UNWTO to Zero in on Sustainable Tourism in Challenging Times at WTM 2010

The 3rd annual Ministers’ Summit will be held on 10 November 2009 in London by UNWTO and the World Travel Market (WTM). This key gathering of travel and tourism stakeholders will serve to assess the effects of the economic crisis on the industry and provide new solutions to overcome current challenges.

The sector is under tremendous pressure as it must deal with the credit crunch and mounting unemployment rates, whilst bearing in mind the long-term issues of climate change and poverty alleviation.

UNWTO figures for 2009 indicate a continuation of the negative growth already experienced in the second half of 2008. Destinations across the globe have suffered from a decrease in demand in all major source markets.

UNWTO is currently in the process of monitoring and evaluating response actions to counter the effects of the crisis on tourism. These actions include fiscal and monetary measures, increased marketing and promotion efforts and international cooperation, as reflected in the ‘Initial Assessment on Tourism and Economic Stimulus’ report

UNWTO is furthermore developing a Roadmap for Recovery, a set of guidelines to help tourism stakeholders navigate through the crisis. With the right guidance the sector can not only recover but also play an important role on a global level.

Against this background, UNWTO and WTM will bring together ministers and leading tourism experts to determine the best course of action for the industry. The Summit will focus its output-oriented debates around three panels, each dealing with key considerations and composed of public and private stakeholders.