Zurab Pololikashvili: What We Believe About Tourism

It may have taken a global pandemic for the world to wake up to its vital importance, but now we have arrived at this point, there must be no going back to taking the sector for granted

ZURAB POLOLIKASHVILI has been Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since January 2018. Prior to this, he worked in a number of high-level roles in both the private and public sectors.

Tourism is a uniquely powerful force for positive transformation. Moreover, it’s a force that is standing ready to fully realise its enormous potential. This a belief based on facts, and it is one shared by everyone across our huge sector and, increasingly, beyond it too.

Such a certainty is built on solid foundations. In 2019, we recorded 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals. Tourism employed hundreds of millions of people and had long been a reliable provider of opportunity for women, youth and those living outside of big cities. It had become an established economic pillar, growing to be the third-largest export category in the world, and it is especially important for developing states.

When the pandemic hit, bringing international travel to a near-complete standstill, such a belief in the overwhelmingly positive significance of tourism was momentarily called into question. Clear skies, quiet beaches and empty city streets were even celebrated by a few. But almost right away, tourism’s relevance became all too clear – precisely because of its absence. Those clear skies meant an abrupt halt to tourism’s trade flows supporting small businesses in developing world destinations, which in recent years have embraced the sector to kick-start their economies. And empty cities shocked small businesses, which are tourism’s strongest muscle, while denying museums and galleries the resources they need to protect our valuable cultural heritage and preserve it for future generations.

The restart of international tourism is now underway, bringing hope to many millions of people in every part of the world. But this is not the time for ill-conceived nostalgia. A return to 2019 is not our goal – looking backwards never is! Our societies have changed forever, and so too must our ambitions. Pre-pandemic tourist numbers might serve as a benchmark to reflect tourism’s potential. But looking ahead, we have a unique chance to relaunch the sector along a different path, one fully aligned with the wider goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Let me be clear: our belief in the return of tourism to drive positive change is not the same as having blind faith in the power of the sector. We recognize that tourism can – and must – do better. We must also recognize that, for good or bad, the consequences of tourism aren’t just felt by us. At the same time, leaders outside of the sector must appreciate that the leisure facets of tourism are just the tip of a tall and broad pyramid, one that touches on almost every part of our economies and societies.

Tourism is prepared to fulfil its potential to help deliver a better future for people and planet. We are not starting from scratch. Much progress has been made, and awareness of responsible and sustainable travel has been growing significantly over recent years. But now we must ensure that good intentions are always matched by corresponding actions. And this can only be achieved if sustainable development moves from the periphery to the core of decision making every part of tourism, both in the private and public sectors.

UNWTO – the voice of tourism in the UN and the sector’s global leader - advocates for a robust and integrated policy framework and effective, accountable and democratic systems of governance. We also call for new and more effective ways of directing funding and investments into tourism, creating the incentives for money to arrive to where it will make the biggest difference.

Investing in tourism delivers significant dividends which transcend the sector. For decades now, but particularly in recent years, tourism has led from the front in unleashing the power of digital to bring opportunities for all. The sector is a hub of innovation, not just in big Western cities but also in the developing world. In many parts of developing Africa, for example, we see tourism being driven forward by start-ups and entrepreneurs, many of them getting online and becoming economically independent for the first time because of tourism. And everywhere, we see our sector disrupting the old way of doing things and advancing new business models, while at the same time promoting international solidarity and reinforcing positive values such as cooperation, trust and peace.

Again, tourism’s relevance is now more apparent than ever. It may have taken a global pandemic for the world to wake up to its vital importance, but now we have arrived at this point, there must be no going back to taking the sector for granted. In May 2022, the United Nations General Assembly held its first-ever debate on tourism, focusing on the sector’s essential role in inclusive growth – that is, making sure nobody is left behind as we try and build our economies back up again. High-level political recognition has never been higher, nor words of support so clearly backed up with actions. Tourism is also on the agenda of many of our fellow United Nations agencies and other international organizations as well as governments, reflecting its importance for everything from gender equality and poverty reduction to wildlife conservation. Our belief in the power of tourism is now front and centre in policies that will shape the years ahead.

As humans we have a deep-found belief in the restorative or transformative power of exploring, movement and discovering. This has made tourism one of the most resilient economic sectors on the planet, allowing it to bounce back in new shapes after having confronted insecurity and unrest and natural disasters. Now, it’s leaping back again, with massive amounts of pent-up demand being unleashed everywhere. As it does, we must learn the lessons of the global standstill and always remember why tourism matters beyond its own natural boundaries. We are on the right track – public recognition of tourism’s potential is growing, and so too is political support for the sector. We must seize this momentum. We must overcame the false trade-off between sustainable growth and economic opportunity, as tourism shows that they are natural allies! We can shape a tourism that works for everyone and justifies our belief in the transformative power of a sector where people are the biggest asset and where they must be the biggest winners.