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UN urges investment in clean, sustainable tourism, as numbers bounce back

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International tourism is showing strong signs of recovery, with tourist numbers rising to 57 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. On World Tourism Day, marked on Tuesday, the UN is calling for a major global rethink of the sector, to ensure that tourism is sustainable, and benefits local communities.

The UN World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO ) released encouraging news on Monday, with its latest World Tourism Barometer, which shows that international tourism arrivals almost tripled in the first seven months of 2022 (compared to the same period in 2021).

Cautious optimism

The agency’s Panel of Tourism Experts expressed cautious confidence for the rest of year, and into 2023, despite the uncertain economic environment: increasing interest rates, rising energy and food prices, and the growing prospects of a global recession, continue to pose major threats to the sector.

In a message released to mark the Day, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, hailed tourism’s ability to drive sustainable development, and called for more investment in clean and sustainable tourism, the creation of decent jobs, and for measures to ensure that profits benefit host countries and local communities.

Go green to survive

“Governments, businesses and consumers must align their tourism practices with the Sustainable Development Goals and a 1.5 degree future”, said Mr. Guterres, referring to international agreements aimed at keeping global warming in check. “The very survival of this industry, and many tourist destinations, such as Small Island Developing States, depends on it.”

“The restart of tourism everywhere brings hope,” declared Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, in his address at the opening of the official celebrations organized for the Day, in the Indonesian resort city of Bali.

Mr. Pololikashvili described tourism, which employs around 10 per cent of the global workforce, as the “ultimate cross-cutting and people-to-people sector, which touches on almost everything we do.”

Report card

To mark the day, UNWTO launched its first World Tourism Day Report , the first in an annual series of updates and analysis of the Organization’s work guiding the sector forward.

The report contains updates on the agency’s activities in key areas including gender equality, sustainability and climate action, tourism governance and investments and innovation.

Representatives of the G20 group of the world’s leading economies, including tourism ministers, will meet in Bali in November. Ahead of the event, UNWTO has produced a set of guidelines for ministers, to enable them to support resilient and sustainable tourist businesses, which take into account human capital, innovation, youth and women empowerment, and climate action.

Ensure zero-tolerance for sexual exploitation: UN rights expert

An independent UN rights expert released a statement ahead of the Day, to call for Governments to ensure that the tourism industry is free from child forced labour, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. 

Mama Fatima Singhateh, UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, warned that the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and socioeconomic setbacks have caused enormous strains on child protection systems.

This, she said, has made children more vulnerable to sale, trafficking and sexual exploitation in the context of travel and tourism, especially in countries that have traditionally relied on the income generated from travel and tourism.  

Tourism and the climate crisis

• In response to concerns surrounding the impact of the tourism sector on the climate crisis, UNWTO launched the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism at the 2021 UN Climate Conference (COP26), which was held in the Scottish City.
• Signatories commit to supporting global commitments to halve harmful emissions by 2030, and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050, implement climate action plans, and report on their progress on an annual basis.
• To date more than 530 organizations have signed the Declaration, including major international companies, and tourism boards from a wide variety of countries.  

• Secretary-General
• Statements and Messages

Marking World Day, Secretary-General Urges Governments, Businesses, Consumers to Align Tourism Practices with Sustainable Development Goals

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the World Tourism Day “Rethinking tourism”, observed on 27 September:

World Tourism Day celebrates the power of tourism to foster inclusion, protect nature and promote cultural understanding.

Tourism is a powerful driver for sustainable development.  It contributes to the education and empowerment of women and youth and advances the socioeconomic and cultural development of communities.  It plays a critical part in the social protection systems that form the foundation for resilience and prosperity.

We must invest in clean and sustainable tourism, lowering the sector’s energy consumption, adopting zero-emission pathways and protecting biodiversity.  We must create decent jobs and ensure profits benefit the host country and local communities.  Governments, businesses and consumers must align their tourism practices with the Sustainable Development Goals and a 1.5°C future.  The very survival of this industry and many tourist destinations, such as small island developing States, depends on it.

This year’s United Nations Ocean Conference, where the global community and the tourism sector committed to building a legally binding agreement on plastics pollution by 2024, represents an important first step.  There is no time to waste.  Let us rethink and reinvent tourism and together, deliver a more sustainable, prosperous and resilient future for all.

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SECRETARY-GENERAL’S MESSAGE FOR THE WORLD TOURISM DAY “Rethinking tourism”

New York, 27 September 2022

World Tourism Day celebrates the power of tourism to foster inclusion, protect nature and promote cultural understanding.

Tourism is a powerful driver for sustainable development. It contributes to the education and empowerment of women and youth and advances the socioeconomic and cultural development of communities. It plays a critical part in the social...

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A United Vision for Nature - 'Nature Positive' Report Marks New Collaborative Era in Travel & Tourism

• All Regions
• 22 Apr 2024

WTTC, UN Tourism and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance join forces to support Nature Positive Tourism

The leading players of Travel & Tourism globally have published a landmark joint report setting out their joint plan to help halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

Launched on Earth Day 2024, "Nature Positive Travel & Tourism in Action" is the creation of the high-level 'Nature Positive Tourism Partnership, made up of the World Travel & Tourism Council ( WTTC ), the World Tourism Organization ( UN Tourism ) and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance ( the Alliance ).

For years, UN Tourism has been at the forefront of integrating tourism into the broader UN biodiversity agenda, including supporting the work of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Developed in collaboration with specialist consultancy ANIMONDIAL, the report is the sector's pledge to support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the UN's Biodiversity Plan.

It presents more than 30 case studies of inspiring and progressive actions from around the world involving large and small businesses, national and local government agencies, civil society groups, and inter-sectoral partnerships.

By offering actionable guidance and insights, this report not only highlights the intrinsic link between biodiversity and tourism's resilience, but also empowers businesses to become stewards of nature.

Historic partnership for nature

Ms. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO , said: "This historic partnership with Travel & Tourism heavyweights is a significant step in our collective journey towards a more sustainable and responsible sector. This report is not merely a publication but a movement towards integrating environmental stewardship into the core of travel experiences. As we celebrate Earth Day, let us heed the call to nurture and protect our destinations. Our sector's reliance on nature, coupled with our expertise in creating inspiring and memorable experiences, means we are ideally placed to be guardians of nature."

Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism , said: "For years, UN Tourism has been at the forefront of integrating tourism into the broader UN biodiversity agenda, including supporting the work of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This pivotal new collaboration among key global players sets a robust framework for sustainable practices that not only drive significant impact but also exemplify the power of united efforts in conserving biodiversity. This report is a testimony to what we can achieve together for nature's preservation, inspiring a global movement towards more sustainable and resilient tourism."

Mr. Glenn Mandziuk, Sustainable Hotel Alliance CEO , said: "This report is a milestone for Travel and Tourism, representing our commitment as an industry to protect and conserve nature. The Alliance is proud to contribute to and collaborate on this insightful and action-orientated report which will bring tangible change to destinations around the world, supporting biodiversity.  Nature underpins our society, economies and indeed our very existence. The hospitality industry is today a leader amongst industries in its Nature Positive approach and this report signifies how much our industry understands the true value of nature."  

Expert-led coalition

Recognising that the sector has a critical role to play in protecting and conserving biodiversity, the Nature Positive Tourism approach is designed to be a touchstone for actionable change. It focuses on equipping the sector with the tools and insights needed to nurture and protect destinations upon which it depends.

The commitment of the Partnership to work towards "net positive for nature" draws on extensive consultation with experts from business, government, academia and civil society, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).

The report, which follows the 2022 WTTC report "Nature Positive Travel & Tourism", includes practical frameworks and real-world examples that encourage both travel providers and travellers to embark on journeys that contribute to the conservation of our natural treasures.

Related links

• Download News Release on PDF
• Report “Nature Positive Travel & Tourism”
• UN Tourism Biodiversity
• Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

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PGA opening Remarks at the High-Level Thematic Event on Tourism

16 Apr 2024

Opening Remarks by the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Dennis Francis, at the High-Level Thematic Event on Tourism

16 April 2024

[As Delivered]

https://youtu.be/t6iUGmuvW5o

Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism,

Your Excellency, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Chair of the Executive Council for UN Tourism and Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia,

Excellencies, Honourable Ministers,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you all to the High-Level Thematic Event on Tourism – focusing on the crucial role of tourism and its extraordinary potential to contribute to sustainable development.

Allow me to also extend a special welcome to our esteemed panelists, moderators and invited speakers – whose knowledge and experience promise to enrich our discussions today.

I also wish to acknowledge, with much appreciation, the cooperation and support provided especially by UN Tourism and by you, Mr. Secretary-General, in preparing for this event.

Excellencies,

Tourism is one of the most dynamic sectors of the global economy.

The numbers speak for themselves.

In 2023, tourism accounted for 3 per cent of global GDP – with an estimated direct gross domestic product of $3.3 trillion.

The sector employs one in every 10 people around the world.

And with women holding 54 per cent of those jobs – versus 39 per cent in the broader economy  – tourism provides an important vehicle for women’s empowerment.

Its capacity to attract significant volumes of foreign direct investment and rapidly increase exports has made it an attractive and popular catalyst for development.

For countries in special situations – least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States – it is an indispensable driver of income and tax revenue, not to mention, employment directly created in the sector as well as those that are spin-offs in other sectors.

In fact, in small island developing States alone, tourism accounts for nearly 35 per cent of all export earnings, and as much as 80 per cent of national exports.

But, with a country’s heavy dependence on tourism comes cost and huge potential risks.

Despite the spectacular benefits reaped across its vast supply chains – tourism is also intrinsically susceptible to a host of disruptive forces – such as climate change, pandemics, acts of terrorism, and domestic political instability.

When disasters strike, the economic fallout is often huge and immediate – felt painfully in losses to GDP, foreign currency earnings and employment leaving countries only a crisis away from the near total destruction of the very economic base they need to pay for goods and services and other imports from abroad.

In parallel, the tourism sector’s massive consumption of energy, land and water – and crucially its high generation of carbon emissions – can create unbearable pressures on fragile natural ecosystems, if adequate attention is not paid to the issue of sustainability.

Around the world, once vibrant coral reefs are falling victim to cruise ships, docking facilities, spikes in recreational fishing, and even land-based chemical effluent released into the environment that eventually finds its way to the sea.

In parts of Africa, and elsewhere around the world, wildlife struggle for places to naturally graze, breed and roam – as forests, rivers, and land continue to disappear, due in part to overuse, without any regard by the industry to the safe and optimum carrying capacity of those areas.

The explosive popularity of social media has only compounded these pressures, with “the fear of missing out” driving travellers to destinations in greater droves – in some cases causing a 1,000-fold increase in the visitor population.

The resulting dire consequences are often borne by local communities – particularly indigenous peoples, who have preserved 80 per cent of the Earth’s forests, grasslands and other eco systems for centuries.

How are we to manage the unique challenges of growing this vital industry, while at the same time, preserving and protecting the precious and often fragile ecosystems that created them in the first place?

Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,

We need a global tourism sector that is sustainable – one with deep local value chains that expand demand for locally made products and services in ways that also directly and positively benefit local communities.

A sector that serves as a positive force for biodiversity conservation, heritage protection and climate friendly livelihoods;

A sector that harnesses digital technology, fosters innovation – and expands opportunities for job creation and economic growth, including for women, young people, indigenous and local communities.

In order to get there, we must value what counts.

I therefore invite the General Assembly to support the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism – which was adopted at the UN Statistical Framework just last month.

It offers a much-needed foundation for measuring the economic, social, and environmental aspects of tourism – at both local and global levels.

But sustainable tourism alone is not enough to create long term stability in the sector and to guarantee job sustainability.

We also need a global tourism sector that is resilient; a sector that understands and caters to its own vulnerability, helps to formalise the informal economy, is designed and built such that the physical plant is able to withstand external environmental shocks and in possession of necessary ancillary systems in place – to minimize the period of recovery after a disruptive event.

In such a scenario, many opportunities abound for strong multistakeholder partnerships.

Increased focus on public-private-partnerships is required – and broad diversification of activities, so that countries and communities are better supported to shorten the recovery time needed to resume full operations after a disruptive event.

Above all, there must be recognition that the key sectors of the economy and issues featured throughout Sustainability Week – that is to say, resilient infrastructure, sustainable transport, renewable energy, and relief from the unjust burden of exorbitant debt – are all essential to building sustainability and resilience in the global tourism sector.

We are, therefore, fortunate to have a diversity of voices here today sharing their perspectives from different operational vantage points of the tourism industry.

I look forward to hearing your views on how we can more effectively harness the power and potential of the global tourism sector to accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals – including through alleviating poverty and fulfilling our central promise of leaving no one behind.

I thank you.

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