La visión de la OMT sobre la recuperación del turismo despues de la crisis 2009

CONTENTS

VIEWPOINT ■ Facing Up to the Challenges

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TOURISM & THE G20 ■ Travel and Tourism and the New G20 Paradigm

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GUEST OPINION ■ The World Economy Takes an Unpaid Vacation

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RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS ■ Stimulus Measures for Tourism Recovery Stimulus Measures for Tourism Recovery - Current Status

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ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM ■ Tourism Matters

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Creating Employment and stimulating the Economy

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SPORT & TOURISM ■ UNWTO Africa 2010 Programme

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UNWTO CALENDAR 2009 ■

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RISK & CRISIS MANAGEMENT ■ Quietly Preparing

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WORLD TOURISM DAY ■ WTD 2009: Tourism Celebrating Diversity

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WTD 2008: Photo Competition

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GREEN ECONOMY ■ UNWTO calls on Tourism Leaders to join the Green Economy

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UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

VIEWPOINT

Facing Up to the Challenges s this edition of UNWTO News goes into print the World Health Organization (WHO) has alerted us that Influenza A (H1N1) represents a pandemic threat.

As such influenza A is starting to affect tourism our sector has been the focus of public attention from the beginning.

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Over the past three years UNWTO has been preparing for this kind of situation. Today, the dedicated Risk and Crisis Management Section has increased our capacity for response and industry support, and sos.travel has been launched as the one-stop information portal for emergency information for the travel industry and ultimately for travellers.

Furthermore, the Tourism Emergency Response Network (TERN) enables the Travel Community to work closely with WHO, ensuring that the best and most accurate advice to travellers is provided.

This pandemic threat emerges when we are only just starting to assess how to deal with the deepest recession of the past half century, whilst keeping on track with our climate and poverty response.

In that context, the International Monetary Fund has recently increased the global economic losses expected from the crisis, illustrating “the depth of the worldwide economic upheaval”.

Tourism is not immune from these developments and UNWTO has increased its efforts to position the economic stimulus potential of tourism within the G20 initiative and the transformation towards a Green Economy.

UNWTO – together with its Member States and private sector affiliates - is here to serve the international community in its broadest sense.

Chairman of the UNWTO Executive Council: Ambika Soni, Minister of Tourism, India Secretary-General ad interim: Taleb Rifai Assistant Secretary-General, Spokesperson: Geoffrey Lipman

Taleb Rifai

Director of Programme and Coordination:

Secretary-General ad interim

Eugenio Yunis Director of Administration: José García Blanch Editorial Board: Geoffrey Lipman, Marcelo Risi Media Officer: Marcelo Risi Communications Officer: Alla Peressolova

The World Tourism Organization, a United Nations specialized agency, is the

Design: Graforama (Madrid)

leading international organization with the decisive and central role in world

Photographs: Cover: Rocky Road, by KOGO

tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical

(commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uli_Biaho_Tower.jpg) Page 4, Gordon brown and Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva,

source of tourism know-how. Its membership includes 154 countries, seven territories and more than 370

by Ricardo Stuckert.

Page 11, Pedro Ortún (fbs-research.com)

Affiliate Members representing local government, tourism associations and private enterprise.

Page 16, Solar Panels by Fernando Tomás

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

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TOURISM & THE G20

“

This is a great industry, millions of jobs depend on it and it creates a huge amount of wealth for our country and I believe it can be even greater in the future

”

“

Tourism is the most effective and least expensive way to bring about social inclusion. It is an activity that can generate work for millions of adolescents. Tourism is the tool to restore hope to these people

Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister

”

Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva,

President of Brazil

Travel and Tourism and the New G20 Paradigm Tourism ■ can play an important role in coordinated economic stimulus, ■ represents the largest common development denominator for poor states, ■ is a huge percentage of services trade,

The combination of the crisis, the systemic imperatives of climate-change response, job creation and poverty alleviation, translate into the biggest challenge of the past half-century.

This situation puts unrelenting pressure on customers, employees and markets, driving not only the tourism industry to radically alter existing policies and practices.

■ can be a leader in the Green Economy.

ue to its strong economic multiplier effect as a sector dominated by small and medium enterprises, tourism and travel, if properly encouraged, can play a more important role in economic stimulus and building consumer confidence than is generally recognized. Travel fuels business growth, makes entertainment possible and sustains rural destinations. It also strengthens trade by boosting income for the poorest countries as well as for global suppliers.

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This idea was at the centre of UNWTO’ s open

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message delivered to the G20 ahead of its London meeting (2-3 April).

“The numbers speak for themselves: Tourism represents some 5% of GDP and 6% of jobs in G20 countries alone. Global tourism services exports amount to US$ 3 billion per day, representing one third of global services exports. Tourism is furthermore the main growth and trade driver for the world’s poorest countries”, said UNWTO Secretary-General a.i., Taleb Rifai. “What we need is recognition of the value of travel and most importantly its capacity to generate jobs”.

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

For its part UNWTO has pledged to continue to monitor market behaviour and promote best practices; maintain its leadership in tourism policy and governance; and reinforce tourism as a key engine for employment, sustainable growth and infrastructure creation. In order to achieve these objectives UNWTO is developing a Roadmap for Recovery with an emphasis on both stimulus and the Green Economy. With regards to stimulus, the Resilience Committee gathers market information, increases responsiveness and shares good practice initiatives (see page 7). As for the Green Economy, work is being undertaken in conjunction with UN Environment

TOURISM & THE G20

Travel and tourism in stimulus programmes

Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to create a multi-stakeholder, climate response driven by a continuous series of global and regional tourism ministerial meetings (see page 16).

Over the last few decades, the tourism industry

Encouraging domestic travel is good for consumer confidence; international travel has the added value of strengthening trade flows.

Action to boost trade promotion, simplify regulation, build infrastructure and rationalise taxes, in turn incites companies to invest, innovate and stimulate demand (see page 12). This kind of public–private sector collaboration should be strongly commended within and between all states, as it can help build resilience and buoyancy across economies.

tion, would help global tourism.

China’s potential for leadership Asian counties have been amongst the first to respond to the crisis, by including tourism in their stimulus programs - with an array of measures. China’s tourism sector can become a model for other nations and a world leader.

While international tourism worldwide is projected to stagnate or even decline by 2%, UNWTO’s European Members expect arrivals to drop by 3%. Nearby markets might respond better to stimulus packages which have to adapt to changing demand patterns. They demand to reinforce international cooperation and to avoid protectionist measures.

According to the Chinese National Tourism Administration, their actions to counter the financial crisis, such as support for consump-

Europe is the world’s leading international tourist destination: 500 million arrivals (53% of the world’s total) generating US$ 434 billion a year.

has experienced various setbacks, and faced severe natural and man-made crisis. Through it all, tourism demonstrated a remarkable resilience and always came out stronger and healthier. Indeed, resilience has become synonymous with travel and tourism. This juncture, however, seems to be different. This crisis is

truly global and its parameters are unclear. We need a different mindset.

European tourism active against the crisis European destinations are taking measures to mitigate the negative impact of the economic situation on tourism, expected to last until 2010. Measures already implemented range from promotional and fiscal incentives to credit facilitation.

In the words of Talib Rifai; ‘If ever there was a time get this message out loud and clear, it is now, as we meet at a time of overriding global uncertainty but also of immense possibility’.

Tourism and the G20 Summit - A Message from UNWTO As world leaders’ grapple with today’s unprecedented global economic conditions we want to stress the potential for tourism and travel to support short term stimulus actions as well as longer term transformation to a green economy, coherent with development and climate imperatives.

Several G20 states have already included travel in their own stimulus programmes. Encouraging domestic travel is good for consumer confidence; international travel has the added value of strengthening trade flows. Action to boost trade promotion, simplify regulation, build infrastructure and rationalise taxes, in turn incites companies to invest, innovate and stimulate demand. This kind of public – private sector collaboration should be strongly advanced within and between all states – it will help build resilience and buoyancy across economies.

Tourism is a primary vehicle for job creation and economic regeneration Tourism currently drives an estimated 6% of jobs in G20 economies with a strong multiplier effect on related services, manufacturing and agriculture, which depend on travel demand. It is one of the largest employment sectors in most countries and a fast entry vehicle into the work-

force for young people and women in urban and rural communities.

Tourism and travel represents some 5% of GDP of G20 countries and 27% of their services exports. It is even more significant for the world’s poorest countries where it is a mainstay of their economies, a key factor in employment and trade, as well as a vital lifeline for their development.

Tourism and Travel can be a leader in the shift towards a Green Economy Accounting for some 5% of carbon emissions, the sector is committed to respond to climate change by adaptation, mitigation and new technology. Better conservation, reduced congestion, renewable energy, clean biofuels, climate proofing of buildings, as well as green consumer awareness and staff training are clear opportunities for hospitality and transport companies to move to a more sustainable economy.

Encouraging travel will strengthen two-way trade - promoting essential export income for the poorest countries and improving performance of global suppliers who are largely from G20 member states. It will support consumer and business confidence, create jobs and put a green economy into action.

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

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GUEST OPINION

The World Economy Takes an Unpaid Vacation The global economy is currently in the midst of its worst downturn since the Second World War.

he decline in growth has been accompanied by rising unemployment and especially large declines in international trade and capital flows; government fiscal positions have deteriorated significantly. No region has escaped it, nor has any sector.

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Robert C. Shelburne Chief Economist. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Travel to a large degree is discretionary and therefore can easily be cancelled or postponed, so the tourism sector is, and will continue over the next year, to be especially impacted. It is important during these difficult times for all countries and business associations to try to develop cooperative and constructive approaches towards addressing the crisis and minimizing its impacts.

Tourism policy, as industrial policy generally, should remain focused on long-term objectives of making itself environmentally sustainable, improving the lives and working conditions of its workers and further contributing to the communities in which it operates. There are any number of shortsighted policies that can appear reasonable in isolation, but when implemented broadly can initiate a downward cycle that proves to be counter productive for all and can take a long time to undo; this is a journey to avoid.

The implications of this crisis and accompanying downturn will be fundamentally different from the others experienced over the last half century. Those downturns were considered part of the normal macroeco-

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UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

nomic cycle, and although governments often attempted to provide some stimulus to promote recovery, they did not produce fundamental institutional changes. This time is different; in the coming year there will be a major overhaul of both national and intergovernmental financial institutions, including their regulatory bodies, and even the architecture of the world’s international monetary system is likely to be substantially reformed.

The current economic situation in the spring of 2009 appears to have plateaued; the rapid falls in output, trade and financial flows that occurred in the last quarter of 2008 and the first of 2009 appear to have mitigated. It remains uncertain whether this will be a temporary landing to be followed by another downward plunge as was the case with the stability experienced in the summer of 2008, or whether this represents the bottom from which a recovery can begin.

Given the very aggressive macroeconomic policy response of China and the United States, these regions are likely to lead the world recovery. Forecasts suggest that growth will remain reasonable in China throughout 2009 and will begin to turn positive in the US in the second half of the year.

Europe which has lagged in its policy response to the crisis may have to wait until early 2010 for its recovery. The long-run outlook for tourism is bright because it provides one of life’s greatest enjoyments.

RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS

Stimulus Measures for Tourism Recovery In light of the economic crisis, countries across the globe have recognized the importance of tourism to the economy and have acted swiftly in developing stimulus measures to sustain demand, support tourism businesses and maintain employment.

ourism is vital due to its strong multiplier effect on related services such as manufacturing and agriculture, which depend on tourism induced demand. The industry is also one of the largest job creators and export generators in many countries. Thus, any measure to facilitate or promote travel, simplify regulation, build infrastructure or rationalize taxes will not only impact directly on the sector, but could also play a key role in economic revival - especially in developing countries.

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UNWTO recently published an Initial Assessment on Tourism and Economic Stimulus covering around 50 countries worldwide. The measures implemented by the various countries include fiscal and monetary incentives, tax rebates, infrastructure development and enhancement, travel facilitation measures, human resource training and increased marketing and promotion, especially in domestic markets (see pages 8 and 9).

In response to a UNWTO survey several countries outlined their national strategies with regards to tourism recovery, among others: ■ Thailand has applied various measures

including a visa waiver scheme, a temporary exemption from business tax for hotels and a reduction of landing and parking fees at airports. In addition Thailand has sought to lighten the burden on the industry through its Micro Credit scheme which seeks to make credit readily available to actors within the sector by offering generous interest rates.

■ On the other side of the globe Jamaica has

announced a stimulus package which makes concessionary loans available to the tourism sector thus easing any cash-flow problems resulting from the crisis. On top of this general consumption tax paid by the sector has been temporarily reduced.

■ European countries have put in place sev-

The report is part of the UNWTO programme in the area of response to the economic crisis and support to its Members, namely in the component of stimulus. It details schemes such as China’s 1 billion RMB investment in infrastructure, Morocco’s new promotional campaign, the Dutch governments decision to revoke airport departure tax, France’s decrease of VAT in restaurants, Argentina’s soft credit line for hotel refurbishment as well as several marketing campaigns and public-private-partnership (PPP’s) schemes. Some countries have launched highly innovative programmes such as Australia’s ‘No Leave, No Life Program’ aimed at encouraging Australian workers to take advantage of the 123 million days of stockpiled annual leave.

eral stimulus measures: Italy, France and Spain have formed a marketing partnership which seeks to attract tourists from emerging markets and many others have implemented fiscal and monetary measures to support and stimulate the sector.

As UNWTO stressed on the occasion of the G20 Summit in London, tourism should be included as a key component of economic stimulus programmes and the long term transformation to the Green Economy (see pages 4 and 5).

Tourism can and will play a big part in bouncing back from recession.

The full document, as well as information on stimulus packages for the tourism sector by country, is available at www.UNWTO.org/trc.

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

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RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS

Stimulus Measures for Tourism The report Initial Assessment on Tourism and Economic Stimulus includes information on over 50 countries.

It is part of an ongoing process of collecting, monitoring and evaluating response actions and measures undertaken by governments to address the impact of the crisis on tourism.

Stimulus measures have been undertaken in the following categories:

■ Monetary: Ease of credit access through

■ Marketing: Increased promotional budg-

special schemes for tourism businesses i.e. lower interest rates.

ets and activities, namely with a strategic focus on nearby and domestic markets as these are expected to be more resilient.

■ Fiscal: Reduction, suspension or control of

imposing extra taxation in areas such as transport, accommodation and catering; tax breaks and public investment.

■ Travel facilitation: Elimination of obsta-

cles to travel through visa wavering or cancellation/reduction of visa fees.

STIMULUS ACTIONS FOR TOURISM REGIONS

FISCAL

EUROPE Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Germany Hungary Israel Italy Norway Portugal AMERICAS Argentina Bahamas Barbados Bolivia Canada Jamaica Nicaragua EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Australia Brunei Darussalam Cambodia China Hong-Kong Indonesia Japan Macao (China) Malaysia Philippines Republic of Korea Singapore Thailand Vietnam SOUTH ASIA Bhutan India Iran, Islamic Republic of Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka MIDDLE EAST Egypt Jordan Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria Arab Republic Yemen AFRICA Morocco South Africa Tunisia

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MARKETING

MONETARY

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UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

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RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS

Recovery - Current Status ■ Human

resources: Development of training activities or financial support to companies in order to preserve jobs.

■ Public-private partnerships (PPPs):

Implementation of strong public-private partnerships in areas such as market monitoring and follow up and special promotion and sales packages.

■ Transnational cooperation: Schemes

for regional and multi-destination promotion and product development.

■ Measures relevant to the Green

Economy: Special supporting systems for low-carbon energy saving accommodation, funding of eco-friendly tourism infrastructure and revitalizing transportation aimed at the use of renewable energy or organizing zero energy events like cycling festivals and walking marathons.

Countries not featured and wishing to contribute are welcome to contact us: trc@UNWTO.org.

The current report will be updated on a monthly basis whilst information on individual countries will be updated on a weekly basis, available on www.UNWTO.org/trc.

RECOVERY BY REGION & COUNTRY HUMAN RESOURCES

PPP´S

TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION

ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES

TRAVEL FACILITATION

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UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

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ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

Tourism Matters Many governments and decision makers still have some way to go before they recognize tourism as a sector which matters beyond the holiday season. This mirrors one of the main challenges UNWTO has been facing with increasing success: raising the profile of tourism in both political and public perception.

UNWTO News offers three different views – a tourism administration, the private sector and a multi-nation angle - on why tourism should be mainstreamed into general and development policy.

Zoheir Garranah

Pedro Ortún

Jürgen Ringbeck

Egyptian Minister of Tourism

Director, Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry, European Commission

Senior Vice President Booze and Co

“[Many governments] don’t realise how important tourism is to their own economy. In Egypt it represents 11.3% of our GDP, 12.6% of our work force, 19% of the total funds going into the country – that’s how important it is and what it contributes to welfare and prosperity.

“I believe the first task is for all industry stakeholders - public, national governments, regional authorities and the European tourism ministries - to analyse the current situation; the demand prospects, supply implications and after each national government could – and should – take necessary measures.

“It is very sad to see how weak political support for the sector is, particularly in more developed countries. It is not really understood that we have here the key platform to connect the world and transfer finances from developed to developing countries and also transfer ideas and knowledge which is a very important objective – not really matched by the way in which governments are dealing with the sector at the moment.

This industry is resilient, it has proven over time how resilient it is – this industry is very strong by its people and even though it will be a difficult ’09 it is not doomsday – we are going to continue doing our best’.

From day one there has been full cooperation between us and the private sector, we have contributed a lot in co-marketing campaigns, it has proven that we have taken the right path through the measures and stimulus packages we have implemented and whilst we were looking at solving today’s problems we never lost our focus on the future. We want long term solutions.

Thank you.”

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The industry should come to us with a minimum assessment and request measures. We will make contact with the industry ourselves and we will build up a common assessment which the European Commission will release next autumn.

In some Member States the tourism industry has asked for stimulus measures but not at EU level to promote EU measures. The private sector has to make its own assessment of the situation – as other economic branches have done – the tourism industry is perhaps not organised enough at a national or EU level.”

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

What the sector can do is what the mid sized companies are doing in Germany; lobby on the global stage. The tourism sector is very much like a mid sized sector – it does not have a big voice. They have to set up a stronger marketing machine to really get more influence at a global level.”

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

Creating Employment and stimulating the Economy Tourism plays a crucial role in the creation of employment, which is why the sector should be given special consideration during the current economic crisis. While acting upon the hurdles posed by the global recession, the key challenges are to establish sustainable policies to enhance both the quantity and quality of employment in the tourism industry.

ourism as a reliable tool for sustainable job creation was at the centre of the 5th UNWTO International Conference on Tourism Statistics (Bali, Indonesia, 30 March-2 April).

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“Tourism means jobs – a phrase that in the current climate might become the employment mantra of a new generation. The contribution of this sector to the economies of countries cannot be over-emphasized. It is the world's largest industry and every year it pumps billions of dollars into some of the poorest countries in the world. It reduces poverty, builds new roads, airports, hotels and hospitals,” said UNWTO Secretary-General a.i., Taleb Rifai, in his opening address.

Coinciding with current global stimulus efforts, the participants stressed the importance of public-private cooperation, particularly in the framework of advancing the Decent Work Agenda promoted by the International Labour Organization (ILO, a key partner of UNWTO within the UN family).

The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) is the technical and policy tool designed for this end, a powerful brand which should be carefully developed and applied for the measurement of tourism’s contribution to developed and developing economies alike.

UNWTO is committed to offer the necessary technical assistance to its Member States to enable them to measure how many jobs tourism generates in the economy, tourism’s contribution to GDP, and tourism’s ranking in comparison with other sectors of the economy.

The TSA further underscores the potential of tourism and travel in any stimulus package and the shift towards a green economy, as stated in an open message by UNWTO to the G20.

as a productive activity and its potential to generate employment, government income and other benefits whether directly or through induced effects in the economy. This is increasingly important due to the role tourism can play in combating the current crisis.”

More than many other economic sectors, tourism relies on people for its successful development and management. Men and women operating tourism services are indeed

the core element of these industries.

Collaterally, this labour intensive sector, when properly developed and managed, can be one of the major pillars of the local economy of many destinations.

Therefore the Bali Statement on Tourism Statistics and Employment establishes preliminary guidelines for the proper inclusion of the employment issue in tourism policies and for its measurement.

Tourism Satellite Account A Satellite Account is a term developed by the United Nations to measure the size of economic sectors that are not defined as industries in national accounts. Tourism is an amalgam of industries such as transportation, accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment and travel agencies. The full potential of the TSA is reflected in its broad field of technical and policy applications, providing decision-makers with a tool for: • • • • •

policy making; reliable data on the impact of tourism on the economy and on employment; measuring domestic and non-resident tourism and the associated employment; comparisons with other economic sectors; and, in the future, international comparisons.

450 participants from 70 countries and nine international organizations took part in the Conference, which was jointly

Mr. Rifai added that “In many countries, tourism has suffered from a lack of political and popular support because its true economic significance has often been underestimated. Now there is increasing awareness of tourism’s role

organized by UNWTO and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, with the support of the UN Statistics Division (UNSD), the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the ILO and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

http://www.UNWTO.org/statistics/

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

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SPORT & TOURISM

UNWTO Africa 2010 Programme Tourism and sport are two of the undisputed driving forces behind modern society. They also share the responsibility of representing the positive aspects of globalization through their common objectives - closer cultural understanding, peace between nations and sustainable development of destinations.

porting activities have become an important part of today’s tourism supply. This is the potential of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

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In this context, UNWTO held the seminar “How can African destinations make the most out of 2010” (Yaoundé, Cameroun, 16-17 April 2009) within the framework of the 48th meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa.

The event provided the opportunity to listen to and debate with leading international experts in the field of tourism marketing, as well as with representatives of different African countries on the challenges and opportunities for the tourism sector in the framework of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. UNWTO presented its web initiative www.visitafrica.travel, which gained the full support of the participants, including the African Ministers responsible for tourism present at the event.

This initiative will provide a unique platform for African countries to present their destinations and tourism assets to a global audience and hence ultimately to boost tourism across Africa through the continent’s first World Cup.

The platform is expected to be up and running from July 2009.

UNWTO will assist in building up critical complementary elements for the success of this endeavour, including image building, promotion, and human resources development for African countries getting ready to seize the tourism opportunities presented by these major sporting events.

Visiatafrica.travel has a unique characteristic, namely it is also designed to provide capacity building – education, risk management, green transformation, competitiveness and quality.

The platform is provided by Affiliate Member IXeo and is part of the UNWTO / Microsoft public-private-partnership.

www.visitafrica.travel

UNWTO CALENDAR 2009 ■ MAY 7-8

■ JUNE Eighty-fifth session of the Executive Council Bamako (Mali)

14-22 Practicum Headquarters, Madrid 21

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IAST Meeting Headquarters, Madrid

18-19 Eighth meeting of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics San José (Costa Rica)

Meeting of the Core Group of the Tourism Resilience Committee Cairo (Egypt)

■ SEPTEMBER

Fifteenth meeting of the Education and Science Council Headquarters, Madrid

■ OCTOBER

27-28 2009 Ulysses Prize and Awards and Ulysses Conference on Innovation in Tourism Education Headquarters, Madrid

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5

27

2-9

World Tourism Day Accra (Ghana)

Eighteenth session of the General Assembly Astana (Kazakhstan)

■ DECEMBER 14-16 Second Conference on Religious and Cultural Tourism Nara (Japan)

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

RISK & CRISIS MANAGEMENT

sos.travel is a one-stop information portal for emergency information for the travel industry and travellers

Quietly Preparing

In this context, UNWTO’s overriding priority is health and that is why inside the entire UN Family the lead of WHO is followed, while expressing the impacts on travel and tourism.

The potential for a serious AH1N1 pandemic is clearly high, as evidenced by

At this time the extent of the spread, the sustainability and the complete health implications of the virus are still uncertain. The establishment by WHO of level 5 is a high profile manifestation of the spread and of the preparedness. All of this adds to public awareness and engagement but naturally also elevates concern.

Achieving the right balance is a major issue – awareness is key, not abrupt and radical reactions.

the pace of the spread of the disease witnessed during the last week of April. The impact on the tourism sector is closely monitored by UNWTO. rom a health viewpoint, UNWTO defers always to the World Health Organization (WHO) which has the lead in the UN system on this issue.

Together with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), UNWTO has a direct line to express tourism and travel interests.

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Over the past three years, the Organization has been quietly preparing for this kind of situation (see UNWTO News 3/2008, page 13). UNWTO has restructured to increase the capacity for response and industry support – largely as a result of Avian flu preparedness.

UNWTO Preparedness • A dedicated risk and Crisis Management Section (RCM).

• Flu contacts in every Member State.

• Regional simulation exercises and ongoing guidance material.

• Creation and management of TERN (Tourism Emergency Response Network) with some 20 peak industry organizations engaged.

• Launch of sos.travel as a one-stop information portal for emergency information for the travel industry and ultimately for travellers.

There is also understandably an increasing degree of confusion emerging around the issue of whetherit is safe to travel. UNWTO has been very active in pressing for a clear WHO position and is working closely with ICAO to ensure balanced decision making.

Until the first week of May, WHO saw no reason to close borders or restrict travel. This is based on medical, scientific and practical reasons. There is no evidence that it would halt the spread: modelling and past experience confirms this: the economic cost would be enormous. WHO goes further and urges states to resist unilateral action and to consult with them before any such initiative. It maintains that personal hygiene of travellers and immediate medical advice when symptoms of flu appear before, during or after a trip are essential.

UNWTO and TERN Members strongly support this position.

• Our travel media support group that we are now initiating. http://www.sos.travel/

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

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WORLD TOURISM DAY

WTD 2009: Understanding cultural diversity has taken on a new meaning in the context of globalization and the current international geopolitical climate – this is at the centre of 2009’s World Tourism Day Theme; ‘Tourism - Celebrating Diversity’. Sustainable tourism plays an important role in maintaining peace and world unity by building bridges between different cultures and encouraging tolerance through cultural exchange.

highlights tourism as a catalyst for peace, as an activity and experience which builds bridges between cultures. In doing so, tourism strengthens communities, builds livelihoods and inspires understanding.

UNWTO

Ghana hosts WTD 2009

This year’s celebrations will be hosted in Ghana.

The events will mark the 30th Anniversary of World Tourism Day and the benefits the celebration has reaped throughout the years.

Following the success of its past two editions, UNWTO will hold its third annual online photo competition to commemorate World Tourism Day under this year’s theme - photographs which capture how diversity enriches our lives, reflecting the value of sharing different customs and the important role responsible tourism plays in encouraging respect for different cultures and support for local communities. www.UNWTO.org/wtd

Previous World Tourism Day Celebrations Year

Theme

Host Country

2008

Tourism: Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change

Peru

2007

Tourism Opens Doors for Women

Sri Lanka

2006

Tourism Enriches

Portugal

2005

Travel and transport: from the imaginary of Jules Verne to the reality of the 21st century

Qatar

Sport and tourism: two living forces for mutual understanding, culture and the development of societies

Malaysia

Tourism: a driving force for poverty alleviation, job creation and social harmony

Algeria

2002

Ecotourism, the key to sustainable development

Costa Rica

2001

Tourism: a toll for peace and dialogue among civilizations

Islamic Republic of Iran

2000

Technology and nature: two challenges for tourism at the dawn of the twenty-first century

Germany

1999

Tourism: preserving world heritage for the new millennium

Chile

1998

Public-private sector partnership: the key to tourism development and promotion

Mexico

What is World Tourism Day? 2004 The main purpose of World Tourism Day (WTD) is to promote awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.

WTD is to be commemorated on 27 September each year by appropriate events on themes selected by the General Assembly, on recommendation of UNWTO' s Executive Council.

This date was chosen to coincide with an important milestone in world tourism: the anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on the 27th of September 1970. www.UNWTO.org/wtd/

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2003

http://UNWTO.org/wtd/prev/en/prev.php?op=4

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

WORLD TOURISM DAY

WTD 2008: Photo Competition o coincide with the WTD 2008 theme “Tourism Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change”, UNWTO launched its annual online photo competition demonstrating climate solutions in tourism – business and leisure travel – from around the

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world. The entries were required to showcase actions undertaken to help respond to climate change by tourism stakeholders.

UNWTO was flooded with hundreds of entries from all over the world.

A panel of experts eventually picked one overall winner and four runners up. The photos were chosen not just for their artistic merit but also for their ability to illustrate climate solutions in tourism.

1st Prize - Cyclades windmill and how we should consider of turning back time and produce harmless energy – Greece, by Rossitsa Antonova 4th Prize Wireless Blue Sky at a Desert.

Resort/Tourists on village safari are drawn to a village famous for hand woven rugs. An awarded craftsmen uses solar energy to protect the serene environment – India, by Tripti Pandey

2nd Prize - WASTE? Think again! Reused inner tire tube, rented as float on the Pasir Panjang beach – Indonesia,

by Indah Waty

3rd Prize - Cultural Exchange between ancestral and modern culture through solar panels to avoid environmental pollution – Peru, by Karla Carrillo

5th Prize - Plant a tree to save our planet earth – India, by Ilangovan. N

UNWTO: Committed to Tourism, Travel and the Millennium Development Goals

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GREEN ECONOMY

UNWTO calls on Tourism Leaders to join the Green Economy UNWTO stresses that tourism can play an integral role in stimulus packages and the shift towards a Green Economy.

The current need for global stimulus should be linked with the transformational potential of a green economy.

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ourism can contribute through carbon-clean operations, jobs in environment management and energy-efficient construction, whilst aiding countries to restore their damaged economies in line with the Davos Declaration Process.

Within the UN framework, UNWTO is promoting the tourism sector as a leader in the transformation towards a green economy and encouraging investment in green infrastructure –airports, high speed rail, roads and ports.

UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General, Geoffrey Lipman, said “The industry is increasingly committed to climate response. Our carbon emissions, at 5% of the total, are significant but manageable with adaptation and new technology. Poor countries, who need more visitors for their development agenda, will need special financial support to help them make the changes necessary to become climate neutral. Investment in Green Tourism will pay massive dividends and send positive signals to consumers around the world.”

A new climate deal is expected to be reached at the UN Climate Change Conference this December in Copenhagen. The key objective is to lower emissions to tolerable levels, through use of clean energy and shared responsibility and benefits by all states.

the tourism sector with the necessary tools to influence decision makers and highlight tourism’s undisputed potential to help overcome the current situation. The Organization’s research on the relationship between climate change and tourism is now being expanded in conjunction with the World Economic Forum and leading travel and transport companies.

This includes enhanced carbon footprint measurement, new approaches to transport, supporting transformational initiatives (i.e. Rainforest Alliance Certification Framework and UNEP’ s Green Passport) and trying to balance growth with carbon impact reduction.

Tourism and the Green New Deal The UN system strongly supports the “New Green Deal” movement by integrating three critical components: • tough new climate response measures which don’t stall growth, • major financing incentives for clean energy initiatives, • green trade & development support for developing economies Tourism: • relies heavily on climate and nature, • is a unique catalyst for other economic sectors, • is a great communicator of the ‘green’ message, • has only scratched the surface of its green potential.

UNWTO’ s efforts are being increased in order to provide Members and

World Tourism Organization Capitán Haya, 42 28020 Madrid, Spain Tel.: +34-91-567-8100, Fax: +34-91-571-3733 comm@UNWTO.org www.UNWTO.org