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

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: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
- 1) PPA | Series of upgrades to the infrastructure of the port of Piraeus
- 2) Investment interest in tourism remains stable internationally in the first quarter
- 3) Permits for 8 hotels in Thessaloniki, Crete, Kos, Corfu, Ouranoupoli, and Nafplio
- 4) Decisions for 6 hotels in Mykonos, Rhodes, Kos, Crete, Samos, and Meteora
22/04 19:08
The action of the region of Crete "Let's go for... Greens" concludes this weekend
22/04 15:15
“Art is our Language”: Campaign for the 70th Anniversary of the Athens Epidaurus Festival
22/04 15:02
22/04 14:20
ΕΟΤ China | B2B meetings with Chengdu's t.os - Flights to Athens in June
22/04 12:24
State-of-the-art conference center at Theartemis Palace Hotel in Rethymno
22/04 09:29
Zagori: Collaboration with Impact Hub Athens for sustainable tourism and innovation
22/04 07:55
Cooperation Memorandum between Development Athens and Piraeus University on Tourism
22/04 07:40
Kos: New advertising campaigns with Jet2 and National Geographic Traveller UK
22/04 07:36
22/04 06:48
Imbros Trail Run & Hike 2025: A sporting tribute to the History of Sfakia
22/04 06:44
21/04 20:52
Religious Tourism | The University of Palermo comes to Panagia Nafpaktiotissa
21/04 07:58
Audio Walk in the Sitia Geopark: A Different Exploration Experience in Crete
20/04 07:01
19/04 08:03
Juneyao Airlines: More direct flights from Shanghai to Athens in 2025
18/04 23:44
Alltours: Familiarization trip to Greece for 250 travel agents
18/04 19:45
Nations Cup Beach Volleyball is coming to TUI Magic Life Candia Maris on May 16-18
18/04 16:22
18/04 15:55
Traditional Easter in Naxos: Unique Customs and Local Cuisine
18/04 07:38
Annual revenue of over 43,000 euros for Airbnb in Mykonos and Santorini
17/04 18:16
Destination Management and Promotion Organization established in Heraklion
17/04 12:19
17/04 11:24
17/04 11:12
Athens is the new hotspot in Europe for hotel investments - the 8th most attractive city in 2025
17/04 10:28
Significant increase of over 18% in direct bookings at Greek hotels for Easter
17/04 08:33
Short-term rental: 1.15 million available nights in March in Greece
17/04 07:49
Accor's Handwritten Collection expands to Europe – The first Greek participation
17/04 07:46
Ithaca is ready to welcome its visitors for Easter and the summer season
17/04 07:38
Mirum Hellas: Donation of studies for the Agios Nikolaos Marina
17/04 06:59
CBRE Hotels | Why the value of hotels in Greece will continue to rise
17/04 06:54
Mykonos: Smiles for Easter, optimism for record arrivals in 2025
16/04 23:41
Promotion of Central Macedonia in Poland - direct flights to Thessaloniki begin
16/04 21:19
Hersonissos: 33,000 tourist beds in the “Pay As You Throw” system
16/04 21:07
16/04 16:29
Destination Management and Promotion Organization established in Rethymno
16/04 16:26
PPA | Series of upgrades to the infrastructure of the port of Piraeus
16/04 15:34
Wizz Air: Medical awareness campaign in view of increased Easter travel traffic
16/04 13:38
Expedia | Sports Tourism Accounts for 10% of Global Tourism Spend
16/04 11:59
American Tourism | + 38% travel costs to Europe in 2025 - Shift to more affordable destinations
16/04 11:48
Chania olive oil as a growth driver in the tourism economy of Crete
16/04 11:45
16/04 08:52
CHC Group: The Greek chain that brings Hilton to Elounda and Karpathos
16/04 08:05
The great restoration of the Venetian Wharfs of Chania begins
16/04 07:59
16/04 07:56
Koziakas Mountain Race 2025: The mountain challenge in Koziakas
15/04 17:27
Easter in Syros, Paros, Kimolos, and Alonissos | What the island authorities say to TN
15/04 16:36
Passenger traffic in Q1 | +9.1% at CAA airports, +6.5% in all
15/04 16:30
Investment interest in tourism remains stable internationally in the first quarter
15/04 15:40
Great Britain | Greece and the Greek National Tourist Office at Kuoni Road Show
15/04 15:23
What will our world be like in 2035? - Read what the participants at the Delphi Forum answered
15/04 14:45
Norwegian Cruise Line christens new ship - new attractions on private island
15/04 11:57
Dynamic presence of the Winemakers of Crete at the PROWEIN exhibition
15/04 11:53
Municipality of Sfakia: The Lykos - Marmara route is safer and more accessible again
15/04 08:02
Paros | Optimism for the new season - Bet on extending the season
15/04 07:07
Anopaia Atrapos: A mountain running race with a historical route and an athletic ethos
14/04 21:19
14/04 20:32
14/04 19:36
14/04 14:17
Workshop in Thessaloniki and Athens for cooperation between Greece and Turkey in tourism
14/04 13:39
Increase in visitor numbers and revenues to museums and archaeological sites in 2024
14/04 12:42
14/04 11:52
GNTO | Event for Aegean's new flights from Turkey to five Greek destinations
14/04 11:45
14/04 11:04
Mercan and Wyndham partner for Corfu Acharavi hotel in Corfu
14/04 08:09
March air traffic: Up on last year's March, which had Easter
14/04 07:10
Permits for 8 hotels in Thessaloniki, Crete, Kos, Corfu, Ouranoupoli, and Nafplio
14/04 07:04
13/04 13:15
TUI Musement | Skiathos, Kefalonia, Larnaca, and Troodos in top-7 destinations for tourists 65+
13/04 12:11
Mayor K. Ventouris on TN | Optimism for this year's tourist season in Kimolos
11/04 18:20
A. Fiorentinos at an Expedia event: Santorini is returning to normality
11/04 16:07
G. Hatzis: Trump tariffs could theoretically affect tourism from the US
11/04 12:23
Double international distinction for Paros by American Express Travel and Forbes
11/04 11:43
Crete: Pioneer for resilient tourism in the face of climate change
11/04 11:32
“Philoxenia Travel & Culture”: A Photographic Journey to Authentic Greece
11/04 11:28
11/04 08:51
Participation of the municipality of Erymanthos as a full member in the Network of Cities with Lakes
11/04 08:46
"Two destinations, one purpose": Promoting pilgrimage tourism in Lesvos and Chios
11/04 07:54
11/04 06:11
ForwardKeys | Heraklion and Thessaloniki among the top Easter destinations in Europe
10/04 16:15
N. Chalkiadakis on TN | Arrivals take off at the airport in Kastelli
10/04 12:56
WTTC: Global tourism to soar over the next 10 years - Contribution to $16.5 trillion in 2035
09/04 23:02
Digital tourism promotion for the Holy Shrine of Panagia Kastriani of Kea
09/04 22:08
International award for the Venetian Castle of Fortezza in Rethymno
09/04 19:45
09/04 19:13
Olga Kefalogianni: Authenticity, sustainability, and tourism 12 months a year
09/04 16:19
09/04 13:24
09/04 12:27
Pieria | POTAP - jet2 collaboration to open up the British market
09/04 11:36
09/04 11:31
09/04 08:50
09/04 07:57
"Thematic olive routes” | Crete opens a new page for its visitors
09/04 07:52
New English-speaking postgraduate program from the Technical University of Crete
09/04 07:49
Sitia Geopark: Educational tourism in the nature of the Ziros Plateau
09/04 07:45
Mykonos: Investments in infrastructure to boost cruise tourism
08/04 04:55
N. Chalkiadakis on Tornos News: How a beer brought swingers to Crete
08/04 04:55
Alexandroupolis Municipality at Tourism Workshop in Bucharest
08/04 04:55
Municipality of Drama: Highlighting and integrating Byzantine fortification into urban fabric
08/04 04:55
Participation of Samothrace in a project to highlight the cultural value of historical sites
08/04 04:55
Annual revenue of over 43,000 euros for Airbnb in Mykonos and Santorini
Alltours: Familiarization trip to Greece for 250 travel agents
Nations Cup Beach Volleyball is coming to TUI Magic Life Candia Maris on May 16-18
Significant increase of over 18% in direct bookings at Greek hotels for Easter
Traditional Easter in Naxos: Unique Customs and Local Cuisine
Athens is the new hotspot in Europe for hotel investments - the 8th most attractive city in 2025
Destination Management and Promotion Organization established in Heraklion
Greek tourism sets new records in 2024: 36 million visitors and €22 billion revenue
The flagship project "Urban Regeneration of parts of Eastern Kalamaria" underway
Permits for 8 hotels in Thessaloniki, Crete, Kos, Corfu, Ouranoupoli, and Nafplio
Greek Tourism 2025: With 28.2 million airline seats, the summer season opens
Increase in visitor numbers and revenues to museums and archaeological sites in 2024
European Airport Passenger Traffic in 2024: Recovery and New Challenges
The action of the region of Crete "Let's go for... Greens" concludes this weekend
Mercan and Wyndham partner for Corfu Acharavi hotel in Corfu