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United nations world tourism organization (unwto).

Activity Start date ongoing:  Ongoing Activity End date ongoing:  Ongoing Activity:  UNWTO takes charge of the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. UNWTOpromotes the value of tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmentalsustainability, and offers leadership and support in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.Recognizing the UNWTO’s role in promoting the potential of tourism in fighting poverty and achieving the SDGs,the UN General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development(IY2017) and as of July 2017, UNWTO features on the DAC/OECD’s list of development assistance organizations.Tourism is included in SDG 14: ‘Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources forsustainable development’ (besides the SDG 8: ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth,full and productive employment and decent work for all and SDG 12: ‘Sustainable Consumption and Production’).Nevertheless, given its cross-cutting nature, it can advance on all 17 SDGs.• In recent years, several capacity-building activities have been carried out by UNWTO and its member states(on a bilateral or regional level) and also with the support of some of the UNWTO Sustainable TourismObservatories in various coastal countries. An example of such a successful project could be the COASTproject (http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/documents/Non_recurrent_e_publication_Oceans_final.pdf).• UNWTO pays special attention also to the situation of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and to theirchallenges related to the development of a sustainable tourism.• Given the importance attached by UNWTO to the maritime, coastal and inland water tourism, upon theproposal of the Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness, the 22nd General Assembly adopted in China, inSeptember 2017 the definition of “Maritime, coastal and inland water tourism”. The adopted definitions areavailable on this page: http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/ctc_definitions_en_web.pdf. Objectives:  Promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism including maritime, coastal and inland water tourism Lead Organization/Partners :  United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Scope of Activity:  Global Websites:  http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/documents/Non_recurrent_e_publication_Oceans_final.pdf http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/ctc_definitions_en_web.pdf Activity Start date:  Ongoing Activity End date:  Ongoing Submitted By:  Relevant Stakeholder Relevant Stakeholder:  United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

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Community-Based Tourism For All: Staying Ahead of the Curve with Inclusive Tourism

April 25, 2023.

Community-Based Tourism For All

Pattamon Rungchavalnont

Head of Solutions Mapping, Accelerator Lab, Thailand

Recognizing that tourism is one of the main drivers of Thailand’s economic development, the Accelerator Lab Thailand has embarked on a journey to support the growing momentum for sustainable tourism, balancing economic, social, and environmental development. The Lab focuses on sustainable community-based tourism (CBT) – a tourism management model that applies a ‘by the local people for the local people’ principle. CBT has great potential to be a champion for sustainable tourism because local people are the bearers of tourism impacts, both positive and negative, so they have the incentive to manage it in a sustainable way. However, the tourism landscape has changed rapidly in the past few years, calling for adjustments in the sector. Inclusive tourism is one that can have a major effect on the industry as global demographic trends are shifting. Thailand's tourism needs to foster the kind of tourism that allows everyone, regardless of their abilities, to enjoy the tourism experience – make it 'tourism for all'. This is not only to drive the Leave No One Behind agenda but also a market opportunity not to be missed. 

When it comes to tourism for all, CBT faces an even greater challenge compared to large-scale tourism businesses. For instance, building infrastructures that comply with universal design principles usually requires a large investment and technical knowledge that may not be available in the local communities. Thus, disability inclusion is often left untouched because people believe that they do not have the resources to do anything. The Accelerator Lab Thailand seeks to challenge this assumption. We believe that local communities can develop ‘CBT for all’ by starting with initiatives that do not have to always wait for large-scale investment but leverage existing solutions and capitals. The key is to connect the perspectives of persons with disabilities (PWD) and co-design tourism for all offers together. Small tweaks in physical facilities and changing mindsets can have a greater impact than we imagine. The Lab began with an exercise to understand the tourism experience of PWD and build the capacity of our partners to search for grassroots innovations to leverage from existing local solutions. Based on these insights, we will later work with pilot communities to prototype solutions on CBT for all. 

Why inclusive tourism: Disability inclusion is everyone’s matter?

To some, disability inclusion may seem like a niche issue but if we examine the concept closely, we will realize that disability is much closer to all of us than we may think. Over the course of our lifetime, we can observe different abilities in ourselves – from being a toddler in a stroller to an aging person with progressing visual and hearing impairment or an elderly wheelchair user, to name a few possibilities. We are all ‘differently abled’ at some point. Therefore, disability inclusion does not only benefit PWDs but also a much wider population, especially in countries where aging is an acute phenomenon. In Thailand, approximately 3% of the population or over 2 million people register as PWDs (Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, 2021) but the population aged over 60 years old is increasing rapidly – from 5% in 1997 to 15% in 2021. Globally, the population aged 65 and over is also growing fast with the projection to rise from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050 which will be more than twice the number of children under age 5 (United Nations Population Division, 2022). Advancements in healthcare not only allow people to live longer but also enable the elder generations to travel and enjoy discovering the world more than past generations. With the availability of time and financial resources, elderly tourists also have the potential to stay longer and spend more than younger travelers. Considering this growing demand in the domestic as well as international tourism market, it would be a major missed opportunity if Thailand does not start developing tourism for all now. 

The people closest to the problem always know best 

Many would say Thai people are very kind and often offer to help PWDs. While there is nothing wrong with kindness, the concept of equality and inclusiveness must be further promoted in Thai society. Seeing PWDs as a vulnerable group that always needs others to ‘help out’ prevents us from treating them as equal and capable change agents who have the best insights into the pain points and potential solutions. As a result, it is not uncommon to find many solutions developed for PWDs but not by PWDs, missing the chance to effectively address the problems. For this reason, the Accelerator Lab Thailand started with an attempt to understand the tourism experience of PWDs and perspectives as a prerequisite for our CBT for all development journey. 

Part 1: Looking from PWD Perspectives

The Lab launched an online survey as well as conducted a focus group discussion to collect and better understand the perspectives of people with different types of disabilities: physical locomotion, visual, hearing, mental/behavioral, intellectual, learning, and autistic disabilities. The exercise revealed many interesting insights. For one, PWD enjoys traveling like everyone else; although the majority (44%) take only one to two trips per year, 30% actually take more than five domestic trips annually. Traveling with family is the most popular option but 21% stated that they travel with their friends with disabilities and 12% travel alone. The misconception of PWDs dependency on people without disabilities is here clearly being challenged. In terms of tourism experience, challenges, and recommendations for development, their reflections vary depending on their types of disabilities. 

• People with physical locomotion disabilities reported problems with facilities for PWD e.g. the lack of wheelchair ramps, handrails, narrow doors, etc. as the top challenge. Even where PWD facilities are in place, there are also issues with actual usage e.g. PWD car parking space occupied by non-PWD, PWD toilet not up to standard or used as a storage room, etc. 
• Meanwhile, people with visual and hearing disabilities highlighted communication problems e.g. the lack of signage and subtitle for the hearing impaired and the lack of audio description and braille for the visually impaired. PWD-friendly communication is critical, both at the tourist destinations as well as during the travel from one point to another e.g. no voice announcement on public transport. 

For people with mental/behavioral, intellectual, learning, and autistic disabilities, the problems faced went beyond facilities and communication. They shined the light on attitudinal barriers as well as the lack of suitable tourism offers e.g. service provider’s attitude, limited activities for them, crowded places can scare some PWD, etc. 

In addition to these disability-type-specific obstacles, there are also common challenges that cut across all groups. 

 Regardless of their type of disability, PWD faces many difficulties in finding information about facilities for PWD. For example, some hotels mark themselves as accessible with elevators but neglect to mention a set of stairs leading up to the elevators; PWD often has no idea if information will be PWD-accessible before arriving at the touristic places e.g. audio guide/description available or not. PWD will benefit greatly from data work to provide comprehensive information on PWD facilities and digitalization of tourism information. 

 Attitude and knowledge on PWD care also need improvement. With good intentions but incorrect understanding, PWD can be harmed more than helped. For instance, lifting a wheelchair instead of using a ramp is very dangerous; judging that PWD should or should not do something e.g. travel alone, go to certain places, etc. undermines their right to decide for themselves. One of the focus group participants shared stories of how her family let her choose for herself and the time when she was able to go into the sea with her family despite being a wheelchair user; it was her most memorable moment to have that shared experience with others. 

Part 2: Shining a light on grassroot innovation

Apart from gaining insights into the challenges they face, we also seek to learn from PWD’s self-made solutions. Because people closest to the problem are the ones who have the most knowledge about the problem, they may already develop early-stage innovation to address the challenges despite all the limitations. An example of such grassroots innovation on disability inclusion turned out to be close to home. Namchok Petsaen, Communication Assistant at the United Nations Volunteers office for Asia and the Pacific, is a wheelchair user who wants to be more than a passenger in an inclusive journey. Facing many obstacles in accessing public transportation, Namchok wanted to show society that “PWDs are capable of doing things with different abilities independently”. So, he designed and created a motorbike where a wheelchair user can be the driver. This motorbike allows him to travel independently and change the prejudgment against PWDs. Check out his innovative vehicle in this video .

Inspired by Namchok’s example, the Lab invited our partners, the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), to also search for grassroot innovations and shift to user-led solutions and co-creation, so that affected people are empowered to uplift their own lives. Training on disability inclusion and grassroot innovation mapping for the DASTA team was provided as a preparation for our upcoming fieldwork with pilot communities in the coming months. 

Next station...

Because CBT for all is an intersection between multiple issues from community empowerment to disability inclusion and entrepreneurship, the Lab will connect expertise and perspectives from relevant stakeholders including government agencies working on tourism and PWD empowerment, the private sector, local communities, and PWDs themselves. Together, we will co-create and prototype local solutions on CBT for all in two pilot communities. 

Stay tuned!  

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Punta Cana to host first UNWTO Summit promoting Africa-Americas tourism

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Punta Cana.- From October 3 to 5, Punta Cana will host the inaugural summit of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), aimed at fostering tourism between Africa and the Americas. The event will be attended by Dominican President Luis Abinader, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, Dominican Tourism Minister David Collado, and Mauritius Tourism Minister Louis Steven Obeegadoo, who also serves as President of the Regional Commission for Africa.

The summit, initiated by the Dominican Republic, will feature meetings, presentations, and high-level sessions with ministers, experts, and industry leaders. They will explore topics such as investment opportunities, sustainable tourism, innovation, culture, and growth between the two regions.

Under the theme “Promoting South-South Cooperation through Investment in Education, Culture, Creative Industries, and Innovation,” the event will highlight the untapped potential of Africa and the Americas. According to UNWTO data, both continents welcomed 267 million tourists last year, generating $371,000 million—an increase of nearly 31% compared to 2022.

Awesome !!! Nice to see Africa participating in tourism in the Americas.

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These 4 Uttarakhand Villages Just Got Selected For 'Best Tourism Village' Awards

India’s Ministry of Tourism is all set to host the “Best Tourism Villages of India 2024” awards on International Tourism Day (September 27) in New Delhi. The selected villages will be evaluated on parameters such as economic, social and environmental sustainability , the promotion and conservation of natural resources, infrastructure and connectivity, and the prioritisation of tourism, among other factors.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that four villages from his state have been selected for the prestigious award. The chief minister’s office (CMO) released a statement stating that the initiative to establish Uttarakhand as a prime tourist destination was yielding positive results.

The four villages that were selected are Jakhol and Harshil from Uttarkashi, Seemant Gunji from Pithoragarh , and Soupi from Nainital . While Jakhol has been chosen for its adventure tourism potential, Harshil and Seemant Gunji were recognised as being part of the “Vibrant Village Programme.” Soupi in Nainital is selected for successfully promoting agricultural tourism.

The annual competition rewards villages that embody sustainable tourism practices and meet the aforementioned criteria. Chief Minister Dhami commended the efforts of the villagers but stressed the need for public involvement for the development of Uttarakhand as a tourist state.

Besides the mountain state, Rajasthan is also joining the “best tourism village” list with Devmali. Located in the Beawar district, what makes the village unique is that none of its residents have any documents of land ownership. For them, the entire village belongs to Lord Devanarayana. In fact, 1,859 acres have been dedicated to the deity. Efforts to protect Devmali’s unique culture include bans on burning kerosene or neem wood and abstaining from meat and alcohol consumption.

In 2023, Biswanath Ghat in Assam 's Sonitpur district won the award for the “best tourism village” of India, setting a precedent for other villages to follow in promoting sustainable tourism.

(With inputs from multiple news reports)

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ONU Turismo insta al G20 a que lidere la transformación del sector

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• 23 Sep 2024

Las economías del G20 deben tomar la iniciativa para garantizar que el turismo aproveche su enorme potencial para construir un futuro más justo y sostenible para las personas y el planeta.

En una reunión de los Ministros de Turismo de las economías del G20 en Belém (Brasil), el Secretario General de ONU Turismo, Zurab Pololikashvili, señaló que el sector está en vías de recuperar plenamente los niveles anteriores a la pandemia a finales de este año. En consecuencia, ahora se debe pensar en el futuro, haciendo hincapié en el empoderamiento y la implicación de las comunidades, la lucha contra el cambio climático y el avance hacia el efecto neto positivo para la naturaleza y la circularidad.

El Secretario General, Zurab Pololikashvili, afirmó: «El turismo depende en gran medida de la diversidad biológica, la estabilidad climática y los recursos naturales. Acelerar la acción climática en el turismo es, por tanto, crítico para la resiliencia del sector y de las comunidades receptoras». En este sentido, aplaudió que la Presidencia brasileña del G20 haya hecho hincapié en la inclusión y la sostenibilidad.

Acelerar la acción climática en el turismo es, por tanto, crítico para la resiliencia del sector y de las comunidades receptoras

En la clausura de la reunión, Celso Sabino, Ministro de Turismo de Brasil, afirmó que «la Declaración de Belém confirma el compromiso colectivo de promover un turismo más sostenible, resiliente e inclusivo en el mundo».

El cambio climático, el desarrollo de competencias y la inclusión son claves para el futuro del turismo

En la reunión del G20, ONU Turismo incidió en la vital importancia de la formación y las competencias para el futuro del sector y su transformación. «Los datos de la OIT muestran que, de aquí a 2030, anualmente habrá en torno a 880.000 puestos de trabajo en el sector turístico que requerirán formación profesional y que el 25 % de los interlocutores del turismo afiman experimentar una escasez significativa de empleados cualificados, en particular en los puestos de atención al cliente y de gestión», señaló Pololikashvili.

El Secretario General recordó también que el turismo puede tener un papel esencial en el desarrollo y destacó que el G20 haya centrado su financiación para el desarrollo en el sector turístico.

«Para muchos países en desarrollo, incluidos los países menos adelantados y los pequeños estados insulares en desarrollo, el turismo es una de las principales fuentes de empleo, ingresos en divisas e ingresos fiscales. Sin embargo, se sigue sin prestar atención al sector como una herramienta para el desarrollo, puesto que los desembolsos de asistencia oficial para el desarrollo destinados al turismo no llegan ni al 0,25 % del la ODA total», concluyó.

El Secretario General agradeció y elogió la Declaración de Belém que han aprobado los Ministros de Turismo del G20, en la que se pone de relieve el Marco estadístico para la medición de la sostenibilidad del turismo como una herramienta para producir datos creíbles, comparables e integrados sobre el efecto económico, social y ambiental del sector, así como la Plataforma de datos del G20 para el turismo y los ODS desarrollada por el Grupo de Trabajo de Turismo del G20 y ONU Turismo.

Las economías del G20: potencias del turismo

En total, los países de las economías del G20 reciben el 70 % de las llegadas de turistas internacionales y de los ingresos que genera el sector en todo el mundo, lo que supone el 82 % del PIB del turismo mundial. En 2023, el sector contribuyó de forma directa al 3,1 % del PIB del G20, al 5 % de las exportaciones del grupo y al 23 % de las exportaciones de servicios. 

En los siete meses transcurridos de 2024, en las economías del G20, las llegadas de turistas internacionales han recuperado el 97 % de los niveles anteriores a la pandemia. El PIB turístico directo del G20 se recuperó totalmente ya en 2023, año en el que alcanzó los 2,8 billones de dólares de los EE.UU.

Enlaes relacionados

• Descargar comunicado en PDF
• Declaración de Belém – Reunión de los Ministros de Turismo del G20
• Tablero de datos del G20 para el turismo y los ODS
• Medición de la Sostenibilidad del Turismo (MST)
• El turismo y las economías del G20

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