UNWTO at FITUR 2020: Focus on sustainability, innovation and accessibility

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will place innovation and sustainability at the top of the agenda as it returns to the International Tourism Fair in Madrid (FITUR). At the 40th edition of the leading trade fair, the United Nations specialized agency will emphasize the global tourism sector’s enduring resilience and status as a beacon of stability in times of political, economic and social uncertainty.

FITUR 2020 will see UNWTO build on its presence at the recent COP25 UN Climate Conference, where it highlighted tourism’s unique and cross-cutting ability to contribute to several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On the eve of FITUR (Monday 20 January), UNWTO will host its annual News Conference, setting out its accomplishments to date as well as its vision for the future, both during the 2020 UNWTO Year of Tourism and Rural Development and beyond. Also at the News Conference, UNWTO will present the latest data on global tourism numbers and trends, its first such report of the new decade.

On the opening day of FITUR (22 January), UNWTO will launch the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, a landmark opportunity for tourism operators and destinations to establish themselves as global leaders in reducing plastic consumption and pollution. The initiative has already gained the support of major players within the sector.

Alongside the launch of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative in Madrid at FITUR, UNWTO will also host the final of the second edition of its Tourism Start-Up Competition (20 January), identifying innovators who are disrupting the sector and making tourism more closely aligned with the SDGs. Additionally, alongside the ONCE Foundation, UNWTO will host its Accessible Tourism Destination (ATDs) Awards (22 January) to recognize destinations that are proactively opening themselves up to tourists of all abilities and backgrounds.

Looking ahead to the event, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For 40 years, FITUR has served as a key focal point for sector leaders, bringing the public and private sectors together to drive tourism forward. Now as we look to the future, I am confident that FITUR will once again produce ideas and concrete plans needed to ensure tourism can become an increasingly important part of the sustainable development agenda. As we begin 2030, the global community has just 10 years to realize our ambitious climate and development goals, and the tourism sector needs to face up to its large responsibility and recognize its unique power here.”

For the first time, on the evening before the start of FITUR, UNWTO will host a high-level Gala Dinner, with guests of honor to include His Majesty, King Felipe VI of Spain, heads of state and private sector leaders.

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