Tourism, Trade and the World Trade Organisation: A Joint Communication from UNWTO, WTO, ITC and WTTC
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), The World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), and the International Trade Center (ITC) have issued the joint communication ‘Tourism, Trade and the WTO’ affirming the importance of enhanced global cooperation on trade & tourism, and encouraging greater participation of the tourism sector in trade policy.
First Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition Launched
The World Tourism Organization and Basque Culinary Center (BBC), have launched a pioneering initiative for the gastronomic tourism sector, with a global call for startups or companies, mature or emerging, technological and non-technological, with innovative ideas capable of revolutionizing and integrating gastronomy in tourism and inspiring tourists with new ways and reasons to travel.
The 12th UNWTO/PATA Forum Looks Into the Future of Tourism
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the People’s Government of Guilin, China held the 12th UNWTO/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook on 25-27 October 2018. This year’s edition – ‘The Future of Tourism: Road to 2030’, aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Spatial Data the Focus of UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Observatories Meeting
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) concluded its global annual meeting in Madrid, welcoming observatories and other tourism stakeholders to share experiences of measuring and monitoring the impact tourism has on destinations, and explore the opportunities provided to tourism by innovation in location services.
Creating Smart Cities for Innovative Tourism Experiences
The UNWTO Conference on City Breaks: Creating Innovative Tourism Experiences (15-16 October 2018) concluded in Valladolid, Spain, with a call for cities to become smart tourism destinations, where tourism governance and the digital economy mesh together to offer travelers diverse and authentic experiences.
In response to a request received from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) of Mongolia, UNWTO carried out a mission to Ulaanbaatar in order to organise a two-day national tourism workshop on tourism planning.
Specific subjects discussed at the workshop comprised of:
- tourism value chain governance and its enhancement to benefit local communities and businesses;
- the role of new technology in the value chain and its application to more remote areas;
- urban tourism management in relation to emerging market segments (long haul and regional);
- the planning of new urban products to enhance tourism gateway functions in the regions and in Ulaanbataar;
- the role and nature of destination management organisations and participation of stakeholders in tourism destination planning;
- the diversification of Mongolia’s tourism products to optimize and match tourism products to existing and new markets.
The workshop was attended by over 120 delegates and was comprised of various stakeholders.
40th Plenary Session of the Affiliate Members (12-14 November 2018, Hamedan, Iran)
2nd International Congress on World Civilizations and Historic Routes (14-16 November 2018, Sofia, Bulgaria)
UNWTO/GTERC Asia Tourism Trends 2018 Edition
The UNWTO/GTERC Asia Tourism Trends – 2018 Edition, the fifth annual report in the series, highlights the rapidly growing sector in Asia and the Pacific. In recognition of the European Union-China Tourism Year 2018, one chapter examines the international tourism flows between China, the largest Asian economy, and the 28 countries of the European Union. The present edition also features a chapter on the Greater Bay Area, a landmark initiative to merge eleven cities in the Pearl River Delta, and the impact the accompanying infrastructure will have on tourism in the region.
Gastronomy tourism is gaining in importance! Similar to tourism centered around cultural heritage, gastronomy tourism is a supplementary way to attract international tourists, while preserving national culture, tradition, and providing new economic ventures, all which work towards achieving the UN’s 2030 SDGs 8, 12 and 13.
To boost the gastronomy sector and to bring it to the forefront of tourism, UNWTO in partnership with Basque Culinary Center (BCC) have pioneered the 1st UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition. This event was launched, in hopes of highlighting gastronomy solutions that are revolutionizing innovation and development in the tourism sector. Furthermore it intends to inspire tourists with new reasons to travel.
This startup competition, launched on 17 October 2018, is looking for creative, technological and sustainable projects, to bring forth the innovation of the tourism sector. The application deadline is 5 March 2019.
