UNWTO

UNWTO has concluded a three-day workshop focused on helping Member States from across Asia and the Pacific better measure and manage their tourism sectors. Recognizing the importance of regional cooperation as destinations across Asia and the Pacific re-open to tourism, UNWTO organized the workshop alongside the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal and the Nepal Tourism Board and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. Approximately 200 participants from nine Member States took part in the workshop, which began with a high-level discussion around the theme of “Measuring...

UNWTO has concluded a three-day workshop focused on helping Member States from across Asia and the Pacific better measure and manage their tourism sectors. Recognizing the importance of regional cooperation as destinations across Asia and the Pacific re-open to tourism, UNWTO organized the workshop alongside the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal and the Nepal Tourism Board and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. Approximately 200 participants from nine Member States took part in the workshop, which began with a high-level discussion around the theme of “Measuring...

UNWTO has launched a new Startup Competition to support women tourism tech entrepreneurs and innovators across the Middle East. Announced at Biban 2023, Saudi Arabia's largest SME conference, the Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East, will further advance UNWTO's work to make tourism a pillar of women's empowerment. The initiative gives innovators the chance to compete for enhanced capacity building and visibility. Finalists in each category will join the UNWTO Innovation Network, giving them access to the UNWTO Member States network, mentorship programs and to UNWTO scholarship opportunities. Tourism startups are also leading the way in advancing women empowerment,...

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...

UNWTO will celebrate tourism as a major factor of sustainable rural development at a special Best Tourism Villages ceremony to be held in AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (12-13 March). Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO (BTV) is the flagship initiative of the Organization's wider work to advance tourism as a pillar of rural development and opportunity. Since 2021, BTV has produced an annual list of 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. The ceremony will bring together Ministers of Tourism...

UNWTO returned to ITB Berlin with a clear message: Tourism is back and committed to delivering positive change that goes beyond the sector itself. Tourism returns – why ITB matters ITB Berlin is the world's biggest tourism and travel trade fair. This week's event was the first in-person ITB for four years and comes as the sector's recovery is well underway. According to UNWTO, international tourism could reach 80 to 95% of pre-pandemic numbers by the end of the year, with 70 million international arrivals recorded in January alone (more than double the number of January 2022). The return of...

UNWTO centred tourism as a key pillar of sustainable development at the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries. The conference, held in Doha around the theme of “From Potential to Prosperity” came at the pivotal half-way point in the timeline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and fully implement the 2030 agenda. With the sector accounting for 7% of total exports, and as much as 10% for non-oil exporting LDCs, tourism has proven its power to drive development. The crosscutting and labour-intensive nature of tourism also creates links to many other economic sectors and positions it as a...

UNWTO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will work together to promote education and professional development in tourism. Education and Training: A Priority for Tourism As the United Nations specialized agency for tourism, UNWTO has identified education as one of its key priorities for the sector. While tourism is already a leading employer and a top provide of opportunity, most notably for women and youth, UNWTO is working to expand access to education, training and jobs and to support those already working in the sector to develop professionally. We are working to break down barriers between jobs, skills and training...

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. Measurement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is key for climate action. However, the tourism sector as the value chain is complex, diverse and overlapping, making sure measurement challenging. The new report "Climate Action in the Tourism Sector: An Overview of Methodologies and Tools to Measure Greenhouse Gas Emissions" was developed by UNWTO with support from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany (BMUV) and...