• Tourism and Digitalization in the Decade of Action

    Tourism and Digitalization in the Decade of Action

    By Zurab Pololikashvili —

    By adopting the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, the Member States of the United Nations pledged to “leave no one behind” in the journey to build a better world. Moreover, the Agenda also emphasises the importance of “reaching the furthest behind first”.

    Ever since mankind first started travelling for leisure, tourism has been a source of employment and of economic opportunity. The sector has grown to support many millions of livelihoods worldwide and to become a pillar of both local and national economies.

    However, it is only with the embracing of digitalization can we ensure that the economic and social benefits tourism brings are felt as widely as possible – reaching those “furthest behind first”, including women, youth and those living in rural and marginalised communities.

    The digital transformation of tourism disrupts the sector and democratizes the opportunities it makes available. Digitalization, for example, offers a route into the workforce for women living outside of major cities, providing many with economic independence and empowerment for the first time.

    Through UNWTO’s Tourism Start-Up competitions, we have seen the strong interest in disrupting the sector and making it fairer, stronger more sustainable, most notably among entrepreneurs and innovators from countries in the developing world.

    Similarly, we have seen through the UNTWO Tourism Online Academy, that providing online training enables many to either find jobs in the tourism sector or else further their careers, again providing opportunities for those who may otherwise have been left behind as the workplace continues to evolve.

    The COVID-19 pandemic that temporarily brought world tourism to a standstill didn’t just highlight the importance of embracing digital transformation to grow back stronger and better.

    It also emphasised both tourism’s importance to the global sustainability agenda and the importance of adopting a collaborative approach to achieving the SDGs. Tourism is the ultimate cross-cutting sector. It affects almost every part of our societies and can, therefore, contribute to the missions of several of UNWTO’s fellow UN agencies.

    This crisis has brought the power of tourism to the fore, and UNWTO has been part of the wider UN response to this unprecedented challenge. Digitization has been a key part of this heightened cooperation and, as we move forward together during the Decade of Action, digitization can help ensure more effective collaboration between agencies with different focuses’, but with the same ultimate goals.

    Again, just as tourism touches upon almost every section of society, so too can it contribute to most, if not all, of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Digital cooperation can ensure more effective collaboration across the whole of the UN system, maximizing tourism’s potential, filling gaps and avoiding overlaps. Since we are now into the Decade of Action, the countdown to achieving the SDGs, the efficient use of resources, tourism included, is more important than ever.

    Furthermore, entrepreneurship becomes the key ally to accelerate our pace towards sustainable development and UNWTO has launched its SDGs Global Startup Competition to reach out to the most disruptive solutions for each of our common goals.

    We invite you to join us in this journey by taking advantage of the tourism4sdgs.org platform which can promote stakeholders initiatives for recovery, and brings attention to tourism’s contribution to the SDGs and brings together multi-stakeholders for achieving these objectives.

    The Dialogue on the Role of Digitalization, spearheaded by UNGIS and drawing on the expertise and abilities of every part of the UN, will help guarantee such efficiency, and UNWTO looks forward to ensuring tourism is part of the conversation and part of the solution as we build towards 2030.

    Image : Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization / UNWTO

    Dec 8 ,2020

    • Connecting you with the world of travel and tourism

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      Dubai – As tourism destinations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) continue to grow, involving local communities in destination development has become increasingly vital for long-term success.

      Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 aims for 39.3 million visitors per year, while Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 targets 150 million domestic and international visits, emphasising how tourism is being established as a key element of economic diversification throughout the region.

      At Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, industry leaders emphasised that sustainable revitalisation of destinations must align tourism investments with community partnerships, cultural authenticity, and immersive guest experiences to provide lasting value for both residents and visitors.

      During the session on “Considerations and Implications of Involving Communities in Destination Revitalisation” on the ATM 2025 Global Stage, experts shared insights into building resilience, enhancing local prosperity, and ensuring tourism growth is both inclusive and enduring.

      Arabian Travel Market 2025, held under the theme “Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity”,  featured more than 200 speakers across three content stages and welcomes over 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.

      Messe Berlin India launched 

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      Messe Berlin announces the official launch of Messe Berlin India, a newly incorporated subsidiary that underscores the company’s long-term commitment to one of Asia’s fastest-growing markets. Headquartered in Delhi , the new entity will serve as a strategic base for expanding ITB India and launching future projects tailored to the Indian market. With this establishment, Messe Berlin is reinforcing its vision of India as a regional hub for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable business growth within the exhibition and events industry.

      “Messe Berlin’s presence in India reflects our strategic intent to strengthen our international reach by being where the growth is. India is a key market for us — vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunities. With Messe Berlin India, we are laying down long-term foundations to build strong partnerships, support local industries, and elevate our global platforms,” said Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO, Messe Berlin.

      ITB India, inaugurated in 2023, continues as the flagship event under the new subsidiary. Held annually, ITB India is a three-day B2B travel trade show and convention that connects the global travel and tourism industry with the Indian market. Alongside MICE Show India, Travel Tech India, and the ITB India Conference, ITB India serves as a unique platform to forge new partnerships, strengthen existing ties, and capitalize on the fast-growing potential of the Indian and South Asian travel economies. The show hosts key players from the MICE, Leisure, Corporate Travel, and Travel Technology sectors. The upcoming edition, ITB India 2025, will take place from 2 – 4 September 2025  in Mumbai.

      FACTS —

      Tourism helps in:

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      👉Reducing Inequalities

      👉Promoting gender equality

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      In 2019, Travel & Tourism’s direct, indirect and induced impact accounted for:
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      -10.3% of global GDP
      -330 million jobs, 1 in 10 jobs around the world
      -US$1.7 trillion visitor exports (6.8% of total exports,
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      -US$948 billion capital investment (4.3% of total
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