The meeting was convened by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the European Travel Commission (ETC).

Leading up to International World Tourism Day, the One happy island of Aruba will host Happiness 360 Conference World Tourism Aruba – an international symposium in partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), September 13-14, highlighting industry trends and synergies between tourism, culture and happiness.

On behalf of the international tourism community, UNWTO strongly condemns the attack perpetrated today at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport and expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims and to the Turkish people in this difficult moment.

In an effort to promote the role of religious tourism as an agent for cultural preservation, peace and understanding is the focus of the agreement undersigned by UNWTO and the Netherlands.

Specific areas of cooperation in the MoU include the promotion of the Hotel Energy Solution initiative among hotels in Kazakhstan.

Over 400 participants from 26 countries gathered in the city of Nara, Japan, to discuss the impact that new technologies are having on the tourism sector and how these can help the sector to further develop at the UNWTO International Conference on Tourism and Technology.