Tourism leaders from around the world came together again to shape the future of tourism, highlighting the sector’s vital economic importance and placing it firmly on the political agenda.
The 121st session of the UN Tourism Executive Council hosted representatives from 47 countries, including 18 tourism ministers, to advance the organization’s vision for the tourism sector in achieving a full recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. According to UN Tourism data, some 285 million tourists traveled internationally in the first quarter of 2024, up 20% from the same period last year, and international tourism receipts are expected to recover to US$1.5 trillion in 2023.
Investment and education remain priorities for the sector
At the start of the conference, UN Secretary-General for Tourism Zurab Pololikashvili stressed the need to embrace innovation, scale up investment and direct investment in tourism to drive the industry’s positive transformation. “Now that our sector has emerged from the biggest crisis in its history, it is time to focus on making it more resilient to any future shocks,” he said. “At the same time, we must ensure that tourism growth benefits people all over the world, not least by expanding access to education and employment opportunities and harnessing the power of new technologies.”
The Secretary-General then presented Member States with a report summarizing the Organization’s achievements since the last Council meeting, again with a particular focus on the shared priorities of tourism, investment in education and accelerating innovation across the sector. Member States also adopted a work programme for the UN Tourism Agenda for Europe, which includes three projects focusing on the future of winter destinations, the regulation of short-term rental platforms and strategies to mitigate the impact of green investments on tourism SMEs.
His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Chair of the UN Tourism Council and Saudi Arabian Minister of Tourism, said: “Chairing the 121st session of the UN Tourism Council was a monumental moment for us, as world leaders came together to address tourism’s most pressing challenges and drive the industry forward. The meeting highlighted our shared vision for a dynamic and thriving global tourism sector driven by innovation, investment, growth and strategic partnerships.”
First Tourism Law Observatory joins growing global presence
In Barcelona, the Executive Council took a major step in UN Tourism’s efforts to develop a harmonized legal framework for the global sector to boost confidence in international travel. At the most recent meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Americas (Varadero, Cuba, 30 April 2024), members endorsed Uruguay’s candidacy to host the “Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean” in Montevideo. The Executive Council approved the landmark legal home decision and began work to add to UN Tourism’s expanding portfolio of regional and thematic offices to bring it even closer to local Member States.
In Barcelona, the Executive Council was updated on plans for the opening of a Regional Office for Africa in Marrakech and a Regional Office for the Americas in Rio de Janeiro. Continuing the momentum, the UN Tourism Leadership signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Greek Ministry of Tourism to establish a Research and Monitoring Centre for Coastal and Maritime Tourism in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
City Tourism Agenda
The UN Tourism Office recognised the management of urban tourism as one of the “pressing challenges” mentioned by the Chair and commended Spain’s leadership in promoting sustainable tourism and Barcelona for leading the way in shaping responsible and inclusive urban tourism practices. Mayor Corboni, who met with UN Tourism Secretary-General Pololikashvili and Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism Jordi Hereu on the sidelines of the Executive Council meeting, stressed the importance of tourism to Barcelona and also outlined possible plans to manage the growth of the sector and limit visitor numbers.
Mayor Corboni also announced plans to organize a special forum that will bring together city leaders from around the world to discuss key themes related to urban tourism and the need for greater private sector involvement. Minister Hereu also announced that the Spanish Government will present its 2030 Strategy for Sustainable Tourism at the next meeting of the Spanish Tourism Council, to be held in the coming weeks.
Towards the next Executive Board session
Finally, members confirmed the host countries for the next Executive Council meetings: the 122nd meeting will be held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia; the 123rd meeting will be hosted by Spain in the first half of 2025, and the 124th meeting will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the second half of 2025.
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