Tourexpi
Tourism returns – why
ITB matters
ITB Berlin is the
world's biggest tourism and travel trade fair. This week's event was the first
in-person ITB for four years and comes as the sector's recovery is well
underway. According to UNWTO, international tourism could reach 80 to 95% of
pre-pandemic numbers by the end of the year, with 70 million international
arrivals recorded in January alone (more than double the number of January
2022).
The return of ITB was
heralded by UNWTO as proof of strong confidence in travel as "the
ultimate barometer of trust". UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili
was invited to officially open the event, alongside Germany's Vice-Chancellor
Robert Habeck, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Berlin Mayor
Franziska Giffey, and public and private sector leaders.
Education and
Investment: Key Priorities for Tourism
At the official ITB
opening, UNWTO reinforced the importance of education, training and investments
for tourism's ability to deliver on its potential.
In Berlin, UNWTO
announced a new partnership that will see the Organization work with Saudi
Arabia to promote education and professional development in
tourism.
Alongside this, UNWTO
also signed a new agreement with the Business School of Lucerne University of
Applied Sciences and Arts to partner towards the creation of a new Bachelor of
Science degree in International Sustainable Tourism.
The key message of
investing in people was also stressed as UNWTO took part in a special Industry
Roundtable. The event built on UNWTO's status as the bridge between the public
and private sectors. Recognizing the vital need for more and better-targeted
investments to put transformative plans into action, UNWTO also confirmed
that World Tourism Day 2023 will be celebrated around the theme
of "Tourism and Green Investments".
Accelerating tourism
climate action
Against the backdrop
of ITB Berlin, UNWTO released a new report highlighting the progress that global
tourism has made in measuring greenhouse gas emissions. "Climate Action in the Tourism Sector" was
developed by UNWTO with support from the German Government and in collaboration
with UN Climate Change (UNFCCC). The recommendations will help ensure more
reliable measurements of GHG emissions towards fulfilling the commitments of
the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.
Tourism for all
ITB 2023 coincided
with International Women's Day. To mark the occasion, UNWTO was joined by
UN Women to present a summary of the achievements of the "Centre Stage: Women's empowerment during the
COVID-19 recovery" project. The initiative made clear the
extent to which women working in tourism were particularly impacted by the
pandemic. And while tourism remains a leading employer of women, UNWTO and
UN Women jointly stress that the sector is still to deliver on its women's
empowerment potential.
Finally, to further
advance the diversification of the sector and the growth of areas that can
deliver new benefits, a special UNWTO Roundtable Discussion on "Connecting
Sports Tourism to Health" was held at ITB ahead of the 2nd World Congress
Tourism Congress in Zadar, Croatia (26-27 April).
Image Credit: ©
UNWTO
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