UNWTO: 'MSMEs and communities are the backbone of our Sector'

03-10-22

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Indonesian G20 Presidency and the G20 Tourism Working Group have worked over the past year to present, at the G20 Tourism Ministers' meeting in Bali, the G20 Guidelines on Strengthening MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) and Communities as Agents of Transformation in Tourism.

Participating in the G20 Tourism Ministers' meeting, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili explained: "Our sector has now reached almost 60% of pre-pandemic levels". However, "we are lagging behind in our efforts to achieve the climate action targets of the Paris Agreement. We are also lagging behind in progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals," he stresses.

He highlights the need to address challenges for MSMEs.

"Tourism can help us get back on track. But we need to accelerate and scale up positive actions. MSMEs and communities, the backbone of our sector, need strong support to be agents of a people-centred transformation," stresses the UNWTO Secretary-General.

The guidelines focus on key issues, such as: developing specific policies on social dialogue, stimulating tourism entrepreneurship, strengthening the Sector's link with local communities, bridging the innovation gap, developing MSMEs' orintations or ensuring equality and non-discrimination.

The research carried out by UNWTO with G20 countries to develop these guidelines highlights the need to address the challenges for MSMEs of lack of access to finance, lack of access to market intelligence, market uncertainty, labour instability, changing consumer trends and needs, and low levels of innovation.