25 March 2021, Brussels. The Parliament voted on the INI report on Sustainable Tourism. The resolution on an EU strategy for sustainable tourism was adopted by 577 votes to 31, and 80 abstentions. It notes that the COVID-19 outbreak has paralysed the EU’s tourism sector, putting millions of jobs at risk.
In the framework of the "PRM-Dialogue" which is organized by the German Aviation Association, a set of recommendations for (not frequently flying) passengers was developed. The German version was published in 2019 and the English version in March 2021.
Madrid, Spain, 25 February 2021 - The shared values and close ties between tourism and culture stakeholders means both sectors can work together to ensure inclusive access to heritage, as countries around the world recover from the pandemic. In recognition of this mutually reinforcing relationship, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and UNESCO have collaborated to produce a set of new guidelines focusing on the responsible restart of cultural tourism.
UNWTO invited the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to contribute to the UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guide, Issue 2: Cultural Tourism. This is the second set of guidelines relating to the socio-cultural impacts of COVID-19 issued by UNWTO and will continue to be revised, as the situation evolves.
Make cultural tourism relevant in the recovery
The publication draws on the insights and expertise of the two UN agencies to analyse the impact of the pandemic on their respective sectors. This includes how lost revenues are severely impacting communities, heritage sites, cultural events, spaces and institutions, while also weakening destinations’ competitiveness and market differentiation. The guidelines on cultural tourism also stress the need for support from policymakers to ensure the relevance of culture in the emergency and contingency planning within tourism destinations.
Over 60 travel and tourism organisations express their support for the European Commission’s initiative and call to ensure swift implementation in time for summer 2021.
Madrid, Spain 7 March 2021. One in three destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Brussels, 1 March 2021. Over 60 European organisations call for tourism to be firmly anchored in EU national Recovery and Resilience plans. European Tourism Manifesto alliance presents list of reforms and investment ideas to support tourism and make EU economies more resilient. New #Tourism4Recovery campaign launched to support the call and showcase impact of investments in sustainable tourism.
Brussels, 24.2.2021. Over 60 travel and tourism organisations unveil concrete recommendations for re-opening travel & tourism in Europe, including creation of Commission-led Task Force to restore freedom of movement.
The new Recovery and Resilience Facility, proposed by the European Commission to help the EU rebuild after the pandemic, offers an unprecedented opportunity to support tourism-related reforms to ensure that the sector helps to drive digital and green transitions, and thereby strengthens both economic and social resilience.
Jönköping, in the south of Sweden, made continuous improvements in both the new and old areas of the city, in collaboration with disability organisations. The city also created a local ‘Access City Award’, for businesses or organisations that worked with their customers to improve accessibility.
3 December 2012, Hellenic Ministry of Culture press release. In the presence of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni and the President of the Onassis Foundation Antonis S. Papadimitriou, today, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the elevator and the new footpaths were inaugurated.
3 December 2020. Press Release. Ensuring accessibility for tourists with specific access requirements can be a ‘game changer’ for destinations around the world as they look to bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic. A new set of Inclusive Recovery Guides from the World Tourism Organization, produced in partnership with the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), the ONCE Foundation of Spain and Travability from Australia, makes clear the importance of placing inclusivity at the centre of recovery plans and provides key recommendations for achieving this.
