The global tourism sector has come together to show its unity and readiness to restart as soon as conditions allow.
To celebrate the return of the FITUR International Tourism Fair, UNWTO united leaders from the public and private sectors to send out a strong message that tourism is ready to return. Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili welcomed distinguished guests to the Royal Theatre in Madrid, among them the newest UNWTO Ambassadors, including the manager of Atlético de Madrid football club Diego Simeone and model and entrepreneur, Valeria Mazza.
Reflecting unprecedented levels of political support for tourism, joining UNWTO at the evening event were Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain and the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida. Furthermore, the sector’s ability to touch on almost every part of society was further reflected in the naming of UNWTO’s latest Ambassadors. Joining Mr Simeone and Ms Mazza in accepting the honor in Madrid were the latest UNWTO Special Ambassador for Gastronomy Tourism, chef Ramón Freixa Riera and business leaders Alejandro Bulgheroni and Frank Ranieri.
Secretary-General Pololikashvili said: “Now is the time for ambition and bold steps. The decision to host FITUR is the kind of boldness we need if we are to restart tourism and so kickstart wider recovery. And this show of unity is the kind of cooperation we need to restart tourism in a coordinated and responsible manner, for the benefit of many millions of people worldwide.”
At FITUR 2021, UNWTO has addressed some of the key challenges facing tourism while also advancing solutions for its safe, responsible and sustainable recovery. Following on from the final of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition, UNWTO is also advancing another of its priorities, the promotion of investments in African tourism, as well as strengthening partnerships with private sector actors.
Accessibility and inclusive tourism development
The UNWTO Affiliate Members Department, within the framework of the activities of the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, organized the Expert Meeting on Accessible Tourism – Good Practices on Accessible Tourism in Nature Areas at FITUR Next.
This event provided a space to recognize the importance of incorporating accessibility into the tourism practices in nature environments, share knowledge and experiences by UNWTO Affiliate Members and other tourism stakeholders, and provide recommendation on how to strengthen accessibility and create an accessible tourism for all.
At the event, the publication Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development – Compendium of Best Practices, available in the UNWTO E-Library, was launched and presented to the audience. This publication is the result of the work carried out in the last months by the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, coordinated by the Affiliate Members Department and chaired by the Spanish Network for Accessible Tourism (Red Estable).
Its aim is to create an accessible pathway in nature, from which to descry a new approach for inclusive tourism development in natural areas, which is very much in line with the UNWTO priority to foster an Accessible Tourism for All and so contributing to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The compilation of best practices included in the publication and the final recommendations provides innovative, inclusive, and sustainable solutions that enable access to nature for all the people.
Within the framework of the event, representatives of the entities which contributed to the publication shared with the audience their projects, all very different in terms of contents but sharing the common goal of promoting an Accessible Tourism for All and supporting the right of people with disabilities to travel. Accessible accommodations in nature, accessibility to natural parks and beaches, and the use of plastic to manufacture accessible products were only some of the topics that were presented.