World Tourism Day: Sector to boost investment, education and new destinations

Α Decrease font Enlarge font
World Tourism Day: Sector to boost investment, education and new destinationsThis year has been the biggest World Tourism Day ever, and we want to make sure it leaves the biggest impact too

The legacy of the World Tourism Day 2023 celebrations will live on in the shape of greater investments in the sector's sustainability and a shared commitment to spread the benefits the sector delivers even more widely.

Hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the official celebrations welcomed more than 50 Ministers of Tourism alongside hundreds of high-level delegates from the public and private sectors. The day featured expert-led panels focused on key topics around this year's theme of Tourism and Green Investments, with plans backed up with concrete actions as UNWTO announced several important new initiatives.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "This year has been the biggest World Tourism Day ever, and we want to make sure it leaves the biggest impact too. From Riyadh, we have joined our global sector around a pledge to promote new destinations, to diversify the economic and social benefits of tourism, and have announced a new school that will transform tourism education in the Middle East."

Tourism Pledges to Open Minds
In Riyadh, Secretary-General Pololikashvili introduced "Tourism Opens Minds", a landmark initiative designed to showcase the powerful role that tourism plays in bridging cultures and fostering peace and understanding. With UNWTO's latest data indicating the sector is well on track to recover as much as 95% of pre-pandemic arrivals numbers by the end of 2023, Tourism Opens Minds is designed to ensure that this strong recovery is joined by a greater emphasis on tourists exploring less-visited destinations. The focus will be on:

Making lesser-known destinations more accessible to all tourists and ensuring all visitors receive a warm welcome from host communities
Promoting lesser-known destinations and actively working to make tourists visit them
Working with governments and the private sector to encourage tourists themselves to be more open-minded in their choice of travel destination
To mark the launch, UNWTO unveiled a new symbol for the initiative, made up of the colors of the various flags of the world, and shared a pledge for the sector to unite around. A special pledge, to be supported by Governments, private sector leaders, and tourists themselves, was shared with select delegates, calling on them to commit to promoting new and diverse travel destinations.

Investing in Tourism Education
To ensure that the World Tourism Day 2023 celebrations leave a lasting impact in Riyadh and across the wider region, UNWTO Secretary-General Pololikashvili joined with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb to announce a joint project focused on creating new generations of skilled tourism workers:

The Riyadh School of Tourism and Hospitality will be a collaborative effort between UNWTO, the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, and Qiddiya
With 80% of all global tourism education programs currently focused on hotel operations, the Riyadh School will deliver learning for every part of the diverse sector.
The School will offer eight different levels of educational programs including diplomas and certificates through to professional courses and courses at the Bachelor's and Master's degree levels.

RELATED TOPICS: GreeceGreek tourism newsTourism in GreeceGreek islandsHotels in GreeceTravel to GreeceGreek destinationsGreek travel marketGreek tourism statisticsGreek tourism report

Tornos
  1. 22/04 19:08

    The action of the region of Crete "Let's go for... Greens" concludes this weekend

  2. 22/04 15:15

    “Art is our Language”: Campaign for the 70th Anniversary of the Athens Epidaurus Festival

  3. 22/04 15:02

    Tourism | Nostalgia drives Brits’ travel choices

  4. 22/04 14:20

    ΕΟΤ China | B2B meetings with Chengdu's t.os - Flights to Athens in June

  5. 22/04 12:24

    State-of-the-art conference center at Theartemis Palace Hotel in Rethymno

  6. 22/04 09:29

    Zagori: Collaboration with Impact Hub Athens for sustainable tourism and innovation

  7. 22/04 07:55

    Cooperation Memorandum between Development Athens and Piraeus University on Tourism

  8. 22/04 07:40

    Kos: New advertising campaigns with Jet2 and National Geographic Traveller UK

  9. 22/04 07:36

    Five cruise ships in Souda by Saturday

  10. 22/04 06:48

    Imbros Trail Run & Hike 2025: A sporting tribute to the History of Sfakia

  11. 22/04 06:44

    Cultural Days and Sea Routes in Piraeus

  12. 21/04 20:52

    Religious Tourism | The University of Palermo comes to Panagia Nafpaktiotissa

  13. 21/04 07:58

    Audio Walk in the Sitia Geopark: A Different Exploration Experience in Crete

  14. 20/04 07:01

    AEGEAN “takes off” Larnaca with a new direct flight to Rome

  15. 19/04 08:03

    Juneyao Airlines: More direct flights from Shanghai to Athens in 2025

  16. 18/04 23:44

    Alltours: Familiarization trip to Greece for 250 travel agents

  17. 18/04 19:45

    Nations Cup Beach Volleyball is coming to TUI Magic Life Candia Maris on May 16-18

  18. 18/04 16:22

    Navarino Challenge returns on May 9-11, 2025

  19. 18/04 15:55

    Traditional Easter in Naxos: Unique Customs and Local Cuisine

  20. 18/04 07:38

    Annual revenue of over 43,000 euros for Airbnb in Mykonos and Santorini

  21. 17/04 18:16

    Destination Management and Promotion Organization established in Heraklion 

  22. 17/04 12:19

    Lyft steps up European presence with FreeNow acquisition

  23. 17/04 11:24

    Jet2: Four new Greek destinations from Luton in summer 2026

  24. 17/04 11:12

    Athens is the new hotspot in Europe for hotel investments - the 8th most attractive city in 2025

  25. 17/04 10:28

    Significant increase of over 18% in direct bookings at Greek hotels for Easter

  26. 17/04 08:33

    Short-term rental: 1.15 million available nights in March in Greece

  27. 17/04 07:49

    Accor's Handwritten Collection expands to Europe – The first Greek participation

  28. 17/04 07:46

    Ithaca is ready to welcome its visitors for Easter and the summer season

  29. 17/04 07:38

    Mirum Hellas: Donation of studies for the Agios Nikolaos Marina

  30. 17/04 06:59

    CBRE Hotels | Why the value of hotels in Greece will continue to rise

  31. 17/04 06:54

    Mykonos: Smiles for Easter, optimism for record arrivals in 2025

  32. 16/04 23:41

    Promotion of Central Macedonia in Poland - direct flights to Thessaloniki begin

  33. 16/04 21:19

    Hersonissos: 33,000 tourist beds in the “Pay As You Throw” system

  34. 16/04 21:07

    Adventure Tourism: Greece Wins British Travelers’ Choice

  35. 16/04 16:29

    Destination Management and Promotion Organization established in Rethymno

  36. 16/04 16:26

    PPA | Series of upgrades to the infrastructure of the port of Piraeus

  37. 16/04 15:34

    Wizz Air: Medical awareness campaign in view of increased Easter travel traffic

  38. 16/04 13:38

    Expedia | Sports Tourism Accounts for 10% of Global Tourism Spend

  39. 16/04 11:59

    American Tourism | + 38% travel costs to Europe in 2025 - Shift to more affordable destinations

  40. 16/04 11:48

    Chania olive oil as a growth driver in the tourism economy of Crete

  41. 16/04 11:45

    Enhanced police presence in Chios ahead of Easter

  42. 16/04 08:52

    CHC Group: The Greek chain that brings Hilton to Elounda and Karpathos

  43. 16/04 08:05

    The great restoration of the Venetian Wharfs of Chania begins

  44. 16/04 07:59

    Tourism: TUI's packages for Greece in Austria are in demand

  45. 16/04 07:56

    Koziakas Mountain Race 2025: The mountain challenge in Koziakas

  46. 15/04 17:27

    Easter in Syros, Paros, Kimolos, and Alonissos | What the island authorities say to TN

  47. 15/04 16:36

    Passenger traffic in Q1 | +9.1% at CAA airports, +6.5% in all

  48. 15/04 16:30

    Investment interest in tourism remains stable internationally in the first quarter

  49. 15/04 15:40

    Great Britain | Greece and the Greek National Tourist Office at Kuoni Road Show

  50. 15/04 15:23

    What will our world be like in 2035? - Read what the participants at the Delphi Forum answered

  51. 15/04 14:45

    Norwegian Cruise Line christens new ship - new attractions on private island

  52. 15/04 11:57

    Dynamic presence of the Winemakers of Crete at the PROWEIN exhibition

  53. 15/04 11:53

    Municipality of Sfakia: The Lykos - Marmara route is safer and more accessible again

  54. 15/04 08:02

    Paros | Optimism for the new season - Bet on extending the season

  55. 15/04 07:07

    Anopaia Atrapos: A mountain running race with a historical route and an athletic ethos

  56. 14/04 21:19

    YOTEL: Brits choose cities for Easter

  57. 14/04 20:32

    Seminars on the quality of Cretan olive oil at MAICH

  58. 14/04 19:36

    Strong interest of the Italian market in Greece

  59. 14/04 14:17

    Workshop in Thessaloniki and Athens for cooperation between Greece and Turkey in tourism

  60. 14/04 13:39

    Increase in visitor numbers and revenues to museums and archaeological sites in 2024

  61. 14/04 12:42

    Ryanair | Bookings now available through Expedia Group

  62. 14/04 11:52

    GNTO | Event for Aegean's new flights from Turkey to five Greek destinations

  63. 14/04 11:45

    Presentation of Pieria in the Polish market

  64. 14/04 11:04

    Mercan and Wyndham partner for Corfu Acharavi hotel in Corfu

  65. 14/04 08:09

    March air traffic: Up on last year's March, which had Easter

  66. 14/04 07:10

    Permits for 8 hotels in Thessaloniki, Crete, Kos, Corfu, Ouranoupoli, and Nafplio

  67. 14/04 07:04

    German tourism: Holidays above inflation

  68. 13/04 13:15

    TUI Musement | Skiathos, Kefalonia, Larnaca, and Troodos in top-7 destinations for tourists 65+

  69. 13/04 12:11

    Mayor K. Ventouris on TN | Optimism for this year's tourist season in Kimolos

  70. 11/04 18:20

    A. Fiorentinos at an Expedia event: Santorini is returning to normality

  71. 11/04 16:07

    G. Hatzis: Trump tariffs could theoretically affect tourism from the US

  72. 11/04 12:23

    Double international distinction for Paros by American Express Travel and Forbes

  73. 11/04 11:43

    Crete: Pioneer for resilient tourism in the face of climate change

  74. 11/04 11:32

    “Philoxenia Travel & Culture”: A Photographic Journey to Authentic Greece

  75. 11/04 11:28

    Germany | Tourism industry risks losing older customers

  76. 11/04 08:51

    Participation of the municipality of Erymanthos as a full member in the Network of Cities with Lakes

  77. 11/04 08:46

    "Two destinations, one purpose": Promoting pilgrimage tourism in Lesvos and Chios

  78. 11/04 07:54

    Development of cultural and tourism programs in Phocis

  79. 11/04 06:11

    ForwardKeys | Heraklion and Thessaloniki among the top Easter destinations in Europe

  80. 10/04 16:15

    N. Chalkiadakis on TN | Arrivals take off at the airport in Kastelli

  81. 10/04 12:56

    WTTC: Global tourism to soar over the next 10 years - Contribution to $16.5 trillion in 2035

  82. 09/04 23:02

    Digital tourism promotion for the Holy Shrine of Panagia Kastriani of Kea

  83. 09/04 22:08

    International award for the Venetian Castle of Fortezza in Rethymno

  84. 09/04 19:45

    Trump's tariffs and Americans' ties to travel

  85. 09/04 19:13

    Olga Kefalogianni: Authenticity, sustainability, and tourism 12 months a year

  86. 09/04 16:19

    Ioannina, a reference point for digital nomadism

  87. 09/04 13:24

    Paros declares itself "fully ready" to welcome visitors

  88. 09/04 12:27

    Pieria | POTAP - jet2 collaboration to open up the British market

  89. 09/04 11:36

    Tourism promotion of Volos and Pelion in Great Britain

  90. 09/04 11:31

    Sports Tourism | A $1.3 trillion market

  91. 09/04 08:50

    Greek Tourism: “Take-off” of flights from Germany in 2025

  92. 09/04 07:57

    "Thematic olive routes” | Crete opens a new page for its visitors

  93. 09/04 07:52

    New English-speaking postgraduate program from the Technical University of Crete

  94. 09/04 07:49

    Sitia Geopark: Educational tourism in the nature of the Ziros Plateau

  95. 09/04 07:45

    Mykonos: Investments in infrastructure to boost cruise tourism

  96. 08/04 04:55

    N. Chalkiadakis on Tornos News: How a beer brought swingers to Crete

  97. 08/04 04:55

    Alexandroupolis Municipality at Tourism Workshop in Bucharest

  98. 08/04 04:55

    Municipality of Drama: Highlighting and integrating Byzantine fortification into urban fabric

  99. 08/04 04:55

    Participation of Samothrace in a project to highlight the cultural value of historical sites

  100. 08/04 04:55

    Americans remain the “golden” market for Athens