UN Event in New York Focuses on Tourism as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development

The United Nations General Assembly recently hosted its second special session focused on the essential role that tourism plays in promoting sustainable development and resilience.

This session, coordinated by the General Assembly’s President and in partnership with UN Tourism, took place at the UN headquarters in New York during Sustainability Week. It saw participation from Member States, Observers, non-governmental organizations, and various UN bodies, demonstrating a united effort to leverage tourism’s potential for sustainable and inclusive growth.

Addressing the General Assembly, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The growing significance of the tourism sector for our societies and our economies brings with it extra responsibility. We cannot allow the lifeline of tourism to be cut again. Resilience in the tourism is not just a matter of planning or reacting to crises. It is also about proactively addressing the underlying factors of those crises. Unsustainable consumption is leading to biodiversity loss, climate change and the emergence of pandemics. It’s vital that we adopt policies that accelerate transformative change.”

The President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Dennis Francis, said: “We need a global tourism sector that is sustainable – one with deep local value chains that expand demand for locally made products and services in ways that also directly and positively benefit local communities; a sector that serves as a positive force for biodiversity conservation, heritage protection and climate friendly livelihoods.”

The event served as a high-level forum for sharing data-driven strategies and innovations:
Key aspects of the session included:

• A Fireside Chat titled “The Future of Tourism,” where industry leaders, academics, and representatives from civil society discussed the evolving landscape of tourism and the innovative strategies needed to tackle new challenges and seize opportunities.
• Ministerial Roundtables focused on the newly introduced Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism and methods to enhance tourism’s resilience amid worldwide challenges. Here, ministers and senior officials exchanged views and pledged to promote sustainable tourism initiatives and policies.
  The General Assembly’s President concluded the event by emphasizing the need for cooperation and partnership to overcome the intricate issues the tourism sector faces and reiterated the UN’s dedication to fostering sustainable tourism as a driver of beneficial change.

Furthermore, in February, the UN General Assembly passed a Resolution designating 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism. This resolution encourages UN Tourism to collaborate with governments, UN agencies, and international organizations in rolling out the initiatives planned for that year.

Photo Credit: UN Tourism

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