UN Tourism welcomes G20 Leaders recognition and strong support for tourism under South Africa’s G20 Presidency
G20 South Africa
The G20 economies represent around 70% of international tourism, and so this clear recognition of our sector’s importance to shared prosperity and sustainability is hugely welcome
Leaders’ Declaration includes an important set of commitments to advance tourism as a key driver of inclusive and sustainable development with a focus on:
- Promoting innovation and Investment
- Enhancing air connectivity, market access and new routes
- Supporting the digitalisation of tourism start-ups and MSMEs
- Unlocking financing for sustainable tourism
- Creating opportunities for youth, women, people in vulnerable situations, local communities and Indigenous Peoples
- Developing inclusive and sustainable tourism practices
- Mobilising public-private capital for sustainability alignment investment, and
- Integrating tourism in national development strategies
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The G20 economies represent around 70% of international tourism, and so this clear recognition of our sector’s importance to shared prosperity and sustainability is hugely welcome. We are particularly encouraged to see G20 Leaders intent to work on more and better connectivity between destinations, accelerating innovation and the shift to digital, ensuring the sector leaves no one behind and placing tourism in national development strategies. Great strides were made by South Africa’s G20 Presidency. I would like to congratulate HE President Cyril Ramaphosa for an outstanding Presidency, the first in Africa, and Minister Patricia DeLille for her leadership in the tourism track.”
In the Declaration, G20 Leaders highlight their “strong support for tourism innovation and investment, enhancing air connectivity, expanding market access, opening more routes, promoting sustainability, aviation safety and security while ensuring fair competition and policy coordination, facilitating people-to-people contacts and developing inclusive, sustainable tourism practices, as well as advancing digital innovation to enhance travel and tourism start-ups and MSMEs.“
G20 Leaders further commit to work to “promote and expand opportunities for youth, women, people in vulnerable situations, local communities and Indigenous Peoples, as appropriate, with a practical and evidence-based approach.”
UN Tourism is honoured to have worked with the South African G20 Presidency as a Knowledge Partner and contributed to the discussions at the Tourism Working Group and the Tourism Ministers Meeting held last September.
The G20 represents around 70% of all international tourist arrivals and exports from tourism. Tourism accounts for 3.1% of the total GDP of the G20, 5% of all exports, and 21% of all service exports.
