UNWTO and Pacific Asia Travel Association Focus on Sustainable Future for Tourism

For its 17th edition, the 2023 UNWTO-PATA Forum (Guilin, China, 26-27 October) put the focus on maximizing the sector's ability to drive growth, build economic resilience and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. The Forum is the consolidated leading platform for policymakers, business leaders and a range of tourism stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific.

People, Planet and Prosperity

With co-organizers the Guilin Municipal People's Government and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region's Department of Culture and Tourism, as well as with Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Forum explored the best ways of introducing greater sustainability into every level of the tourism ecosystem. Among other areas, discussions centred on priorities including trends, innovation and technology, education and skills, and green investments.

The two-day event featured keynote interventions from UNWTO officials, alongside expert inputs from National Tourism Administrations, National Tourism Organizations and Destination Management Organizations, government officials, NGOs, industry practitioners. The trends, insights, research findings and practices, will be used to develop policies focused on greater sustainability while also raising awareness promote awareness and education about sustainable tourism among forum attendees and the broader general public, including through the more effective use of data.

The Forum also featured a high-level technical session organized by UNWTO around the theme of "Rethinking Tourism in post-pandemic times: understanding and adapting to new trends," and a panel discussion focused on strengthening collaboration between public and private actors. Within the framework of the Forum, UNWTO officials met with key officials from the region, including the Secretary of CPC Committee and the Mayor of Guilin and with representatives of the Hongkong Polytechnic University.

About UN Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), a United Nations specialised agency, is the leading international organisation with the decisive and central role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how. Its membership includes 166 countries, 6 territories, 2 permanent observers and over 500 Affiliate Members from the private sector.

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