Trinidad and Tobago has become UNWTO’s 156th Member State as the country rejoins the Organization after 35 years.
UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, announced today that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rejoined the Organization 26 years after having left UNWTO.
Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Setting a common growth agenda for tourism and aviation
China’s expenditure on travel abroad reached US$ 102 billion in 2012, making it the first tourism source market in the world in terms of spending. Other emerging markets as well as most traditional tourism source markets also showed positive results in 2012.
UNWTO welcomes Jamaica’s decision to waive visa requirements for Eastern European nationals and to extend indefinitely the current visa waiver system for some Latin American nationals.
The Twelfth Meeting of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics commended the UNWTO Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism Initiative and praised the growing number of signatory businesses who pledged to uphold responsible conduct in the tourism sector (Madrid, Spain, 4-5 March).
Ensuring that tourism facilities and sites meet the needs of persons with disabilities, both as a key means of promoting tourism for all and as an engine for market growth, were the main focus of the International Conference on “Accessibility in tourism:
International tourist arrivals grew by 4% in 2012 to reach 1.035 billion, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Emerging economies (+4.1%) regained the lead over advanced economies (+3.6%), with Asia and the Pacific showing the strongest results.
The Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Mr. Shao Qiwei, and UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, have agreed to strengthen cooperation between both organizations as a key step towards advancing China’s tourism development objectives.
Brussels, 17 January 2013 The European Travel Commission (ETC) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have just published a ‘netnographic’ study Understanding Chinese Outbound Tourism – What the Chinese Blogosphere is Saying About Europe.
The Dutch Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ANVR), representing 200 tour operators and 1,400 travel agencies in the Netherlands, has pledged to observe the principles of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (Utrecht, the Netherlands, 9 January 2013).
A tourism investment forum for Africa and a debate on tourism prospects in the Middle East and North Africa are among the many UNWTO events planned for the International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR (Madrid, Spain, 30 January – 3 February 2013).
A landmark resolution recognizing ecotourism as key in the fight against poverty, the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development has been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (21 December 2012).
A British tourist visiting Madrid, Spain on 13 December has been revealed as the symbolic face of the one billion international tourists travelling in 2012. The tourist was welcomed by the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism of Spain, José Manuel Soria, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, and the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella, at an [...]
An online tool that allows tourism business to assess and improve their accessibility and an initiative encouraging tourists to stay with families in Malaysia are among the five winners of this year’s UNWTO Ulysses Awards. Since 2003, the UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism have honored tourism initiatives that have contributed to [...]
Erik Cohen, one of the world’s leading social science scholars in the field of tourism, has been named this year’s winner of the UNWTO Ulysses Prize for Excellence in the Creation and Dissemination of Knowledge,honoring those within academia making a significant contribution to the advancement of tourism. Mr. Cohen, the George S. Wise Professor Emeritus [...]
The Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Mr. Shao Qiwei, and the founder of the international hotel chain Meliá Hotels, Mr. Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, have been named as the first winners of the UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement. The UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement was established in 2012 as an annual award recognizing those individuals [...]
Reducing visa constraints, simplifying entry processes and developing policies that improve connectivity across borders are the topics on the agenda for the world’s Tourism Ministers as they meet at the annual UNWTO & World Travel Market (WTM) Ministers’ Summit next week (London, United Kingdom, 6 November 2012). Building on the historic G20 Leaders’ Declaration, which [...]
As international tourism nears the historic milestone of one billion tourists, UNWTO will be holding a number of activities at World Travel Market (WTM) to address some of the major issues facing tourism in a world of one billion (London, United Kingdom, 5-8 November 2012). UNWTO and WTM Ministers’ Summit Open Borders and Open Skies: [...]
The Kanas Lake Nature Reserve in the extreme north-west of China and the city of Chengdu, one of China’s most populous cities, are the locations of two new UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Observatories designed to monitor the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism. The Chengdu and Kanas Observatories join UNWTO’s network of tourism observatories which [...]
Global Organisations join forces to Encourage Governments and Businesses to Tap into Huge Potential of Youth Tourism. Over 700 delegates from 63 countries meeting at the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) in San Diego, USA have called on governments and businesses worldwide to tap into the potential of youth travel in light of [...]
Whether kayaking in the Iberá Marshes in Argentina or bird-watching at Ba-Be Lake in Vietnam, tourists are providing income for the conservation of wetlands worldwide, as demonstrated in a new publication launched by the Ramsar Secretariat and UNWTO. Besides providing essential services such as water, food and energy, wetlands offer significant opportunities for tourism, which [...]
International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5% in the first four months of 2012, despite remaining economic uncertainties in some of the major outbound markets. According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, prospects remain positive for the period May-August, the Northern Hemisphere’s summer peak season, with around 415 million tourists expected to travel abroad. [...]
UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, has congratulated Mr. Muhammad Morsi on his election as Egypt’s new President and applauded his support for the tourism sector, as expressed in the President’s first speech after taking office. “We will work together to encourage investment in all sectors, and restore the role of tourism for the benefit of the [...]
Launching the World Tourism Day 2012 (27 September) campaign, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, has called on all tourism stakeholders to “play their part in reaching the United Nations goal of achieving sustainable energy for all by 2030”. World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012 will be celebrated under the theme ‘Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development’, [...]
Tourism, providing jobs and supporting the livelihoods of millions, particularly of women and young people, is central to advancing the three pillars of sustainability, agreed participants meeting at a Rio+20 tourism event. Participants at the side event ‘Tourism for a Sustainable Future’, held at Rio+20, agreed that tourism can make a significant contribution to the [...]
The G20 world leaders have for the first time, recognised the importance of Travel & Tourism as a driver of jobs, growth and economic recovery. The Leaders’ Declaration from the annual meeting of the G20 held in Los Cabos, Mexico, on 18-19 June states “we recognize the role of travel and tourism as a vehicle [...]
Tourism experts from international organizations, United Nations agencies and the tourism public and private sector have outlined how green innovation in tourism can drive sustainable development by reducing costs, boosting revenue, creating jobs and improving resource efficiency (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 19 June). The Rio+20 event `Green Innovation in Tourism´, co-hosted by the Organisation for [...]
International tourism is one of the principal economic activities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). A new UNWTO report launched on the occasion of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+20), confirms tourism as an essential source of job opportunities, livelihood, foreign exchange and inclusive growth for these countries. “Tourism offers one of the [...]
Ministers of tourism and high-ranking officials meeting at the 93rd session of the UNWTO Executive Council have highlighted the role of tourism in addressing continuing challenges in the world economy, from a slowdown in growth to global unemployment (Madrid, Spain, 12-13 June). “On this occasion, I would like to underscore the role of [...]
At the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL)/UNWTO Silk Road Think Tank, 170 future hospitality leaders presented innovative strategies for how ten UNWTO Member States can maximize their positioning as Silk Road destinations (Lausanne, Switzerland, 4 June 2012). A panel of judges consisting of EHL management, UNWTO officials and Member States representatives selected the three winning student [...]
Visa facilitation is central to stimulating economic growth and job creation through tourism. The G20 can have a particularly important role to play in this respect. G20 economies could boost their international tourist numbers by an additional 122 million, generate an extra US$ 206 billion in tourism exports and create over five million additional jobs [...]
In 2011, international tourism receipts exceeded US$ 1 trillion for the first time, up from US$ 928 billion in 2010. In real terms, receipts grew by 3.8%, following a 4.6% increase in international tourist arrivals. An additional US$ 196 billion in receipts from international passenger transport brought total exports generated by international tourism in 2011 [...]
Ministers of Tourism and leading tourism companies from the Middle East and North Africa reiterated their confidence in the growth of tourism in the region during the first UNWTO/Arabian Travel Market Industry Forum (Dubai, 30 April 2012). Entitled The Future of Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Ensuring sustainable growth in challenging times, [...]
Leading media representatives met with tourism players in Egypt to explore how to develop more effective relations, particularly in times of crisis (Marsa Alam, Egypt, 26-27 April 2012). “What drives tourism is the perception the traveler has of a destination. Fair reporting of both the negative and the positive will play a vital role in [...]
Participants at a major United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII) have underscored the role of tourism as a vital service sector, contributing to GDP and employment in developed and developing countries alike (Doha, Qatar, 21-26 April 2012). The theme of UNCTAD XIII, Development-Centered Globalization: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Growth and Development, focuses on how [...]
At United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII) – Doha, Qatar, 20 April 2012 For many decades, international tourism has experienced dynamic growth and continued expansion. Cross-border travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes has become one of the fastest growing economic activities worldwide. The number of international tourist arrivals rose by almost [...]
Time Magazine and The Huffington Post are among the top media outlets scheduled to take part in the 2nd UNWTO International Conference on Tourism and the Media. The event, which also counts on the presence of The Independent, Deutsche Welle TV and Ogilvy Mather PR will focus on how tourism and the media can work together in [...]
The Flemish Community of Belgium has become one of the first regions worldwide to determine the contribution of tourism to its economy using the United Nations approved Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). Results were announced during the official visit of the UNWTO Secretary-General (12-13 March 2012). By implementing the TSA, the Flemish Community was able to [...]
The role of new technologies in snow and mountain tourism will be the focus of the 7th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism, held by UNWTO in collaboration with the Principality of Andorra (La Massana, Andorra, 11-12 April 2012). Leading experts will discuss the new technologies that have emerged over the past years and [...]
Smartphone and Tablets Prompt Mobile Rethink, WTM Round Table Concludes
The move away from desktops towards smartphones and tablets is changing how the travel industry uses technology to connect with today’s multi-device consumer, concluded board-level travel industry participants at the recent World Travel Market Round Table into the Future of Mobile.
ICCA 2012 statistics: international association sector shows significant growth
With the release of the 2012 Top 20 Rankings for cities and countries, ICCA is reporting another year of continued strength in the international association meetings market.
Record £5.3b spent by APMEA countries in 2012 representing 28% of UK’s inbound tourism revenue
VisitBritain kicked-off its flagship international travel trade event, Destination Britain 2013, in Bangkok. Celebrating its 10th year, the tourism gathering will open with a record 35% of new suppliers, showcasing their strongest UK travel and tourism offerings.
World Travel Awards winners triumph in the Maldives
Hilton Hotels, Air Mauritius, Sun Island Resort & Spa, Seychelles and Lux Resorts were among the big names to emerge victorious at World Travel Awards 2013 Indian Ocean ceremony, held at the Paradise Island Resort & Spa, Maldives on 12th May 2013.
World’s Second Largest LGBT Tourism Market Comes Out at WTM Latin America
Brazil’s USD$23 Billion Gay Travel Market – World’s Second Largest LGBT Tourism Market Comes Out at WTM Latin America
Bosch TownHall Meeting 2013 with VOK DAMS China
The experts for events and live marketing from VOK DAMS China have realized the TownHall Meeting 2013 for their client Bosch in Wuxi.
Seth Mattison to keynote on day two of AIBTM 2013 in Chicago
Educating Attendees on How to “Rock the Workplace”
Keynote Speakers Deliver Context for AIPC 2013 in Cape Town
The lineup of exemplary speakers on hand for the 2013 AIPC Annual Conference in Cape Town, South Africa this coming July 1-3 will provide delegates with a comprehensive insight into how the country is emerging as a major factor in both the global economy and the meetings industry.
