UN Tourism Calls on G20 Ministers to Make Tourism a Driver of Inclusion

International

Secretary-General Pololikashvili stresses tourism’s role in sustainable development, peace and socio-economic progress

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili has urged G20 Tourism Ministers to strengthen multilateral collaboration and harness tourism as a force for inclusion. Addressing the meeting under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, he highlighted that “strengthening multilateralism through tourism will deliver results in socio-economic inclusion, sustainable development, peace and understanding.”

Focus on inclusion and sustainability

Pololikashvili welcomed South Africa’s leadership, noting: “More than a motto, the theme for South Africa’s G20 Presidency ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’, reminds us that Equality and Sustainability can only be achieved through targeted policies, unified efforts and mutual support among countries – a recognition that in an interconnected world, the challenges faced by one country can have ripple effects globally.”

The G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting addressed four priorities of South Africa’s Presidency:

· Enhancing travel and tourism startups and MSMEs through digital innovations

· Tourism financing and investment for equality and sustainable development

· Air connectivity for seamless travel

· Building resilience for inclusive, sustainable tourism growth

· Digital transformation and financing for development

With international tourist arrivals rising by 5% in the first half of 2025, according to the latest World Tourism Barometer, Pololikashvili underlined the importance of advancing digital transformation, development financing, and investment in resilient ecosystems. “There will be no resilience without sustainability,” he said.

He called for stronger support for innovation, stressing that emerging technologies can transform tourism MSMEs – the backbone of the sector – but only with adequate financing and programmes to bridge the digital divide and foster inclusion.

Tourism’s importance for developing countries

Pololikashvili highlighted the crucial role of tourism for many developing economies: “For many developing countries, including Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, tourism is a major source of employment, foreign exchange and tax revenues. Yet, the sector continues to be overlooked as a tool for development, with the total Official Development Assistance disbursements for tourism remaining below 0.11% of total ODA.”

Africa’s role in the global agenda

Closing his remarks, Pololikashvili pointed to Africa’s leadership within the G20 framework: “Africa is home to 19% of the world’s population, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. The opportunities the continent offers in tourism are many. Unlocking tourism investment and development for jobs and inclusion is a core priority of the UN Tourism Agenda for Africa.”

G20 economies and tourism

UN Tourism serves as Knowledge Partner for the South African G20 Presidency. G20 economies represent around 70% of all international tourist arrivals and exports worldwide, and 83% of global tourism GDP. The sector directly accounted for 3.1% of G20 GDP in 2023, 5% of all exports, and 23% of service exports in 2024.