The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the People’s Government of Guilin (China) held the 13th UNWTO/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook in Guilin from 17 to 19 October 2019. Over 170 participants from 23 countries/regions came together to share their knowledge and experience around the theme ‘Beyond Gateways: Dispersal policies, capacity management, and rural tourism’. 

Madrid, Spain - The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has demonstrated its support for the Côte d’Ivoire tourism sector, participating in a key high-level round table discussion in Dubai and recruiting Ivorian footballing legend Didier Drogba as the newest Ambassador for Responsible Tourism. UNWTO Secretary General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, participated at a resource mobilization round table at the invitation of H.E.Mr. Siandou Fofana, Minister of Tourism and Leisure of Côte d’Ivoire. This meeting was one of a series of donor round tables organized by the Ministry as it works to finance the ambitious “Sublime Côte d'Ivoire” tourism development strategy. Also in attendance was H.E.Mr. Patrick Achi, Secretary General to The Presidency of The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, highlighting the country’s commitment to UNWTO’s mission.

Guangzhou, China – The World Tourism Organization is to continue to lead the way in growing wildlife tourism and harnessing it as a driver for conservation and development, supported by a major new US$1 million donation from the Chimelong Flora and Fauna Conservation Foundation. In 2018, the wildlife tourism sector contributed an estimated $120 billion to the global economy and this amount is set to keep growing as more people travel to enjoy nature. The economic benefits derived from tourism are encouraging countries to step up their wildlife conservation efforts, many with the help of UNWTO in partnership with Chimelong.

he World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) welcomed more than 100 experts to its global annual meeting in Madrid, gathering observatories from all around the world as well as other stakeholders from the public, private and academic field to discuss the latest experiences in monitoring tourism impacts at destination level through the application of traditional and non-traditional data sources.

Macao, Special Administrative Region of China, 15 October 2019 – At the 2019 Global Tourism Economy Forum, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has highlighted the importance of diversification, creativity and innovation for ensuring that the sector’s unique potential as a driver of sustainable economic growth and social inclusivity is fully realized. 

The growing sports tourism sector took centre stage at the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macau, SAR with the first ‘SPORTSTECH’ edition of the World Tourism Organization’s Tourism Tech Adventures initiative celebrating the most disruptive ideas and innovators from around the world. This served as the ideal backdrop to determine the winner of the 1st UNWTO Sports Tourism Start-up Competition, launched with the Barca Innovation hub of Football Club FC Barcelona and supported by the Qatar National Tourism Council.

UNWTO is pleased to welcome 27 new Affiliate Members to the UNWTO Affiliate Member network. The new Affiliate Members were recommended for approval by the Committee for Review of Affiliate Membership on 10 September 2019 and approved at the 23rd session of the UNWTO General Assembly on 11 September 2019. The Affiliate Members network keeps growing and we are proud to welcome these new members to our community.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has published the first systematic overview of how both national governments and local authorities are addressing and managing new business models in the accommodation industry. The so-called “sharing economy” has experienced significant growth over recent years and is poised to outpace the growth of traditional accommodation. Drawing on case studies from around the world, “New Business Models in the Accommodation Industry” analyses existing rules and regulations for the sector.

A high-level delegation from the United States Department of State has met with head of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as the country moves closer to rejoining the United Nations specialized agency for tourism. Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Kevin Moley and Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Manisha Singh were welcomed by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, following up on the announcement that the USA is exploring rejoining UNWTO, of which it is a founding member.

EBRD and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) join forces to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Madrid Focus on fostering education in tourism for job creation and socioeconomic inclusion