Fernando Novo Lens
Expert in sustainability and geopolitics
The importance of world travel is so great, as well as the influence it has on people’s lives, that since the creation of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 1975, it has been concerned with the development of tourism around the world and is currently facing major challenges, for which sustainability and innovation will be taken into account as a priority.
It may seem that Tourism only has an impact on some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as it has been included in some of the 169 goals that make up the 17 SDGs, such as SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), goal 8.9; SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), goal 12.
However, if we distance ourselves from a more global perspective, tourism helps to fulfil all the SDG and, importantly, advocates public-private cooperation (SDG 17) as one of the levers to overcome this health crisis and face the opportunities for sustainable development that the future offers us.
The UNWTO has always been a true driving force in favour of the development of tourism in the world; actions that have continued to be developed in an important way in this mandate. It has had the vision of being a sustainable organization in itself and, by maintaining a leadership based on its own example, it is how it can best guide member countries to achieve their sustainability goals. A leader is a leader when he or she helps others to grow and that is what UNWTO is doing, from its first representative to the other people, excellent professionals, who make up its team.
One of the first needs of any company or organization is to be economically healthy and since the beginning of the current mandate, UNWTO has gone from having a cash deficit of almost 750,000 euros on 31 December 2017 to having a surplus of more than 2.4 million euros by the end of 2018. In a single year, the effort in terms of financial control and efficiency has been remarkable. This financial discipline will be the way to maintain in the coming years.
This internal financial sustainability is in line with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and is also encouraging the creation of small local enterprises (target 8.3), achieving decent work (target 8.5), reducing the proportion of young people out of work and education (target 8.6), promoting sustainable tourism (target 8.9) and helping to develop a global strategy for youth employment through its Academy and various workshops and specialization courses (target 8.B).
But this leadership would be short-lived if it were not accompanied by a good capacity for innovation, which has been shown through different competitions for Start-Ups, the holding of 10 Forums, and the creation of two tourism hubs (Buenos Aires and Madrid).
This constant capacity for innovation is essential for the survival, good governance and development of any organization, and in the case of the UNWTO it is in line with the SDG 9 that talks about Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
Another of the fields in which the UNWTO has been working firmly is that of social inclusion and accessibility in tourism. We have been working to make transport and destinations accessible to all people regardless of their physical or sensory abilities or capabilities. Personally, I have liked this very much because it is where you see the spirit and heart of the people who form the organizations and what makes the UNWTO a socially responsible, inclusive and integrating organization at all levels of society.
The UNWTO has always been distinguished by a strong commitment to global sustainable development. But this dissemination of sustainability among all participating countries could not be complete or successful if it were not for the determined will to share knowledge and technical advances with these countries.
There is currently a portfolio of projects worth 8 million euros which it is hoped will be set in motion to improve tourism capacities in the countries promoting the projects.
The UNWTO Academy has been established with the opening of its first International Centre in Portugal where 16 specialization sessions have been held with more than 800 participants.
And overall, during the current mandate, a total of 154 educational programmes have been certified for the first time or renewed, reaching 70 institutions worldwide. In addition, UNWTO currently has 255 active certified programmes, corresponding to 92 educational institutions in 39 different countries. The desire to share and increase knowledge as an important asset to achieve excellence is reflected in its willingness to inaugurate and promote the next International Centres in Georgia, Switzerland, China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
And when we talk about the dissemination of ideas and the global presence of UNWTO, we mean that, from its management, it has managed to be present at a global level, not only at the UN but also to be in permanent contact with a greater number of governments, academic institutions and, of course, that private sector whose collaboration is so necessary.
The result of this commitment to sustainable development and collaboration between institutions to achieve the objectives, without leaving anyone behind, has been the ten trips that the Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili, has made to each region of the world since he was elected, with the aim of improving collaboration links for the sake of a better future for tourism and for the countries.
With this immense potential of human capital and development possibilities, UNWTO wanted, at the request of African countries, to focus on the continent and work to show a 10-point roadmap for sustainable growth, inclusive of the development of people, businesses and countries, with a special focus on youth and women, respecting cultural heritage and developing innovation, attracting investment and promoting training.
Obviously, this hard work by the UNWTO management and its team must have its strong support and counterpart from the countries to which it is addressed.
But not only these objectives will be developed on the African continent thanks to the work of UNWTO, but also worldwide. The commitment of the entire organization and the meetings that its Secretary General has been holding with the main world leaders is an instrument to be taken into account in the future development of people, companies and countries.
In fact, UNWTO has managed to reach a situation where it is the provider of information, intelligence on the tourism sector, to those who make decisions in governments and businesses and, in general, to the whole world. This data and UNWTO’s leadership are being of great help to the governments that have them as a safe and reliable reference when implementing their policies regarding their tourism sectors.
The best way to guess the future is to create it, and in this transformation path towards global sustainability, the UNWTO must continue to face new challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to it, in order to develop and enhance a new responsible and sustainable tourism.
© This article was originally published in La Razón newspaper
