UNWTO at FITUR 2023: investment in a diverse and sustainable future

At FITUR 2023, UNWTO served as a bridge between public and private leaders to advance plans to build a more diverse, resilient and sustainable tourism sector

With the latest UNWTO data pointing to a return to pre-pandemic arrival levels in some regions of the world by 2023, Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili once again joined His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain at the inauguration of the major travel trade fair. Reflecting the Organization’s priorities, UNWTO placed investment in tourism, rural development, diversification, sustainability and accessibility at center stage for four days.

Investment and trust-
building In the context of FITUR, UNWTO and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) strengthened their existing partnership to further advance UNWTO’s work to attract and retain investment in tourism. The partnership will include the production of tourism investment guidelines, initially focused on Barbados, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama and Uruguay. Both organizations will develop frameworks to attract, promote, and retain foreign direct investment in sustainable tourism initiatives in the Americas.

The UNWTO recognized the progress made in rethinking the role of tourism in the economies and societies of the region. The President of the Republic of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, and the Executive President of the Banco Popular of the Dominican Republic, Christopher Paniagua, were formally recognized by UNWTO for their commitment to integrating tourism into economic policy and financing, respectively. At FITUR, President Giammattei also confirmed Guatemala’s adherence to the UNWTO International Tourist Protection Code.

Expand the scope of tourism.
As part of UNWTO’s work to diversify the sector and enhance its status as a driver of rural development, the Spanish province of La Rioja was announced as the host of the 7th UNWTO World Wine Tourism Conference later this year. Secretary General Pololikashvili, the President of La Rioja, Concha Andreu, and the Minister of Tourism of Spain, Reyes Maroto, highlighted the importance of the growing wine tourism sector to protect culture and support employment and local businesses.

UNWTO also recognized the importance of shopping tourism, with particular reference to its close links with leisure and gastronomy. A Memorandum of Understanding, signed by UNWTO and WOW Concept, will see the two work together to promote responsible urban tourism through joint promotions and events, as well as through joint efforts to monitor and share trends in tourism consumption. To further diversify the reach and impact of the sector, UNWTO also partnered with the Croatian National Tourism Office to announce the Second World Sports Tourism Congress. The agreement, signed by the Croatian Minister of Tourism and Sports, Nikolina Brnjac, will see the event take place in the city of Zadar on April 26 and 27.

Tourism for all
To rethink accessible travel, UNWTO, the ONCE Foundation and the Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE) co-organized a Seminar on Tourism for All, which brought together national tourism administrations, destinations, companies and professional associations from the industry, highlighting the role of accessibility for social inclusion and business opportunity. The partners presented tools aimed at implementing the UNE-ISO 21902 international standard on Accessible Tourism for All, including a new guide to apply it to accommodation and hospitality companies.

Sustainability: On land and in the oceans
UNWTO continued to accelerate the pace of tourism towards a more sustainable future. The Mexican state of Yucatán, home to some of the country’s top tourist destinations, is the latest addition to UNWTO’s International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO). INSTO, already numbering over 30 around the world, monitors the impact of tourism on local economies and habitats, enabling smarter, data-driven policymaking.

UNWTO concluded its week at FITUR by organizing a special meeting on Tourism for the Ocean and Climate Action at its headquarters in Madrid. With the participation of the Member of the European Parliament Catherine Chabaut, as well as Ruben Eiras, Secretary General of Forum Oceano, Paul Holhtus, Founding President of the World Ocean Council and Josiane Sadaka, Executive Director of Blue Carbon LLC, the event included UNWTO’s confirmation of its support for the BlueCOP28 and Dubai Blue Pact initiatives. For his work in driving tourism towards greater sustainability, Frédéric Degret, founder and CEO of NOAH ReGen, was appointed UNWTO Special Adviser for Oceans and Climate Emergencies.

Strengthening relationships
FITUR 2023 provided the opportunity for UNWTO to strengthen relationships with leaders from the public and private sectors. The Secretary General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili, held a series of bilateral meetings to continue providing services to the Member States of the Organization. The UNWTO leadership met with the new Minister of Tourism of Jordan, Makram Mustafa Al-Qaisi, with the Minister of Tourism of Uruguay, Tabaré Viera; Deputy Minister of Tourism of Georgia, Nuno Fazenda, Minister of Tourism of Portugal, Mariam Kvrivishvili, Nuno Fazenda, Minister of Tourism of Portugal, Minister of Tourism of Nigeria, Lai Mohammed, Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, as well as the Minister of Tourism from Puerto Rico Carlos Mercado, and also with Dario Item, Ambassador in Spain of the new UNWTO Member State, Antigua and Barbuda.

Secretary General Pololikashvili reaffirmed UNWTO’s strong support for Ukrainian citizens and highlighted the role of tourism for future recovery and as a pillar of peace. Meetings have also been held with the mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, the mayor of Skiathos Thodoris Tzoumas and the Israeli ambassador to Spain, Rodica Radian-Gordon.