UNWTO takes advantage of ITB Berlin to outline priorities

12-02-23

ITB Berlin is the world's largest travel and tourism trade fair, and this week's in-person event, the first in four years, comes at a time when the sector's recovery is going from strength to strength. According to the UNWTO, international tourism could reach 80-95% of pre-pandemic figures by the end of the year, with 70 million international arrivals recorded in January alone (more than double the January 2022 figure).

The return of ITB was heralded by the UNWTO as evidence of strong travel confidence and "the best barometer" of it. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili was invited to officially open the event, along with German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey and leaders from the public and private sectors.

Education and investment: key priorities for tourism

At the official opening of ITB, UNWTO underlined the importance of education, training and investment for tourism to reach its full potential.

In Berlin, UNWTO announced a new partnership that will allow the Organization to work with Saudi Arabia to boost education and professional development in the field of tourism. In addition, UNWTO also signed a new agreement with the Lucerne University Business School of Applied Sciences and Arts to partner in the creation of a new degree in sustainable international tourism.

The key message of investing in people was also emphasised, as UNWTO participated in a special industry roundtable. The event built on UNWTO's status as a bridge between the public and private sectors. Recognising the vital need for more and better targeted investment to implement transformative plans, UNWTO also confirmed that World Tourism Day 2023 will be celebrated under the theme "Green Tourism and Investment".

Accelerating climate action in tourism

Against the backdrop of ITB Berlin, UNWTO released a new report highlighting progress made by global tourism in measuring greenhouse gas emissions: "Climate Action in the Tourism Sector", produced by UNWTO with the support of the German Government and in collaboration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The recommendations will help to ensure more reliable measurements of greenhouse gas emissions in order to comply with the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.

Tourism for all

ITB 2023 coincided with International Women's Day. At the celebration, UNWTO partnered with UN Women to present a summary of the achievements of the project "Close-up: Empowering Women during the recovery of ICVA-19". The initiative highlighted the extent to which women working in tourism were particularly affected by the pandemic. And while tourism remains a major employer of women, UNWTO and UN Women jointly underline that the sector has not yet reached its potential for women's empowerment.

Finally, to further advance the sector's diversification and growth in areas that can bring new benefits, a special UNWTO roundtable on "Connecting Sports Tourism and Health" was held at ITB ahead of the second World Congress on Meeting Tourism in Zadar, Croatia on 26-27 April.