Travel & Tourism in Kenya grew faster than the regional average and significantly above other economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to new research from the World Travel & Tourism Council.

In 2018, Travel & Tourism grew 5.6% to contribute KSHS 790 billion and 1.1 million jobs to the Kenyan economy. This rate of growth is faster than the global average of 3.9% and the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 3.3%.eTN Chatroom: Discuss with readers from around the world:

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This makes Kenya the third largest tourism economy in Sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa and Nigeria both of which grew substantially less than Kenya in 2018.

In total, international tourists spent over KSHS 157 billion in Kenya last year, accounting for over 15% of total exports. The largest inbound international markets were the USA (11%); UK (9%); India (6%); China (4%); and Germany (4%). Combined with domestic spending, Travel & Tourism supported 8.8% of the nation’s GDP in 2018.

For over 25 years, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global private sector of Travel & Tourism, has produced the authoritative research on the economic contribution of the sector. This year’s research shows that:

• Travel & Tourism in Kenya grew at 5.6% last year – ahead of the global average of 3.9%
• This contributed 8.8% to Kenya’s GDP, worth KSHS 790 billion (or US$7.9 billion dollars) when all direct, indirect and induced effects are taken in to consideration
• Travel & Tourism is responsible for 8.3% of all Kenya’s employment, or 1.1 million jobs
• GDP contribution is projected to grow by 5.9% in 2019

Speaking from a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya, WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara said, “Africa is one of the great success stories of global travel as the second fastest growing region in the world – and Kenya lies at the heart of the region, a popular and renowned destination that has seen huge growth in tourism activity and value over the past year.”

“I would like to particularly acknowledge the vision of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his commitment to Travel & Tourism as a means of driving economic growth and alleviating poverty. The Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife, under the leadership of Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, must be congratulated for growing tourism at a rate above the global and regional average and for attracting over two million international visitors for the first time in 2018.

Speaking at the event, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Hon. Najib Balala elaborated on the gains of the sector and expressed his satisfaction on the overall achievement of this key sector that contributes substantively to the economy.

“The gains of the sector are as a result of co-ordinated efforts between various arms of government, whom the tourism sector has engaged, as well as the concerted efforts in marketing Kenya as a destination of choice,” CS Balala pointed out.

About the World Travel & Tourism Council

WTTC is the body which represents the Travel & Tourism private sector globally. Members consist of CEOs of the world’s Travel & Tourism companies, destinations, and industry organizations engaging with Travel & Tourism.

WTTC has a history of 25 years of research to quantify the economic impact of the sector in 185 countries. Travel & Tourism is a key driver for investment and economic growth globally. The sector contributes US$8.8 trillion or 10.4% of global GDP, and accounts for 319 million jobs or one in ten of all jobs on the planet.

For over 25 years, WTTC has been the voice of this industry globally. Members are the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world’s leading, private sector Travel & Tourism businesses, who bring specialist knowledge to guide government policy and decision-making and raise awareness of the importance of the sector.

The 4th edition of the UNWTO Euro-Asian Mountain Tourism Conference (2-5 March 2019, Berchtesgaden, Germany) highlighted the need for collective efforts in overcoming current challenges that mountain destinations are facing to adapt to new consumer trends and market changes, to address seasonality by diversifying tourism products in an innovative manner while protecting natural and cultural resources.

Organized jointly with the Berchtesgadener Land Region, with the support of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the UNWTO Euro-Asian Mountain Tourism Conference brought together more than 270 participants from 30 countries.

Opening the event, UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, recalled that mountains entail many opportunities to promote inclusion, regional development and better lives through tourism. He also stressed that mountain tourism needs to be planned, developed, governed and managed in a sustainable manner.

Thomas Bareiss, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism stated that “Tourism is a major factor of the economy in the Alpine region. I am glad that the World Tourism Organization, a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, is holding a conference in this beautiful region of Germany for the first time. The fourth Euro-Asian Mountain Tourism Conference in Berchtesgaden will deliver a significant boost to mountain tourism and build a bridge between Europe and Asia. I am convinced that innovation, digitisation and mobility are some of the key issues for tourism going forward. I therefore welcome this opportunity for people from all around the world to share their ideas – in the interest of progressive tourism in our mountainous regions.”

Hubert Aiwanger, Deputy Bavarian Minister-President and State Minister of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy emphasized that “Tourism is an important sector in Bavaria‘s economy. Last year we welcomed over 39.1 million guests, among them nearly 10 million from abroad. Overall, we recorded almost 100 million accommodations. Hosting this year‘s UNWTO in Berchtesgaden gives us a chance to show the diversity and quality of Bavaria’s tourism. Both UNWTO and Bavaria stand for an environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism strategy. Thus, Bavaria is the right place for this important conference“.

The local host of the conference, district Chief Executive of the Berchtesgadener Land, Georg Grabner, was very pleased “that that the world of tourism gathers in Bavaria, here in Berchtesgaden. With the Berchtesgaden National Park with Watzmann mountain and lake Königssee and as a UNESCO-Biosphere-Reserve we focus strongly on sustainability, especially in terms of tourism. I wish all visitors of the UNWTO-conference a pleasant stay with interesting impressions in the middle of the magnificent mountain scenery of the Berchtesgadener Land.”

Conducted by the Editor in Chief of National Geographic Germany, Jens Schröder, the conference combined a series of six panel debates and four lectures steered by 16 international speakers from Europe and Asia. Sustainability, digitalization and mobility, the diversification of mountain destinations in segments such as culture, health and sports and the pressing need of investments for sustainable infrastructure and innovation in product and marketing, were the main issues discussed at the conference.

All these themes will be taken forward to the next World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism in 2020, bi-annually held in Andorra.

For the fourth consecutive year ITB Berlin will play host to the International Institute for Peace – India’s (IIPT India) Global Awards for Empowered Women in Tourism – “Celebrating Her.” 

The IIPTI Global Awards, “Celebrating Her” are intended to acknowledge and felicitate exceptional women in the fields of travel, tourism and hospitality; individuals with a clarity of vision and mission who understand and believe that tourism, perhaps the biggest industry in the world, could become the first global peace industry and who have committed themselves to fostering the tourism business as a vehicle for peace. 

Five exceptional women from the world of tourism will be felicitated at the 4^th edition of the Awards for their achievements and for their contribution to promoting tourism as a vehicle for peace and understanding.

The Awards will be held from 1400 to 1500 at the Palais am Funkturm (Hall 19) on the ITB fairgrounds on Thu 07 March and will be followed by a networking reception from 1500 to 1530. 

Key speakers at the awards include Dr. Taleb Rifai, former Secretary General of UNWTO (2010 – 2017), H.E. Eliza Reid, First Lady of Iceland, The Hon. Marie-Christine Stephenson, Minister of Tourism and Creative Industries, Haiti and others. 

The Celebrating Her award winners for 2019 are:

H.E. Rania al Mashat – Minister of Tourism for Egypt for Tourism Policy and Leadership

Helen Marano – Founder & President, Maranao Perspectives for Building Global Alliances that promote Tourism as a Force for Good

Mechtild Maurer – General Director, ECPAT Germany for promoting Socially Responsible Tourism

Jane Madden – Managing Partner, Global Sustainability & Social Impact, FINN Partners for Sustainability and promoting Corporate Social Responsibility 

Hon. Elena Kountoura – Minister of Tourism for Greece for Tourism Strategy and Resilience

Commenting on the Awards, Ajay Prakash, President of IIPT India says, “Each one of our winners this year is a champion; these ladies have reached the top of their chosen paths in tourism and are an inspiration. The Awards are being held on the eve of International Women’s Day but our champions need to be felicitated every day of the year. 

Gender equality, which is a critical part of the United Nations SDGs, is intrinsic to IIPT’s global aims and objectives and integral to fostering peace. Through the Awards we’re aiming to create a network of powerful women across the world who would serve as role models and mentors while they represent IIPT as our Global Ambassadors of Peace.”

Dr. Talib Rifai, former Secretary General of UNWTOP and Chair of IIPT’s International Advisory Board says, “Celebrating Her is a timely initiative. Travel and tourism has become today’s grand human activity, greatly affecting the life and livelihood of people and communities and in turn, Peace and Sustainable Development all over the world. 

Leaders in travel and tourism should be the first to recognize that we cannot any more go about life, progress, development and building peace without HER and without reintegrating half of the human community in advancing towards our goals. It is, therefore, only natural that IIPT India, the country that is standing up bravely to achieving our goals, picks up the issue on behalf of all of us – To state clearly that, CELEBRATING HER IS CELEBRATING US”

Rika Jean-Francois, CSR Commissioner for ITB Berlin – co presenters of the Awards, said “ ITB is extremely delighted to have partnered with IIPT India to give out these important awards. There are so many amazing women in the tourism industry who are doing an excellent job, committed to improve conditions, who are often never seen, never officially recognized. We are proud to foster change.”

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) are co-organizing the 5th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, on 2-3 May 2019 in San Sebastián, Spain. The Forum is supported by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain, the Basque Government, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the City Council of San Sebastián, a city that has hosted the Forum every other year since its first edition, in 2015.

The main content and objectives of the Forum were presented at a press conference at the UNWTO headquarters, presided by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, Spain’s Secretary of State for Tourism, Isabel Oliver, and the Director of the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), Joxe Mari Aizega. They were accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Trade of the Basque Government, Isabel Muela, the Deputy for Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports of Gipuzkoa, Denis Itxaso, and the First Vice-Mayor of the City of San Sebastián, Ernesto Gasco, representing the key partners for the holding of this international event.

Through the World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, the UNWTO and the Basque Culinary Center aim to promote the exchange of experiences among tourism and gastronomy experts, and identify good practices. The objective is to promote gastronomy tourism as a factor for the sustainable development of countries, by virtue of its close links with local products and culture. Consequently, it is a driver of professional training, job creation, and community development. This focus is the reason behind the partnership between UNWTO and the Basque Culinary Center.

Thus, the 5th Forum will analyse the skills and knowledge that gastronomy tourism will require in the future and highlight gastronomy as one of the main motivations for travel. In addition, the event aims to identify favourable frameworks that promote entrepreneurship and the creation of ecosystems that, in turn, stimulate connections among emerging companies throughout the gastronomy tourism value chain. The Forum will also address the potential of gastronomy tourism to promote better inclusion of disadvantaged groups and raise the quality of work environments. It will address some of the main challenges facing the sector, such as the gender wage gap, the employment of persons with disabilities, youth unemployment and the problem of seasonality, among others.

Entrepreneurship and sustainable development

The Forum will serve as the setting for the announcement of the winning startup of the 1st Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition, launched with the support of Promperu. To date, the competition has attracted gastronomy tourism startups from 65 countries around the world, united by their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. The deadline for the submission of entries is 5 March 2019.

The winning startup will be invited to take part in the Culinary Action accelerator programme during the second semester of 2019, where it will benefit from the mentoring and advice of the network of experts of BCC Innovation, a workspace in LABe’s Digital Gastronomy Lab project incubator, and a grant of up to 5,000 euros to cover the cost of accommodation and travel during this period.

The five finalist startups will be announced on 1 April and will be invited to present their projects to the sector’s investors during the Forum, as well as at the Ibero-American Gastronomy Fair (Miami, USA, 9-11 May 2019).

Dr. Peter Tarlow of certified.travel to lead Jamaica Tourism Security team

Visitor surety is top priority for Jamaica Tourism. Dr. Andrew Spencer, Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company Ltd. (TPDCo) appointed Dr. Peter Tarlow, Partner of certified.travel, as the head of the new National Jamaica Tourism Security team. TPDCo is the organization charged with the responsibility for Destination Assurance under the directive by its Honorable Minister, Edmund Bartlett, MP. 

This follows a number of meetings between Dr. Tarlow and the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica Minister of Tourism, with Jamaica Minister of National Security, the Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, and senior members of the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) and its agencies.

Certified.travel is a joint subsidiary of the eTN Corporation and Tourism & More. Dr. Tarlow is a leading industry professional with specific expertise in such areas as:

•           The impact of crime and terrorism on the tourism industry

•           Event and tourism risk management 

•           Tourism and economic development

•           Development of response models for security threats

•           Tourism police and private security personnel and the development of TOPPs units 

•           Reputational repair or enhancement as needed

Visitor surety means for Jamaica:

•           The providing of a safe and secure environment for the Jamaica’s visitors and for those who work in its visitor industry

•           Protection of the its tourism sites and infrastructure

•           Perceptions of Jamaica including how these perceptions impact its reputation

•           The protection of the nation’s economy vis-à-vis its tourism industry

TPDCo’s destination assurance initiatives and strategies are geared towards the following:

1.          Jamaica National Development Plan, specifically, Jamaica’s 2030 Vision goal; The Jamaican society is secure, cohesive and just

2.          Ministry of Tourism Strategic Business Plan Ensuring the safety, security, and sustainability of the natural and built environments

3.          MOT Tourism Pillar of Growth; New Partnerships 

Dr. Peter Tarlow pointed out: “Tourism is the world’s leading peaceful industry and a major economic development tool. The tourism industry is also security (crime and terrorism) sensitive, and a lack of tourism surety has a major impact on tourism and event-oriented economies. Additionally, when public officials are tourism-sensitive, they offer the general public better service, economic opportunities, and an improved standard of living. 

“The hospitality industry’s number one job is to protect its guests, and visitors demand safety and security by well-trained professionals. If the tourism industry fails in this regard, all else becomes irrelevant. 

“Real security involves training, education, investments in software and the understanding that security is not a simplistic discipline or a passing phase. Tourism security personnel need continual training and must be flexible enough to adjust their procedure to a constantly-changing environment. One of the propositions to note is that as customer service increases, so does tourism security, and a better tourism product has the potential to increase national productivity, quality of life, and economic wellbeing. Security plus service and value for money will become the basis for 21st century tourism success!”

eTN Corporation President Juergen Steinmetz said: “We are excited to work with Jamaica Tourism on this important project. Adding Dr. Peter Tarlow to our portfolio of services and in forming certified.travel as a joined partnership is a game changer for the eTN Corporation, eTurboNews, and TravelMarketingNetwork.”

Unfortunately, within the last few months, Jamaica has had to deal with several incidents that have challenged the perception of its security in relation to visitation safety. These incidents have impacted the perception of Jamaica’s tourism product both locally and globally.  

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said: “We must safeguard the key aspects of destination assurance such as security, safety, and seamlessness of our tourism product. Dr. Peter Tarlow and the team will help us take a step in the right direction and provide insight in legislation that may be implemented to make the industry safer, as well as help us develop a new program on how to better relate and interact with international guests. His visit comes at a crucial point in the development of our product.”

More information on the eTN Travel & Tourism Safety and Security program: www.certified.travel

The former Minister of Tourism and Hospitality for Zimbabwe, Dr. Walter Mzembi talked to eTurboNews Sunday night  from his residence in Johannesburg after social media and numerous Zimbabwe and South African news sources reported that he was at a South African hospital and lost his battle with cancer in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Mzembi told eTurboNews: ” I am talking to you from heaven, but this wasn’t funny. My daughter in Europe was woken up by this news and called me in panic.”

Earlier media reports claiming former Foreign Affairs minister Walter Mzembi has passed on have been dismissed as “idle nonsense” by his former G40 political ally Professor Jonathan Moyo.

The security and political situation in Zimbabwe seems to be escalating.

eTurboNews talked to the Hon Job Sikala, a member of parliament. He said: “We can’t continue living in primitivity in silence. As a lawyer defending 150+ political prisoners, including children as young as 14, the government is using rape as a torture method. People disappear here.”

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched a diplomatic offensive in an effort to tell his side of the story in the face of global condemnation sparked by the deadly clampdown by the army in the aftermath of the January 14 protests against steep fuel price increases.

On Friday, the United States and the United Nations added their weight to calls by the international community for Mnangagwa to rein in the army, which is accused of killing at least 12 people and shooting of over 78 civilians. According to his spokesperson George Charamba, the Zanu PF leader was forced to skip his so-called “Thank You” rally scheduled for Mt Darwin in order to apprise regional leaders about the situation in Zimbabwe ahead of an Africa Union Summit set for Ethiopia in a few days’ time.

The Organization of American States (OAS) has launched a US$500,000 project to assist the region’s small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) to build resilience to natural disasters.

The project was launched during the 2nd Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs), hosted at the Montego Bay Convention Centre by the government and the United Nations World Tourism Organization on January 29.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett said, “We are so happy to have the vast expertise of the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Nestor Mendez, at the launch who I am pleased to say comes bearing gifts. This very important resilience project for our SMTEs will help build the capacity of our sector to better help us become more resilient when disruptions occur.”

The project is funded by the United States Department of State and managed by the OAS Secretariat for Integral Development. It will assist small tourism enterprises in the Caribbean to overcome the various challenges that affect the ability of Governments and businesses alike to continue their business operations during and after catastrophic events in the Caribbean.

Participating countries set to benefit include: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

It will be carried out in a two-year period, with the primary aim being to reduce the severity, impact and duration of disruptions caused by a disaster on the operations of the small enterprises in the Caribbean.

“The Caribbean is among the most tourism-dependent regions in the world and there is no other region whose travel and tourism industry is as vulnerable to disasters as the Caribbean. It is undeniable that climate change presents an existential threat to small island developing states and low lying coastal areas, which include the countries of the Caribbean,” said Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Nestor Mendez.

He also noted that “The OAS identified, among the main long-term needs of the region, the need for tourism-related disaster preparedness and crisis management, communications plans as well as methodologies to follow before and after a disaster.”

This 2nd Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs), is a direct response to the global conference on jobs and inclusive growth hosted in Jamaica in 2017, which brought to the fore many of the perennial challenges faced by SMTEs, including issues of access to credit, marketing, technology and business development.

The conference organisers therefore saw it prudent to have another event focused solely on SMTEs and best practices that have direct relevance to their development.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) have signed the Agreement for the holding of the 5th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism (San Sebastian, Spain 2-3 May 2019). The new edition of this global forum is supported by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of Spain, the Basque Government, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the City of San Sebastián.

Job creation and the promotion of entrepreneurship will be this year’s special focus, in line with the 2019 UNWTO Year of Education, Skills and Jobs, closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The forum will bring together Ministers of Tourism, representatives from National and Local Tourism Administrations, chefs, entrepreneurs, academia and related stakeholders from tourism and gastronomy to discuss latest trends and to share experience.eTN Chatroom: Discuss with readers from around the world:

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The event will see the announcement of the winner of the First Gastronomy Tourism Start-up Competition. The competition, organized by UNWTO and the BCC, will bring five finalists to San Sebastian.

“Tourism is a huge source of employment and its multiplier effect has a knock-on effect on other sectors, such as gastronomy and its huge value chain involving several sectors”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
“We are especially proud to be co-organizers of the 5th UNWTO World Forum of Gastronomy Tourism. An edition that returns to San Sebastian and that grows exponentially thanks to the support of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of Spain, the Basque Government, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the City of Donostia. Tourism today is a sector closely linked to gastronomy. At the Basque Culinary Center, we promote knowledge through training in both sectors and work to create an ecosystem that stimulates entrepreneurship and ensures quality employment”, underlined Joxe Mari Aizega, Director, Basque Culinary Center.

Policy framework for the development of gastronomy tourism and its capacity to create jobs and promote entrepreneurship, future skills, as well as ways to support SMEs and entrepreneurships in gastronomy tourism will be addressed as well during the forum. The panel presentations will be complemented by working sessions giving all participants the opportunity to actively immerse, interact and share ideas.

The event will close with a Masterclass by the Basque Culinary Center on how to develop competitive and sustainable gastronomy tourism in destinations.

The Forum has been held since 2015.The Basque Culinary Center hosts it every two years with the aim to promote the exchange the most relevant experiences between experts in tourism and gastronomy, to identify best practices and to promote gastronomy tourism as a contributor to sustainable development.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as one tourist destination. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member states of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

This year, the event was held in Halong Bay in Viet Nam, and each of the 10 ASEAN countries utilized the Forum to highlight their focus areas.eTN Chatroom: Discuss with readers from around the world:

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The Member States agreed that they must continue to collectively innovate and seek meaningful initiatives to increase tourism growth while retaining the heritage, tradition, and identity that makes the region unique for future generations.

Member state Brunei, officially the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, is also known as the Abode of Peace, which is the Arabic translation for Darussalam. It focused on the 2020 ATF for which the theme will be: ASEAN – together towards a next generation of travel. Minister Apong, the Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism, spoke of the aim of the 2020 event which will reinforce the ASEAN mission and objectives that were set out in 1967.

Indonesia spoke of its strategy to reach 20 million tourists in 2019 through digital  tourism, millennial tourism, and nomadic tourism. It wants to develop 10 more islands like Bali, by implementing the 3 “A”s – attraction, amenity, and accessibility with cross-border tourism as a focus.

Malaysia had a strong presence at the Forum, with leadership being present along with 33 sellers. The Desaru Coast, a new integrated resort and one of Malaysia’s most anticipated new tourism developments got prominent exposure, as did Johar for exciting and enjoyable adventures.

The presence of a large gathering at Ha Long Bay was utilized by Cambodia to create greater awareness of the Cambodia Travel Mart (CTM) which is scheduled to be held in Phnom Penh from October 10 to 13, 2019. The CTM will also be the mechanism used to strengthen a tourism cooperation and to push for a tourism promotion within ASEAN and in the region, said Minister of Tourism Thong Khon, inviting delegates to attend the 3rd CTM event.

As the host nation, Vietnam received much attention, and the country went all out to make the event memorable and to tell the world that tourism is very important to them. The country welcomed 15.5 million travelers, a 20 percent increase in arrivals in 2018. Nearly 5 million visitors came from China, a 23.9 percent increase; 3.5 million from Korea, a 30.4 percent increase; 827,000 from Japan, a 3.6 percent increase; and 606,000 from Russia, a 5.7 percent increase, with Germany, France and the UK also showing significant boosts in arrivals.

The International Travel Expo, Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) 2019, Mekong’s largest travel event, scheduled to be held from September 5 to 7, 2019, was also being marketed at ATF.

According to the first ever global survey conducted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and IPSOS, 47% of respondents think ‘they live in cities with a high number of tourists’. Over 50% considers tourism has a positive impact in generating wealth and promoting cultural exchanges, and 49% feel there should be measures to improve tourism management. Only 12% of respondents favor limitations to the number of visitors.

The online survey was conducted across 15 countries and targeted 12,000 people to better understand residents’ perception towards city tourism, its impacts and management strategies.eTN Chatroom: Discuss with readers from around the world:

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“Today, adequately managing tourism to the benefit of visitors and residents alike, ensuring that local communities are listened to and benefit from tourism is more important than ever, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “There is a pressing need to set a roadmap for urban tourism which is fully aligned with the urban agenda”, he added.

Nearly half of the respondents (47%) think ‘they live in a city with a high number of visitors. Yet, results vary significantly across countries, ranging from 68% in Australia to only 33% in France.

The generation of wealth and income, the creation of intercultural exchanges and of new offers of leisure activities stand out as the biggest impacts on cities. The perception of tourism’s positive impacts is particularly strong in Argentina, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Spain, and Sweden.

For many urban destinations around the world, addressing the challenges of growing tourism demand and adequately managing tourist flows is now a priority. In a similar way, the results show that 49% of respondents feel that there should be measures to better manage tourism. Again, values change significantly by country – from 75% in Argentina to only 24% in Japan.

Of all respondents, over 70% think these measures should focus on improving infrastructure and facilities as well as in creating attractions for both tourists and residents. Only 12% think measures should include the limitation of the number visitors and only 9% considered that tourism promotion should be stopped.

Key findings:

• 47% of respondents think “they live in a city with a high number of tourists visiting”

• The mixed-picture of the perceived impacts rising from urban tourism in the different countries demonstrates the complexity of economic, social and environmental issues faced by destinations today.

• On the positive side, 52% think tourism has a big or moderate impact in generating wealth and income. On the other spectrum, 46% think it “creates overcrowding”.

• 49% of respondents think “there should be measures to manage tourism”

• Respondents are most receptive to the following measures: ‘improve infrastructures and facilities’ (72%), ‘create experiences and attractions that benefit both residents and visitors’ (71%), and ‘ensure local communities benefit from tourism’ (65%).

• Results also show that half of responses emphasized communicating and engaging with local communities (50%) and visitors (48%) as an important measure, whereas only 12% think there should be a ‘limit to the number of tourists’ and only 9% think tourism promotion should be stopped.

The UNWTO / IPSOS survey on was part of the IPSOS Online omnibus (Global@dvisor) December 2018 wave (fieldwork between 21 January 2018 and 14 January 2019.