tourism Villages Network, a platform for sharing of knowledge and experiences, was held. During the meeting, the villages discussed their challenges and opportunities as well as their workplan for the coming year. "It is a ...
Read MoreNew UNWTO report to support climate action in the tourism sector UNWTO has released a new report highlighting the progress that global tourism has made in measuring greenhouse gas emissions as well as the challenges the sector still faces. As more and more organizations make commitments through the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and engage in measurement towards target setting and decarbonization, it will become increasingly important that the tourism sector reaches consensus over how it approaches measurement, and that the methodologies and tools are in place to facilitate the rapid and urgent acceleration of engagement. These tools will be needed to engage and mobilize the sector, but also to track its essential progress towards the commitments it has made for 20...
Read MoreUNWTO celebrates official opening of ITB Berlin Tourism is on track to achieve full recovery this year and ready to deliver on its potential as a pillar of peace and sustainability, UNWTO has told sector leaders at ITB in Berlin. As the leading tourism trade fair celebrates its first in-person event since 2019, UNWTO data shows that more than twice as many people travelled internationally in January as they did at the start of last year. According to UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, the message is clear: "Tourism always comes back", and the return of ITB, alongside the recent re-opening of China, is clear proof of renewed confidence in international travel. Building a better tourism Secretary-General Pololiksahvili was invited to be part of the official ...
Read MoreLeading a high-level delegation to the city of Hangzhou to join in the official re-opening, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, warmly welcomed the lifting of travel restrictions as a major boost to economic growth and social opportunity both in Asia and the Pacific and globally. According to UNWTO data, the pandemic cost destinations worldwide a combined US$270 billion in Chinese outbound tourist spending in 2020 and 2021 alone. The re-opening of borders therefore represents “the moment the world has been waiting for”, Pololikashvili noted. The UNWTO Secretary-General is the first UN Head of Agency to visit China since restrictions were lifted. China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Hu Heping welcomed UNWTO’s support throughout the pandemic and for joining the official re-o...
Read MoreThe first meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group to be held under the Indian Presidency placed the focus on the sector’s role in in advancing the 2030 Agenda. UNWTO is working as the knowledge partner to the Presidency to deliver the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the SDGs. This week's meeting, held in the Rann of Kutch (7-9 February), featured as well a side event dedicated to rural tourism for community development and poverty alleviation. Here, UNWTO shared its recently launched Tourism for Rural Development Programme, including the Best Tourism Villages Initiative. The side event was an opportunity to highlight opportunities for rural tourism, including new consumer behaviors and growing interest in new destinations. The meeting also explored the main chall...
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