Tag Archives: UNWTO

The UNWTO Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East, calls for women entrepreneurs from all over the world and based in the Arab region willing to grow their tech startup in the tourism industry, and provide sustainable solutions to the sector. Startups must be led, owned or managed by women in the Middle East, residing in any of the following countries: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. Be an Idea Stage, Early Stage or Series A startups with a minimum viable product or idea that is ready to be developed and funded. Have a full-time team, a tested pilot and business plan. Be scalable with potential for international growth. According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), women make up most of the tourist workforce in major parts of the world. UNWTO is always committed to gender equality, as mandated in Sustainable Development Goal 5, referring to women empowerment by supporting women’s rights and improving their participation in the business realm. UNWTO’s global report on tourism found that more than 54% of people employed in the tourism are women, while in the Arab world, women represent 8% of the regional tourist workforce. UNWTO is continuously seizing opportunities to highlight the role of women in the tourism sector, and particularly Arab women. Technology has become a driven tool for all travelers and tourism businesses. In the Arab region, 34% of tech focused startups were founded by women, and 57% of science technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduates are women. UNWTO is committed to support Arab entrepreneurs, boosting their tourism business careers. Hence, the industry is always searching for businesswomen with …

Jordan will serve as the Chair of the Commission for the Middle East for the period 2023 to 2025. Egypt and Kuwait will serve as the Vice Chairs. Tourism leaders from across the Middle East met to guide the sector’s development across the region, including as a driver of inclusive employment and rural development. The 49th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Middle East brought high-level delegations from 12 countries together at the Dead Sea, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to assess the current state of tourism in the region and advance shared plans for its future. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism has shown its resilience in the face of crisis. And now, recovery is well underway – with all the challenges and opportunities this brings. For the Middle East, tourism represents an unrivalled driver of employment and opportunity, as well as economic diversification and resilience.”  

According to the latest data from UNWTO, the Middle East saw the strongest performance as the only region exceeding 2019 arrivals (+15%) and the first to recover pre-pandemic numbers in a full quarter. International tourism is well on its way to returning to pre-pandemic levels, with twice as many people travelling during the first quarter of 2023 than in the same period of 2022. Overall, international arrivals reached 80% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023. An estimated 235 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months, more than double the same period of 2022. Tourism has continued to show its resilience. Revised data for 2022 shows over 960 million tourists travelling internationally last year, meaning two-thirds (66%) of pre-pandemic numbers were recovered. Europe reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong intra-regional demand. Africa reached 88% and the Americas about 85% of 2019 levels whilst Asia and the Pacific accelerated its recovery with  54% of pre-pandemic levels, but this upward trend is set to accelerate now that most destinations, particularly China, have re-opened. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The start of the year has shown again tourism’s unique ability to bounce back. In many places, we are close to or even above pre-pandemic levels of arrivals. However, we must remain alert to challenges ranging from geopolitical insecurity, staffing shortages, and the potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis on tourism, and we must ensure tourism’s return delivers on its responsibilities as a solution to the climate emergency and as a driver of inclusive development.” International tourism receipts grew back to hit the USD1 trillion mark in 2022, growing 50% in real terms compared to 2021, driven by …

As part of work on tourism for rural development, UNWTO has concluded its first Executive Training for the Middle East Programme. Under the theme ‘Tourism for Rural Development: A Practical Approach to Strategy and Product Development’, the three-day session was held at the UNWTO Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh to address the underlying needs for continuous skills development for ensuring up to date learning, adaptation, and innovation. Sultan AlMusallam, Deputy Minister for International Affairs, Saudi Ministry of Tourism said: “This training programme demonstrates how determined and keen the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UNWTO are to promote the role of the Regional Office for the Middle East, and to provide every support and assistance possible to the Member States of the Organization in the region.” Opening the programme, Zoritsa Urosevic, UNWTO Executive Director said: “In the post-pandemic world, the role of tourism in rural development is more relevant than ever. Rural tourism has a high potential to empower local communities, stimulate local economic growth and social change.” “Our Member States see rural tourism as a priority and we trust this training will support them for continuous learning, adaptation, and innovation. It aims to provide them with the adequate knowledge and capacities to plan and manage tourism in rural territories in a way that contributes to inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development,” she added. The training session was aimed at managers in charge of rural tourism in National Tourism Administrations from across the region. Around 35 participants from 10 countries joined present, representing Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Sessions focused on issues such as incorporating sustainability dimensions in …

AVIAREPS and the World Tourism Organization UNWTO announced a partnership to join forces and support the development and growth of the international tourism sector in selected European UNWTO member countries. This will be achieved through the award of a full-service destination marketing grant and four research grants. AVIAREPS, an Affiliate Member of the UNWTO, will provide a diverse 360° portfolio of destination marketing and research services free of charge to a total of five countries chosen by UNWTO. The UNWTO + AVIAREPS Destination Marketing Grant will include a suite of digital marketing services such as campaign websites, landing pages, webinars, online press conferences, e-learning programmes and virtual events provided via the AVIAREPS Ecosystem. The Digital Ecosystem is AVIAREPS’ brand-new all-in-one marketing hub for the travel industry, which empowers everyone to market their destination and product to a global community online via a platform that combines several digital marketing services into one unified hub. The service portfolio furthermore includes Influencer Marketing services via AVIAREPS’ matchmaking platform Swayfluence, which takes the guesswork out of influencer marketing by making quality connections between brands and influencers for authentic and impactful campaigns. While the pandemic put the travel industry worldwide on hold, AVIAREPS was quick to invest in digital innovations to diversify its service portfolio. Through ongoing consultations with industry leaders, state-of-the-art digital services, that are economical and answer the specific challenges faced by destination marketing organisations, are now available through these efforts. It is hoped that this suite of digital services will be able to benefit all countries and regions to rebound quickly and sustainably following the effects of the pandemic. In addition to the Ecosystem and Swayfluence services, the UNWTO + AVIAREPS Destination …

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the specialized agency of the United Nations for tourism development, and the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), an esteemed investment platform in the Middle East, have strengthened their cooperation around common interests in tourism-related investments. The two parties will work together to harness the power of tourism to drive global development and to accelerate the implementation of the agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), particularly now that economies are now starting to recover from the pandemic. UNWTO and AIM, through this new Memorandum of Understanding, have formally committed to jointly support the following goals: the effective implementation of the agenda 2030 and the 17 SDGs through tourism investments, and the promotion of innovation and technology. UNWTO and AIM’s collaborative works related to investment facilitation and promotion will see them share and disseminate knowledge regarding investment policies among their stakeholders and networks and maximize foreign direct investments’ positive economic impact on the sector. UNWTO is the leading international organization in the field of tourism. It promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development, environmental sustainability and aims to drive the digitalization of tourism and to create an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Organization offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide. AIM provides an invaluable and unparalleled opportunity for public and private entities to come together to achieve their shared vision of growth and sustainability. Anchored around the theme of “The Investment Paradigm Shift: Future Investment Opportunities To Foster Sustainable Economic Growth, Diversity and Prosperity,” this year’s AIM edition will focus on 10 key sectors that include Tourism & Hospitality, among others. In line with the two …

According to new data UNWTO, more than 900 million tourists travelled internationally in 2022 – double the number recorded in 2021 though still 63% of pre-pandemic levels. Every global region recorded notable increases in international tourist numbers. The Middle East enjoyed the strongest relative increase as arrivals climbed to 83% of pre-pandemic numbers. Europe reached nearly 80% of pre-pandemic levels as it welcomed 585 million arrivals in 2022. Africa and the Americas both recovered about 65% of their pre-pandemic visitors, while Asia and the Pacific reached only 23%, due to stronger pandemic-related restrictions which have started to be removed only in recent months. The first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of 2023 also analyses performance by region and looks at top performers in 2022, including several destinations which have already recovered 2019 levels. After stronger than expected recovery in 2022, this year could see international tourism arrivals return to pre-pandemic levels in the Middle East and Europe. Tourists are nonetheless expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel closer to home in response to the challenging economic climate. Based on UNWTO’s forward-looking scenarios for 2023, global international tourist arrivals could reach 80% to 95% of pre-pandemic levels this year, depending on the extent of the economic slowdown, the ongoing recovery of travel in Asia and the Pacific and the evolution of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, among other factors. UNWTO anticipates a strong year for the sector even in the face of diverse challenges including the economic situation and continued geopolitical uncertainty. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “A new year brings more reason for optimism for global tourism. UNWTO anticipates a strong year for the sector even in the face …

Umm Qais, a village in northern Jordan, has been named among the ‘Best Tourism Villages 2022’ by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), as a recognition of its commitment to innovation and sustainability. Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Nayef Fayez, said that putting the village of Umm Qais on the list is a push factor for tourism in Jordan, and will contribute to empowering local communities, and increasing job opportunities. “This achievement comes within the ministry’s vision, and in compliance with its tourism development plan through the Jordan National Tourism Strategy 2021-2025, which places the tourism sector at the heart of Jordan’s economy and society,” he added. To celebrate the achievement, festivals, art exhibitions, forums, and showcases of industries and handicrafts, will be held in the village. Umm Qais and 135 villages were put forward for consideration by UNWTO Member States based on a set of criteria covering cultural and natural resources, promotion and conservation of cultural resources, economic sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability, tourism development, governance and prioritization of tourism, infrastructure and connectivity, and health, safety, and security. The Best Tourism Villages initiative is the flagship project of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Program. It aims to ensure tourism contributes to reducing regional inequalities in income and development, fighting depopulation, progressing gender equality and women’s and youth empowerment, and advancing innovation and digitalization. It also focuses on improving connectivity, infrastructure, access to finance and investment, innovating in product development and value chain integration, promoting sustainable practices for more efficient use of resources and a reduction of emissions and waste, and enhancing education and skills. The village of Umm Qais lays in the north western corner of Jordan, on the …

During COP15 in Montreal, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (the Alliance) announced a new collaboration which will bring together the public and private sectors in a shared vision to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The vision sees the global Travel & Tourism sector supporting and inspiring governments, businesses, and society to implement the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and help to transform our relationship with the natural world. Signatories to the vision have committed to adopt a nature positive approach to tourism through integrating biodiversity safeguards by reducing carbon emissions, the impact of pollution, the unsustainable use of resources, and by protecting and restoring nature and its wildlife. This collaboration follows the release of WTTC’s ‘Nature Positive Travel & Tourism’ report, which was created jointly with ANIMONDIAL, and focuses on halting and reversing damage to nature so the living world can recover from its current depleted state. This involves minimising ongoing harm and taking positive action to restore nature to produce an overall benefit to biodiversity and help achieve Net Zero. Almost 150 organisations have signed up to the vision so far including international hotel groups, tour operators, travel agents, destinations, and international wildlife charities. Complementing the power of the private sector, UNWTO, as the voice of tourism at the global governance level, will work to bring governments and international organisations on board and announce the shared vision of tourism as a pillar of wildlife conservation and habitat protection. Progress will also be guided by UNWTO’s trusted data and analysis, including groundbreaking Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) initiative and its growing International Network of Sustainable …

Saudi is the fastest growing tourism destination in the G20. Saudi Arabia’s exponential sector growth has seen an extraordinary +121% increase from pre-pandemic international tourism levels as recognized by the newly published UNWTO Tourism Barometer. The substantial tourism recovery recognizes not only Saudi’s considerable investment in tourism, but also the country’s pioneering leadership in future-proofing its tourism sector. Saudi was swift in its response to the pandemic and rolled out vaccines to ensure high immunization rates quickly which accelerated the easing of restrictions and the reopening of the country to tourists. The government also implemented several measures aimed at supporting companies and employees working in the tourism sector thereby mitigating the effects of the pandemic. Tourism is a key pillar of Saudi’s transformative Vision 2030 and the country has ambitious goals to ensure that tourism contributes 10% of the country’s GDP by 2030, with one million jobs created along the way. According to the UNWTO Tourism Barometer, the global tourism sector saw international tourist arrivals almost triple from January to July 2022 (+172%) compared to the same period of 2021. This means the sector recovered to almost 60% of pre-pandemic levels. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, and Chairman of the Board of Saudi Tourism Authority said: “Recognition of Saudi’s achievements in the UNWTO Tourism Barometer is a key milestone in our extraordinary recovery and much of the success lies in our leadership’s multipronged approach to managing the pandemic and accelerating the sector’s pace of recovery. Saudi opened to the world in September 2019 and through continued leadership and commitment, we have made incomparable progress toward realizing our ambitious Vision 2030 tourism goals. We are …