7 pillars of tourism

What Are the 9 Pillars of Tourism?

By Michael Ferguson

Tourism is a vital industry that brings in millions of visitors to various destinations around the world. To ensure that the tourism industry thrives, certain pillars are crucial to its success.

These pillars are essential components that help to sustain and promote tourism in different regions. In this article, we will explore the 9 pillars of tourism and their importance.

1. Accommodation

One of the most critical pillars of tourism is accommodation.

Tourists need a place to stay when visiting a new destination, and it’s crucial to have adequate and comfortable accommodations available. From hotels and resorts to vacation homes and campsites, there are various types of accommodations available for tourists.

2. Food and Beverage

Food plays a significant role in tourism, as it offers an opportunity for visitors to experience local cuisine and culture. Restaurants, cafes, food trucks, and street vendors all contribute to the food and beverage pillar of tourism.

3. Transportation

Transportation is another critical pillar of tourism as it helps visitors get around their destination with ease. Whether it’s by car, bus, train, or plane, transportation options must be readily available for tourists.

4. Attractions

Attractions play a crucial role in attracting tourists to various destinations worldwide. Museums, historical landmarks, theme parks, zoos – all these are examples of attractions that can draw tourists from different parts of the world.

Events such as festivals, concerts, sporting events also play a significant role in promoting tourism in different regions worldwide.

6. Travel Trade

Travel trade refers to travel agencies that help tourists plan their trips by providing information about destinations’ attractions and accommodations.

7. Tourism Services

Tourism services include activities such as guided tours or adventure sports, which help visitors experience the destination to the fullest.

8. Destination Management

Destination management is a critical aspect of tourism that involves managing and promoting a destination to attract tourists. It includes developing marketing strategies, maintaining infrastructure, and ensuring visitor safety.

9. Tourist Information

Tourist information centers provide essential information about destinations to travelers. They help visitors plan their trips, answer questions about attractions and accommodations, and provide maps and brochures.

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What Is Sustainable Tourism and Why Is It Important?

Sustainable management and socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental impacts are the four pillars of sustainable tourism

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What Makes Tourism Sustainable?

The role of tourists, types of sustainable tourism.

Sustainable tourism considers its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts by addressing the needs of its ecological surroundings and the local communities. This is achieved by protecting natural environments and wildlife when developing and managing tourism activities, providing only authentic experiences for tourists that don’t appropriate or misrepresent local heritage and culture, or creating direct socioeconomic benefits for local communities through training and employment.

As people begin to pay more attention to sustainability and the direct and indirect effects of their actions, travel destinations and organizations are following suit. For example, the New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment is aiming to see every New Zealand tourism business committed to sustainability by 2025, while the island country of Palau has required visitors to sign an eco pledge upon entry since 2017.

Tourism industries are considered successfully sustainable when they can meet the needs of travelers while having a low impact on natural resources and generating long-term employment for locals. By creating positive experiences for local people, travelers, and the industry itself, properly managed sustainable tourism can meet the needs of the present without compromising the future.

What Is Sustainability?

At its core, sustainability focuses on balance — maintaining our environmental, social, and economic benefits without using up the resources that future generations will need to thrive. In the past, sustainability ideals tended to lean towards business, though more modern definitions of sustainability highlight finding ways to avoid depleting natural resources in order to keep an ecological balance and maintain the quality of environmental and human societies.

Since tourism impacts and is impacted by a wide range of different activities and industries, all sectors and stakeholders (tourists, governments, host communities, tourism businesses) need to collaborate on sustainable tourism in order for it to be successful.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) , which is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of sustainable tourism, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) , the global standard for sustainable travel and tourism, have similar opinions on what makes tourism sustainable. By their account, sustainable tourism should make the best use of environmental resources while helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity, respect the socio-culture of local host communities, and contribute to intercultural understanding. Economically, it should also ensure viable long-term operations that will provide benefits to all stakeholders, whether that includes stable employment to locals, social services, or contributions to poverty alleviation.

The GSTC has developed a series of criteria to create a common language about sustainable travel and tourism. These criteria are used to distinguish sustainable destinations and organizations, but can also help create sustainable policies for businesses and government agencies. Arranged in four pillars, the global baseline standards include sustainable management, socioeconomic impact, cultural impacts, and environmental impacts.

Travel Tip:

The GSTC is an excellent resource for travelers who want to find sustainably managed destinations and accommodations and learn how to become a more sustainable traveler in general.

Environment

Protecting natural environments is the bedrock of sustainable tourism. Data released by the World Tourism Organization estimates that tourism-based CO2 emissions are forecast to increase 25% by 2030. In 2016, tourism transport-related emissions contributed to 5% of all man-made emissions, while transport-related emissions from long-haul international travel were expected to grow 45% by 2030.

The environmental ramifications of tourism don’t end with carbon emissions, either. Unsustainably managed tourism can create waste problems, lead to land loss or soil erosion, increase natural habitat loss, and put pressure on endangered species . More often than not, the resources in these places are already scarce, and sadly, the negative effects can contribute to the destruction of the very environment on which the industry depends.

Industries and destinations that want to be sustainable must do their part to conserve resources, reduce pollution, and conserve biodiversity and important ecosystems. In order to achieve this, proper resource management and management of waste and emissions is important. In Bali, for example, tourism consumes 65% of local water resources, while in Zanzibar, tourists use 15 times as much water per night as local residents.

Another factor to environmentally focused sustainable tourism comes in the form of purchasing: Does the tour operator, hotel, or restaurant favor locally sourced suppliers and products? How do they manage their food waste and dispose of goods? Something as simple as offering paper straws instead of plastic ones can make a huge dent in an organization’s harmful pollutant footprint.

Recently, there has been an uptick in companies that promote carbon offsetting . The idea behind carbon offsetting is to compensate for generated greenhouse gas emissions by canceling out emissions somewhere else. Much like the idea that reducing or reusing should be considered first before recycling , carbon offsetting shouldn’t be the primary goal. Sustainable tourism industries always work towards reducing emissions first and offset what they can’t.

Properly managed sustainable tourism also has the power to provide alternatives to need-based professions and behaviors like poaching . Often, and especially in underdeveloped countries, residents turn to environmentally harmful practices due to poverty and other social issues. At Periyar Tiger Reserve in India, for example, an unregulated increase in tourists made it more difficult to control poaching in the area. In response, an eco development program aimed at providing employment for locals turned 85 former poachers into reserve gamekeepers. Under supervision of the reserve’s management staff, the group of gamekeepers have developed a series of tourism packages and are now protecting land instead of exploiting it. They’ve found that jobs in responsible wildlife tourism are more rewarding and lucrative than illegal work.

Flying nonstop and spending more time in a single destination can help save CO2, since planes use more fuel the more times they take off.

Local Culture and Residents

One of the most important and overlooked aspects of sustainable tourism is contributing to protecting, preserving, and enhancing local sites and traditions. These include areas of historical, archaeological, or cultural significance, but also "intangible heritage," such as ceremonial dance or traditional art techniques.

In cases where a site is being used as a tourist attraction, it is important that the tourism doesn’t impede access to local residents. For example, some tourist organizations create local programs that offer residents the chance to visit tourism sites with cultural value in their own countries. A program called “Children in the Wilderness” run by Wilderness Safaris educates children in rural Africa about the importance of wildlife conservation and valuable leadership development tools. Vacations booked through travel site Responsible Travel contribute to the company’s “Trip for a Trip” program, which organizes day trips for disadvantaged youth who live near popular tourist destinations but have never had the opportunity to visit.

Sustainable tourism bodies work alongside communities to incorporate various local cultural expressions as part of a traveler’s experiences and ensure that they are appropriately represented. They collaborate with locals and seek their input on culturally appropriate interpretation of sites, and train guides to give visitors a valuable (and correct) impression of the site. The key is to inspire travelers to want to protect the area because they understand its significance.

Bhutan, a small landlocked country in South Asia, has enforced a system of all-inclusive tax for international visitors since 1997 ($200 per day in the off season and $250 per day in the high season). This way, the government is able to restrict the tourism market to local entrepreneurs exclusively and restrict tourism to specific regions, ensuring that the country’s most precious natural resources won’t be exploited.

Incorporating volunteer work into your vacation is an amazing way to learn more about the local culture and help contribute to your host community at the same time. You can also book a trip that is focused primarily on volunteer work through a locally run charity or non profit (just be sure that the job isn’t taking employment opportunities away from residents).

It's not difficult to make a business case for sustainable tourism, especially if one looks at a destination as a product. Think of protecting a destination, cultural landmark, or ecosystem as an investment. By keeping the environment healthy and the locals happy, sustainable tourism will maximize the efficiency of business resources. This is especially true in places where locals are more likely to voice their concerns if they feel like the industry is treating visitors better than residents.

Not only does reducing reliance on natural resources help save money in the long run, studies have shown that modern travelers are likely to participate in environmentally friendly tourism. In 2019, Booking.com found that 73% of travelers preferred an eco-sustainable hotel over a traditional one and 72% of travelers believed that people need to make sustainable travel choices for the sake of future generations.

Always be mindful of where your souvenirs are coming from and whether or not the money is going directly towards the local economy. For example, opt for handcrafted souvenirs made by local artisans.

Growth in the travel and tourism sectors alone has outpaced the overall global economy growth for nine years in a row. Prior to the pandemic, travel and tourism accounted for an $9.6 trillion contribution to the global GDP and 333 million jobs (or one in four new jobs around the world).

Sustainable travel dollars help support employees, who in turn pay taxes that contribute to their local economy. If those employees are not paid a fair wage or aren’t treated fairly, the traveler is unknowingly supporting damaging or unsustainable practices that do nothing to contribute to the future of the community. Similarly, if a hotel doesn’t take into account its ecological footprint, it may be building infrastructure on animal nesting grounds or contributing to excessive pollution. The same goes for attractions, since sustainably managed spots (like nature preserves) often put profits towards conservation and research.

Costa Rica was able to turn a severe deforestation crisis in the 1980s into a diversified tourism-based economy by designating 25.56% of land protected as either a national park, wildlife refuge, or reserve.

While traveling, think of how you would want your home country or home town to be treated by visitors.

Are You a Sustainable Traveler?

Sustainable travelers understand that their actions create an ecological and social footprint on the places they visit. Be mindful of the destinations , accommodations, and activities you choose, and choose destinations that are closer to home or extend your length of stay to save resources. Consider switching to more environmentally friendly modes of transportation such as bicycles, trains, or walking while on vacation. Look into supporting locally run tour operations or local family-owned businesses rather than large international chains. Don’t engage in activities that harm wildlife, such as elephant riding or tiger petting , and opt instead for a wildlife sanctuary (or better yet, attend a beach clean up or plan an hour or two of some volunteer work that interests you). Leave natural areas as you found them by taking out what you carry in, not littering, and respecting the local residents and their traditions.

Most of us travel to experience the world. New cultures, new traditions, new sights and smells and tastes are what makes traveling so rewarding. It is our responsibility as travelers to ensure that these destinations are protected not only for the sake of the communities who rely upon them, but for a future generation of travelers.

Sustainable tourism has many different layers, most of which oppose the more traditional forms of mass tourism that are more likely to lead to environmental damage, loss of culture, pollution, negative economic impacts, and overtourism.

Ecotourism highlights responsible travel to natural areas that focus on environmental conservation. A sustainable tourism body supports and contributes to biodiversity conservation by managing its own property responsibly and respecting or enhancing nearby natural protected areas (or areas of high biological value). Most of the time, this looks like a financial compensation to conservation management, but it can also include making sure that tours, attractions, and infrastructure don’t disturb natural ecosystems.

On the same page, wildlife interactions with free roaming wildlife should be non-invasive and managed responsibly to avoid negative impacts to the animals. As a traveler, prioritize visits to accredited rescue and rehabilitation centers that focus on treating, rehoming, or releasing animals back into the wild, such as the Jaguar Rescue Center in Costa Rica.

Soft Tourism

Soft tourism may highlight local experiences, local languages, or encourage longer time spent in individual areas. This is opposed to hard tourism featuring short duration of visits, travel without respecting culture, taking lots of selfies , and generally feeling a sense of superiority as a tourist.

Many World Heritage Sites, for example, pay special attention to protection, preservation, and sustainability by promoting soft tourism. Peru’s famed Machu Picchu was previously known as one of the world’s worst victims of overtourism , or a place of interest that has experienced negative effects (such as traffic or litter) from excessive numbers of tourists. The attraction has taken steps to control damages in recent years, requiring hikers to hire local guides on the Inca Trail, specifying dates and time on visitor tickets to negate overcrowding, and banning all single use plastics from the site.

Traveling during a destination’s shoulder season , the period between the peak and low seasons, typically combines good weather and low prices without the large crowds. This allows better opportunities to immerse yourself in a new place without contributing to overtourism, but also provides the local economy with income during a normally slow season.

Rural Tourism

Rural tourism applies to tourism that takes place in non-urbanized areas such as national parks, forests, nature reserves, and mountain areas. This can mean anything from camping and glamping to hiking and WOOFing. Rural tourism is a great way to practice sustainable tourism, since it usually requires less use of natural resources.

Community Tourism

Community-based tourism involves tourism where local residents invite travelers to visit their own communities. It sometimes includes overnight stays and often takes place in rural or underdeveloped countries. This type of tourism fosters connection and enables tourists to gain an in-depth knowledge of local habitats, wildlife, and traditional cultures — all while providing direct economic benefits to the host communities. Ecuador is a world leader in community tourism, offering unique accommodation options like the Sani Lodge run by the local Kichwa indigenous community, which offers responsible cultural experiences in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.

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What Is Community-Based Tourism? Definition and Popular Destinations
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Travel ABC: The 7 Essential Components of Tourism

By Jorge Coromina

Travel and tourism have become an integral part of modern life, offering people the opportunity to explore new destinations, cultures, and experiences.

While we often associate travel with leisure and relaxation, the industry's complexities go far beyond just booking a flight and hotel.

To truly understand the dynamics of travel and tourism, we need to delve into its seven essential components, each playing a vital role in creating memorable journeys for travelers worldwide.

Transportation

Transportation serves as the backbone of the travel and tourism industry. Whether it's crossing international borders or exploring local attractions, the availability of efficient and reliable transportation is crucial. Airlines, railways, buses, cruise lines, and other modes of transportation connect destinations, making it possible for travelers to reach their desired locations. Advancements in transportation technology have also made travel more accessible, convenient, and eco-friendly.

Accommodation

Accommodation is a fundamental component of travel and tourism, encompassing a wide range of options to suit every traveler's preferences and budget. From luxurious five-star hotels to cozy bed and breakfasts, hostels, vacation rentals, and camping sites, the diversity in accommodation choices allows travelers to personalize their experience. The hospitality industry's dedication to providing comfortable and welcoming spaces plays a significant role in ensuring tourists enjoy a memorable stay.

Attractions

The attractions at a destination are what entice travelers to visit and explore. Whether they are natural wonders, historical landmarks, cultural sites, amusement parks, or adventure sports, attractions are the heart of tourism. They showcase the unique identity of a place, revealing its history, traditions, and values. Government and private initiatives to preserve and promote attractions contribute to the sustainable growth of the tourism industry.

Cuisine and Dining

One of the most enjoyable aspects of travel is indulging in the local cuisine and dining experiences. Food is an essential part of culture, and trying traditional dishes gives travelers an authentic glimpse into the destination's way of life. Restaurants, street food vendors, food festivals, and cooking classes all contribute to the gastronomic adventure that enriches a traveler's journey.

Entertainment and Events

Entertainment and events are integral to enhancing the overall travel experience. Music festivals, art exhibitions, cultural performances, and sports events add excitement and vibrancy to destinations. These events often draw large crowds of tourists, fostering cultural exchange and economic growth for the local community.

Travel Services and Infrastructure

Behind the scenes, travel services and infrastructure work tirelessly to ensure seamless experiences for travelers. Travel agencies, tour operators, travel insurance providers, and online platforms facilitate trip planning and booking. Additionally, efficient infrastructure, such as airports, roads, public transportation, and communication networks, plays a crucial role in supporting the smooth movement of tourists.

Hospitality and Customer Service

At the core of travel and tourism lies the importance of hospitality and exceptional customer service. The warmth and friendliness of locals, as well as the professionalism of tourism employees, leave a lasting impression on visitors. From tour guides to hotel staff, these individuals play an invaluable role in creating a positive and welcoming environment for tourists.

The travel and tourism industry is a multifaceted ecosystem comprising various components that work harmoniously to provide enriching experiences for travelers. From the moment a journey is conceived to the point of departure, each aspect plays a vital role in shaping memories that last a lifetime.

As this industry continues to evolve, a focus on sustainability, responsible tourism, and embracing cultural diversity will ensure that future generations can enjoy the wonders of travel while preserving the beauty of our world's destinations.

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Sustainable tourism

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Publications.

Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment, while being closely linked to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of many countries, especially developing countries. Maritime or ocean-related tourism, as well as coastal tourism, are for example vital sectors of the economy in small island developing States (SIDS) and coastal least developed countries (LDCs) (see also: The Potential of the Blue Economy report as well as the Community of Ocean Action on sustainable blue economy).

The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities".

Based on General assembly resolution 70/193, 2017 was declared as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development SDG target 8.9, aims to “by 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism is also highlighted in SDG target 12.b. which aims to “develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”.

Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “by 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries” as comprised in SDG target 14.7.

In the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We want, sustainable tourism is defined by paragraph 130 as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities by supporting their local economies and the human and natural environment as a whole. ” In paragraph 130, Member States also “call for enhanced support for sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building in developing countries in order to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”.

In paragraph 131, Member States “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small- and medium-sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”. In this regard, Member States also “underline the importance of establishing, where necessary, appropriate guidelines and regulations in accordance with national priorities and legislation for promoting and supporting sustainable tourism”.

In 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg called for the promotion of sustainable tourism development, including non-consumptive and eco-tourism, in Chapter IV, paragraph 43 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

At the Johannesburg Summit, the launch of the “Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) initiative was announced. The initiative was inaugurated by the World Tourism Organization, in collaboration with UNCTAD, in order to develop sustainable tourism as a force for poverty alleviation.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) last reviewed the issue of sustainable tourism in 2001, when it was acting as the Preparatory Committee for the Johannesburg Summit.

The importance of sustainable tourism was also mentioned in Agenda 21.

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Unwto regional conference enhancing brand africa - fostering tourism development.

Tourism is one of the Africa’s most promising sectors in terms of development, and represents a major opportunity to foster inclusive development, increase the region’s participation in the global economy and generate revenues for investment in other activities, including environmental preservation.

January 2017 International Year of Tourism In the context of the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute to the SDGs.
January 2015 Targets 8.9, 12 b,14.7 The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commits Member States, through Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.9 to “devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism, as a driver for jobs creation and the promotion of local culture and products, is also highlighted in Sustainable Development Goal target 12.b. Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “increase [by 2030] the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries”, through Sustainable Development Goals Target 14.7.
January 2012 Future We Want (Para 130-131) Sustainable tourism is defined as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities” as well as to “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small and medium sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”.
January 2009 Roadmap for Recovery UNWTO announced in March 2009 the elaboration of a Roadmap for Recovery to be finalized by UNWTO’s General Assembly, based on seven action points. The Roadmap includes a set of 15 recommendations based on three interlocking action areas: resilience, stimulus, green economy aimed at supporting the tourism sector and the global economy.
January 2008 Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria represent the minimum requirements any tourism business should observe in order to ensure preservation and respect of the natural and cultural resources and make sure at the same time that tourism potential as tool for poverty alleviation is enforced. The Criteria are 41 and distributed into four different categories: 1) sustainability management, 2) social and economic 3) cultural 4) environmental.
January 2003 WTO becomes a UN specialized body By Resolution 453 (XV), the Assembly agreed on the transformation of the WTO into a United Nations specialized body. Such transformation was later ratified by the United Nations General Assembly with the adoption of Resolution A/RES/58/232.
January 2003 1st Int. Conf. on Climate Change and Tourism The conference was organized in order to gather tourism authorities, organizations, businesses and scientists to discuss on the impact that climate change can have on the tourist sector. The event took place from 9 till 11 April 2003 in Djerba, Tunisia.
January 2002 World Ecotourism Summit Held in May 2002, in Quebec City, Canada, the Summit represented the most important event in the framework of the International Year of Ecosystem. The Summit identified as main themes: ecotourism policy and planning, regulation of ecotourism, product development, marketing and promotion of ecotourism and monitoring costs and benefits of ecotourism.
January 1985 Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code At the World Tourism Organization Sixth Assembly held in Sofia in 1985, the Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code were adopted, setting out the rights and duties of tourists and host populations and formulating policies and action for implementation by states and the tourist industry.
January 1982 Acapulco Document Adopted in 1982, the Acapulco Document acknowledges the new dimension and role of tourism as a positive instrument towards the improvement of the quality of life for all peoples, as well as a significant force for peace and international understanding. The Acapulco Document also urges Member States to elaborate their policies, plans and programmes on tourism, in accordance with their national priorities and within the framework of the programme of work of the World Tourism Organization.

Sustainable Tourism (Sustainable Development of Tourism, Sustainable Tourism Management)

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Sonuç, N. (2023). Sustainable Tourism (Sustainable Development of Tourism, Sustainable Tourism Management). In: Idowu, S.O., Schmidpeter, R., Capaldi, N., Zu, L., Del Baldo, M., Abreu, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainable Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25984-5_454

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Components of tourism: Structure of the tourism industry

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

The travel and tourism industry is argued by many as being the largest industry in the world. It is, therefore, no surprise that the structure of the tourism industry is quite complex, involving many components of tourism.

With many different types of tourism and types of businesses operating within the tourism industry, from private companies to charities and NGOs, the structure of the tourism industry is made up of many different segments and components.

In this article I will provide you with an overview of the structure of the tourism industry, outlining the types of organisations and stakeholders in tourism that are involved.

Structure of the tourism industry

Components of tourism, international organisations, national tourist boards, regional tourist boards, tourist information centres, travel by air, travel by road, travel by train, travel by water, hotels chains, hostels and budget accommodation, holiday parks and campsites, accommodation innovations, world travel market, football world cup, glastonbury, holi festival, day of the dead, natural attractions, built attractions, tour operators, travel agents, ancillary services, components of tourism | structure of the tourism industry, structure of the tourism industry | components of tourism: further reading.

The importance of tourism is demonstrated when you can see how big the industry is!

The structure of the industry is made up of several components of tourism and involves many different stakeholders. These components are all interrelated in one way of another. The components of tourism make up the entire tourism system.

There are several integral components of tourism. Without these components, the tourism industry would struggle to function. I have explained what this means below, but before you read on, take a look at this short video that I made (and if you like what you see, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel)!

This was demonstrated, for example, during the Coronavirus pandemic, which halted air travel around the world. Travel services are a vital component of tourism and without these services being operational, the tourism industry struggled to survive!

There are six major components of tourism, each with their own sub-components. These are: tourist boards, travel services, accommodation services, conferences and events, attractions and tourism services.

Below, I will explain what each of the components offer to the tourism industry and provide some relevant examples.

Components of tourism: Tourist boards

A tourist board is an essential component of tourism and an integral part of the structure of the tourism industry.

A tourism board is responsible for the promotion of tourism in a particular area. This could be a city, a region, a country or a group of countries.

A tourism board is usually Government funded and is usually a public travel and tourism organisation (although this is not always the case).

A tourism board is also often referred to as a Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO).

Most tourist boards focus on promoting tourism in a particular area, city or country. There are, however, some organisations which aim to promote tourism across more than one country.

Whilst these organisation often have many functions other than tourism, they will also play a role in the promotion of tourism in particular parts of the world. This could include the European Union , the ASEAN network or organisations such as the United Nations.

A national tourist board is a national organisation whose aim is to promote tourism across the country.

There are usually several management bodies that are involved with a national tourist board. They are essential stakeholders who determine many aspects of tourism in the country, such as budgets, taxation and regulations.

Said management bodies include the parliament, the tourist board, an auditing committee and the Prime Minister, President or Head of State.

The national tourist board is funded from tourist taxes, membership fees, Government funding and other sources.

Examples of national tourist boards (often most commonly referred to by their ‘campaign title’ as opposed to the Government title) include Visit Britain , Incredible India and Amazing Thailand .

A regional tourist board is a tourist board that focusses on a particular region of a country. They are often a sub-division of a country’s national tourist board.

Regional tourism boards are often funded and operated in the same way as national tourist boards.

Examples of successful regional tourism boards include: Visit Cornwall in the UK, Kerala Tourism in India, Visite Montreal in Canada and Cape Town Tourism in South Africa.

A tourist information centre is the place where tourists can go for advice and help with regards to all matters related to tourism in the area.

In the tourist information centre (TIC) you will find staff who are knowledgeable about the local area. There will often be a range of printed and digital information for you, including leaflets, maps, coupons and guidebooks. Sometimes there will be virtual tourism facilities.

Tourist information centres have been an important component of tourism throughout the history of travel and tourism , however, they are coming under increasing pressure as a result of information that is available online. This has resulted in fewer people visiting TICs in person.

Most major tourist areas will have a tourist information centre. These are usually centrally located.

Tourist information centres are funded by the local Government.

Other posts that you might be interested in: – What is tourism? A definition of tourism – The history of tourism – Stakeholders in tourism – Dark tourism explained – What is ABTA and how does it work? – The economic impacts of tourism

Components of tourism:Transport services

The relationship between transport and tourism is strong.

According to the most commonly accepted definitions of tourism, a person must travel away from their home environment for at least one night in order to be a tourist (although I would argue that this definition needs updating given that it doesn’t account for novel forms of tourism such as a staycation or virtual tourism ).

Based on this fact, therefore, transport is an integral component of tourism. Without transport, people cannot reach their intended destination.

There are a range of different transport types. The most common and popular methods of transport that make up the structure of the tourism industry, however, are: air, road, train and water .

Travel by air has grown exponentially in the past few decades. With the introduction of low cost airlines and deregulation, the competitive market has been a tourist’s paradise.

New routes opening up has introduced tourists to areas that they may never have been able to reach before and low prices have resulted in more of us taking more trips abroad using air travel as our means of transportation.

Travel by air is an essential component of tourism and this was demonstrated during the Coronavirus epidemic. During this time most air traffic was halted, which had a devastating impact of the tourism industry world-wide.

Travel by road is also a core component of tourism, particularly for domestic tourism .

Travel by road is more popular in some countries than others. This largely depends on accessibility options (i.e. what is accessible by road), distances required and road conditions.

In destinations where travel by road is popular, there are often many car hire or rental companies.

Travel by train is very popular in destinations that have good rail networks in infrastructure.

In some parts of the world, such as China and Japan, there are world-class high-speed railways that can be more efficient than flying.

In other parts of the world, the rail journey is part of the tourism experience. A good example of this is the Siberian Railway.

In Europe you can buy an affordable interrail pass , which allows you to travel throughout Europe using the rail system.

Travel by water is also an important component of tourism.

The structure of the tourism industry includes cruises, ferries and leisure boats, among other types of travel by water.

Travel by water can vary considerably in price and can include anything from a round the world cruise to a short long tail ride in Thailand .

Components of tourism: Accommodation services

Accommodation services make up an important part of the structure of the tourism industry.

Whilst accommodation services were traditionally focussed mainly around the hotel industry, nowadays accommodation options for tourists are much more varied. This adds an additional layer of complexity to the structure of the tourism industry.

There are many hotel chains that operate throughout the tourism industry and that are a key component of tourism.

Multinational corporations have expanded throughout the tourism industry with key players being hotel chains such as Marriott, Radisson, Hilton, Travel Lodge and Holiday Inn.

However, hotel chains such as these have come under increased scrutiny as a result of the economic leakage in tourism that they cause.

Hostels and budget accommodation options are popular with budget travellers and backpackers.

There are a range of hostels found throughout the world. These are particularly popular in destinations where accommodation is expensive, such as London, New York and Singapore.

The Youth Hostel Association (YHA) and Hostelling International are popular hostel providers that are found across the UK and overseas.

Billy Butlin changed the face of the British holiday market with the introduction of his seaside holiday parks back in 1936.

Since this time, other similar chains have expanded throughout the UK and the rest of the world.

Camping is also an important component of tourism. There are camp sites situated throughout the world ranging from safari camps to glamping (glamorous camping).

Homestays have become an increasingly prominent component of tourism.

Whilst bed and breakfast accommodation has been around for a very long time, nowadays there are many more options that are grounded on the concept of a homestay.

The sharing economy has seen the growth and introduction of many types of accommodations into the travel and tourism sector that did not exist before.

The most popular of these is Airbnb, where people rent out a room or an entire property to tourists. You can read more about how Airbnb works here .

In recent years consumers have been demanding new and unusual experiences more than ever. In response to this, we have seen many accommodation innovations emerge throughout the world.

From staying in an ice hotel in Finland, to sleeping in a hammock in Borneo to a night in a haunted castle in Wales, there are many different types of accommodation options that can make your holiday a little bit more exciting!

Components of tourism: Conferences and events

Conferences and events make up a significant part of the structure of the tourism industry.

Conferences, which often come under business tourism , come in all shapes and sizes around the world.

From a small academic gathering to a large-scale summit involving national leaders from around the world, conferences are an important component of tourism.

Likewise, the event sector is also a significant part of the tourism industry.

There are millions of events that take place around the world each year that vary in size and function. Many of these form an integral part of the tourism industry.

Examples of major conferences and events around the world

There are many major conferences and events that take place around the world every year. Here are a few of my favourites:

The World Travel Market (WTM) is held in London each November. This is a large event that is held at the Excel venue.

WTM provides travel industry experts with the opportunity to showcase their work, learn more about the industry and to network.

ITB is the world’s leading international travel trade show. It is held in Berlin each year.

Similar to the WTM, this large-scale event enables industry professionals to network and undertake continuous professional development.

The vast majority of people are familiar with the Football World Cup.

The Football World Cup is held every four years in a different location.

The Football World Cup attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. The event also acts as a stimuli for tourism as the nation will often use the opportunity of hosting the event as a chance to market tourism in the area to those who are tuning in from their TVs from around the world.

Sports tourism , which includes events such as the Football World Cup, contributes significantly to the overall tourism industry.

Glastonbury is a popular British music festival. It takes place each summer in Somerset.

Glastonbury is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts. In addition to music, the festival hosts dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret, and other arts to entertain visitors.

Glastonbury attracts many domestic tourists as well as international tourists.

San Fermin is a festival that is held in Pamplona, Spain each July.

San Fermin, also known as the ‘Running of the Bulls’ is a historically-rooted festival that lasts five days. It involves dancing, eating and drinking, games and the famous bull races and fights.

San Fermin has been subject to a lot of controversy in recent years, with many people protesting that it is a cruel form of animal tourism .

Holi Festival is known as the ‘festival of spring’, the ‘festival of colours’ or the ‘festival of love’.

Holi Festival is celebrated in India each year during the month of March.

Holi Festival is famous for the way in which coloured paints are used and often thrown onto people’s faces and clothes.

This is a Hindu festival that signifies the victory of good over evil.

The Day of the Dead festival, locally referred to as ‘Dia de los Muertos’, is a festival that is celebrated in November each year in Mexico.

This day is a celebration of the deceased, whereby it is believed that the alive and the dead are reunited. On this day many people will create offerings for the deceased.

Many people choose to dress up as skeletons and in halloween-type outfits and they celebrate with food, drink and music.

Components of tourism: Attractions

An essential component of the tourism industry are the tourist attractions.

There are a multitude of different tourist attractions around the world.

Some are built, some are natural. Some are paid, some are free. Some are famous, others are not. Some are large and some are small.

Natural attractions are just as it says on the tin – natural. In other words, they are attractions that have not been made by man.

Natural attractions are found all over the world and vary in size and scope. There is even a definitive list of the seven natural wonders of the world .

I have visited many natural attractions around the world, here is a list of some of my favourites:

Drakansburg Mountains, South Africa
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Mount Toubkal, Morocco
Sahara Desert, Morocco
Red Sea, Egypt
Dead Sea, Israel
Sierra Nevada, Spain
Chicken Island, Thailand
Niagara Falls, USA
Rocky Mountains, Canada
Pammukale Thermal Pools, Turkey
Iceland (the island is filled with wonderful natural attractions!)
Amazon Rainforest , Ecuador
Cenotes, Mexico
Iguazu Falls, Brazil
The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Waterways of Kerela, India
Mount Hallasan, South Korea

Built attractions also make up an important part of the structure of the tourism industry.

There are many built attractions throughout the world. Some attractions are built for the purpose of tourism, such as theme parks or museums. Other attractions are built for other purposes but then become tourist attractions, such as the Empire State Building or the Sydney Opera House.

I have visited many built attractions throughout the world. Here are some of my favourites:

Robin Island, South Africa
The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
La Sagrada Familia, Spain
The Eiffel Tower, France
The United States Capitol Building, USA
Statue of Liberty, New York
Petronas Towers, Malaysia
Marina Sands Bay Hotel, Singapore
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Taj Mahal, India
Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia
Houses of Parliament, UK
Sheikh Zayed Mosque, UAE

Components of tourism: Tourism services

Tourism services are an essential component of tourism. Without many tourism services, the tourism industry would fail to adequately function.

Below I will explain the three major tourism services that make up the structure of the tourism industry.

A tour operator is the individual or organisation who puts together a trip.

Typically, a tour operator would package together essential elements including accommodation, transport and transfer. They would then sell this package to the tourists.

However, tour operators are becoming fewer in recent years. Consumers are now far more Internet savvy and are more capable of researching the individual elements of their holiday and booking this independently. This is known as dynamic packaging .

Traditionally, a travel agent would sell the product that the tour operator has produced i.e. the package holiday.

While travel agents have and continue to sell individual holiday components, they have historically been most commonly used by tourists who wish to book a package holiday.

In today’s society, there is far less scope for travel agents than there used to be. A few years ago it would be easy to finish school and to get a job in a travel agent selling holidays. Now, however, people are more likely to set up their own travel agent business online or to be employed by an online retailer.

Many high street stores have now closed as there is little demand these days for holidays to be booked in this way. Instead, many people are selling holidays and travel services via their blogs or websites.

The travel agent does still exist, but he has changed the way he looks.

Ancillary services are another core component of tourism.

Ancillary basically means ‘extra’ or ‘additional’. An ancillary service in the context of tourism, therefore, is any product or service that is additional to the core elements of accommodation, transport and transfer.

Here are some examples of ancillary products:

Attraction tickets
Meal tickets
Extra luggage
Currency exchange
Airport parking

As you can see, the tourism industry is large and complex, but understanding the different components of tourism isn’t too difficult.

All of the components of tourism are interconnected in one way or another and many rely on one another to be successful.

Want to learn more about the structure of tourism? I have listed some recommended texts below.

An Introduction to Tourism : a comprehensive and authoritative introduction to all facets of tourism including: the history of tourism; factors influencing the tourism industry; tourism in developing countries; sustainable tourism; forecasting future trends.
The Business of Tourism Management : an introduction to key aspects of tourism, and to the practice of managing a tourism business.
Tourism Management: An Introduction : gives its reader a strong understanding of the dimensions of tourism, the industries of which it is comprised, the issues that affect its success, and the management of its impact on destination economies, environments and communities.

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The three pillars of sustainability in tourism

Three_pillars_of_sustainability_in_tourism_jillonjourney(5)_drei_saeulen_der_nachhaltigkeit_beim_reisen

Sustainability and sustainable travel are getting more and more attention. I love that! But what defines sustainability and what are the dimensions of sustainable travel? The three pillars of sustainability give some insights that can be easily applied to tourism and traveling. So let’s have a look at it and how we can implement it to become more sustainable travelers.

The definition of sustainable tourism: what is sustainable travel.

Three pillars of sustainability in tourism | Drei Säulen der Nachhaltigkeit beim Reisen | Jill on journey

The environmental pillar of sustainability

The environmental pillar of sustainability in tourism

For your travels the environmental pillar means:

Avoid places suffering from overtourism
Reduce waste and single-use plastics (e.g. bring your own reusable water bottle, preferably a filter bottle , or use digital tickets instead of paper)
Minimize your carbon footprint (e.g. use public transport, and travel closer to your home)
Stay on paths when you go hiking and leave nothing but footprints
Choose an accommodation that pays attention to environmental sustainability, e.g. one that uses recycled or organic materials, reduces waste, saves water, or generates green energy
Avoid animal interactions

Interested in getting a water bottle with a filter?

The social pillar of sustainability

The social pillar of sustainability in tourism.

For your travels the social pillar means:

Support locals, e.g. buy products from local farmers, eat at local restaurants or stay with locals
Choose an accommodation led by locals or where the majority of staff are locals instead of ex-pats
Buy fair trade products and support sustainable brands and shops (for travel equipment and clothes as well as products you buy on your trip)
Pay respect to local customs and traditions and adjust accordingly (e.g. wear proper clothes in religious sites)
Travel to lesser-known places instead of over-visited destinations so inhabitants can enjoy living where visitors spend their vacation

The economic pillar of sustainability

The economic pillar of sustainability in tourism.

For your travels the economic pillar means:

Invest in the local community and support local businesses (accommodation, restaurants, tour guides)
Stay in local guest houses or small local hotels instead of international hotel chains
Choose restaurants that use regional and seasonal produce
If you plan on doing a tour, book a local tour operator or local guide

The bottom line – Why are the three pillars of sustainability important in tourism?

Why one pillar isn’t enough.

In Bali, you can find numerous eco-lodges made out of bamboo, cafés offering vegan food, and nature lovers practicing yoga and mindfulness. Sustainability seems to be important over there. At the same time, religious temples are full of half-naked tourists paying no respect to Balinese and Buddhist traditions. Without respecting local and religious traditions, social sustainability isn’t met.
The center of Porto was getting more and more laced with B&Bs and hotels, while many houses got deserted because of rising rental costs. Local inhabitants had less space for living, so the social pillar of sustainability wasn’t met until the city council stepped in. Now, it’s only allowed to open any accommodation for short-term stays in Porto when you buy a deserted building and renovate it.
An eco-lodge that practices lots of green strategies, such as being built from recycled materials, minimizing waste, and only using organic produce, but belongs to an international company or a foreigner keeping all profit, isn’t sustainable. As long as no profit goes to the local community, the economic sustainability isn’t met .
When you visit Macchu Picchu, there are only local Peruvian guides showing you around. Yet, it’s not a sustainable activity, as too many tourists visit everyday who leave waste and try petting the Lamas. At places suffering from overtourism, the environmental pillar of sustainability can never be met .

Weaknesses of the environmental pillar as a stand-alone

Weakness of the social pillar as a stand-alone, how can we make a difference.

Your actions on your trip should benefit local businesses and have as little effect on nature as possible (economic pillar).
Experience the environment raw and original, leaving it untouched (environmental pillar).
Adapt to the local culture and respect their traditions (social pillar).

Here are some recommendations:

Use all resources responsibly to help to prevent it from becoming scarce (e.g. water in dry regions) which can harm the environment as well as the local society.
Support local businesses and book with local guides or tour operators to both protect the social stability and the local economy.
Stay in a guesthouse with locals, so you won’t spend more energy and water than an inhabitant, plus the money goes to the locals.
Reduce waste and leave nothing behind, to preserve a destination and make it enjoyable also for future travelers. This will benefit the destination environmentally and economically.
Eat typical food at a local restaurant, street food stall, or at your guesthouse in order to avoid long transport distances and to financially support local agriculture.
Use public and local transport and avoid flights and international rental car companies for less CO2 pollution, and again for the support of local businesses.
Turn off electronic devices at night or use standby mode in order to save energy, costs and preserve the environment.
Buying fair-trade, organic and local produce benefits your health and the environment and counteracts mass factory farming and bad working conditions.

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The Three Pillars of Sustainable Tourism

When people talk about sustainable tourism what do they really mean? Sustainable tourism is often described as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Sustainability has become a hot topic in the corporate world, and with good reason. According to the Global Footprint Network, in order to maintain our current consumption of the planet’s resources we would need the equivalent of 1.7 Earths! Each of us has the ability to make small tweaks to our behaviour that together will add up to meaningful change.

The three pillars of sustainable tourism are environmental sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability (sometimes referred to as planet, people and profits). Environmental sustainability can be addressed through actions such as reducing waste, eliminating single-use plastics and minimising the overall carbon footprint. Protection of natural environments such as forests and waterways is vital alongside conservation of man-made environmental artifacts such as historic buildings, architecture and artworks. PATH’s commitment to environmental sustainability is a vital part of our corporate philosophy. Watch this space for further announcements about our plans for 2019!

Social sustainability is a bit harder to define than environmental sustainability, but in essence it is the concept of running your business in the interest of your employees, stakeholders, partners and the communities in which you operate. We must recognise that all tourism has an impact on communities and it is our responsibility to reduce or eliminate the negative impacts and boost the positive. At PATH we are passionate about working with local communities to ensure that they benefit from our operations. Our local staff all have a great wealth of knowledge and experience of the culture of the communities we work with, and our grassroots approach means that we are able to work proactively with those communities.

Economic sustainability is financial profitability, but not to the detriment of the other two pillars (environmental and social). If a company isn’t profitable then clearly it isn’t sustainable, but the pursuit of profit can never be at the expense of environmental and social concerns. Our goal at PATH is to work with trusted local suppliers who share our values. We employ local guides and use local businesses and see this as reinvesting in the communities that support us.

At PATH we have built our corporate philosophy on the foundations of these three pillars of sustainability and we take great care to integrate sustainable practices into everything we do.

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Sustainable Development

For people and planet.

Tourism is both highly vulnerable to climate change while at the same time contributing to it. Threats to the sector are diverse, including direct and indirect impacts such as more extreme weather events, pollution, water shortages, biodiversity loss and damage to assets and attractions at destinations, among others. Accelerating climate action in tourism is therefore of utmost importance for the resilience of the sector.

The green transformation of the tourism sector is needed, not just for the planet, but also for tourism itself, for boosting competitiveness and increasing resilience.

To mark World Environment Day 2020, the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme , which is led by UNWTO, announced its new vision for global tourism– growing better, stronger, and balancing the needs of people, planet and prosperity. The One Planet Vision for the Responsible Recovery of the Tourism Sector is structured around six lines of action to guide responsible tourism recovery for people, planet and prosperity, namely public health, social inclusion, biodiversity conservation, climate action, circular economy and governance and finance.

UNWTO also focuses on the fight against plastic pollution while effectively facing the public health and hygiene challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, led by UNWTO , the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, published the Recommendations for the Tourism Sector to Continue Taking Action on Plastic Pollution during COVID-19 Recovery illustrating how reducing the plastic footprint, increasing the engagement of suppliers, working closer with waste service providers, and ensuring transparency on the actions taken, can significantly contribute to the responsible recovery of the tourism sector.

From 93 companies and organizations, a further 32 signatories were welcomed on board during 2021 and 2022 , among them TUI Group, Palladium Hotel Group, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, Hostelling International, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and Visit Valencia. To mark the confirmation of the new signatories, UNWTO and the United Nations Environment Programme, in conjunction with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, held a special panel discussion with the theme Eliminate. Innovate. Circulate. Strategies from the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative.

Another key initiative designed by UNWTO is International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO), a network of tourism observatories monitoring the economic, environmental, and social impact of tourism at the destination level. The initiative is based on UNWTO’s long-standing commitment to the sustainable and resilient growth of the sector through measurement and monitoring, supporting the evidence-based management of tourism. Since its establishment in 2004, as of September 2022, a total of 33 observatories have joined the UNWTO INSTO network, including five that joined during the pandemic, Mallorca, Barcelona, Yukon, and Bogotá and Malaga). The INSTO observatories are required to monitor 11 mandatory issue areas : tourism seasonality, employment; destination economic benefits; energy management; water management; waste (sewage) management; solid waste management; climate action; accessibility; local satisfaction; and governance.

Glasgow Declaration: A Commitment to a Decade of Climate Action in Tourism

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) (4 November 2021, Glasgow, Scotland)

UNWTO served as the voice of tourism at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) (4 November 2021, Glasgow, Scotland), launching the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism geared to commit the tourism sector to take strong to reduce emissions by at least half over the next decade and to reach net zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.

The " Glasgow Declaration: A Commitment to a Decade of Climate Action in Tourism " sets out a clear and coherent sector-wide message and approach to climate action over the next decade, in line with the broader scientific framework and the urgency to act now.

The commitments that the Glasgow Declaration proposes to its signatories are:

Support the global commitment to at least halve emissions by 2030 and reach zero by 2050. o Deliver climate action plans within 12 months of signing up (or updating existing plans) and implement them.
Publicly report on targets on an annual basis.
Align with 5 shared pathways to accelerate tourism's transformative capacity. These are: measure, decarbonise, regenerate, collaborate and finance.
Work in a spirit of collaboration, share good practices and solutions, and disseminate information.

Up to September 2022 more than 600 signatories had committed to the Declaration , including many important players such as the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), leading global Hotel group., Accor, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), as well as Booking, Expedia, Intrepid and others.

“The historic deal is the beginning of decarbonization the world via tourism. Our main four pillars to enforce the declaration will be to measure, decarbonize, regenerate, and unlock innovative financing. This is the initial start, and we will work to attract more private companies. When there is a crisis, there is always an opportunity to invest, learn, and develop sustainably.” - UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Innovation and Digital Transformation

From the very start of the current leadership mandate, in 2018, UNWTO has emphasized the importance of embracing and investing in new ideas. A new department was created in the Organization to deliver on the potential of innovation through promoting entrepreneurship, recognizing leading innovators and providing them with the practical and financial support they need to turn ideas into action.

To anticipate, address and overcome the new challenges and trends of the tourism sector, UNWTO is currently focused on a strategy on Innovation, Education, Digital Transformation, and Investments. The UNWTO Innovation Network works to promote exchange of knowledge among actors and change-makers with the objective of contributing to the promotion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The enormous Interest in UNWTO’s innovation ecosystem and start-up competitions keeps growing, showcasing the talent unleashed and our shared readiness to hear new voices and embrace new ideas. Up to September 2022, the UNWTO global innovation ecosystem counts on than 12,000 start-ups from 160 countries, with US$83 million mobilized and 300 corporate partners working on new tourism technologies.

Tourism for Investments and Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship in tourism is built on collaboration between governments, academia, corporations, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups, as well as investors, supporting business partners and other stakeholders. Restarting tourism is unthinkable without investments that boost economic growth, job creation and sustainability.

UNWTO is collaborating with institutions including the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and the Inter-American Development Bank. These partnerships have attracted more than 200 investors as part of UNWTO’s global investment network , advancing critical work such as supporting hotel chains from 50 countries in becoming more sustainable.

In 2022, for the third consecutive year, UNWTO partnered with FDI intelligence from the Financial Times to develop a joint publication on Tourism Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) , analysing data on Greenfield investments trends. Using both data from fDi Markets and UNWTO, the Tourism Investment Report 2022 found that while the tourism sector has been showing signs of recovery, foreign direct investment (FDI) into the sector remained low in 2021 and continued a downward trajectory in the first of 2022, outlining the key challenges as well as highlighting the sector’s biggest investors.

To further the partnership to grow green investments in the tourism sector, UNWTO and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched the Green Investments for Sustainable Tourism. Seven countries participated in the pilot phase (India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam), and the initiative will continue to grow. Alongside this, a new UNWTO Investment Guidelines Series: Enabling Frameworks for Tourism Investment was launched to focus on investment opportunities in several key destinations .

Tourism for Gender Equality

UNWTO is committed to enhancing the positive impact of tourism on women’s lives, and, in so doing, contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 – to "achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls". As a sector with a majority female workforce worldwide (54%) and most women in low-skilled or informal work, women have felt the economic shock to tourism caused by and the pandemic the hardest. As such, UNWTO produced a Series of Recommendations for an Inclusive Response  to ensure that women are not left behind.

The UNWTO project ‘ Centre Stage: Women’s Empowerment During the COVID-19 Recovery ’, is designed to strengthen, coordinate and focus work on gender equality in tourism governmental institutions. It is currently being implemented with the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany and UN Women.

Through the Centre Stage project, UNWTO has supported four National Tourism Administrations, tourism businesses, NGOs and tourism organizations from Jordan, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, as they implement a one-year action plan for women’s empowerment. This included targeted training programmes, measures to boost female career progression, improvements to the legal framework and the collection of sex-disaggregated tourism employment data.

Other publications spearheaded by UNWTO include Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines for the Public Sector in Tourism and the Gender Inclusive Strategy for Tourism Businesses , a new set of guidelines addressing the needs of women in the tourism sector. These guidelines provide concrete recommendations for governments working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of international women’s rights treaties such as relevant ILO Conventions and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Meanwhile, the  Regional Report on Women in the Middle East maps the participation of women in the tourism sector across the region prior to the pandemic. In doing so, it assesses the contribution of tourism to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5. The report, compiled to mark the 2020 G20 Saudi Presidency, aims to inform further work on gender equality and equip stakeholders with tools they need to boost women's empowerment. 

Tourism for Social Inclusion

According to WHO, 15% of the world’s population (1 billion people) live with some form of disability. Accessibility for all to tourism facilities, products, and services should be a central part of any responsible and sustainable tourism policy. Accessibility is not only about human rights. It is a business opportunity for destinations and companies to embrace all visitors and enhance their revenues.

Recovery should include accessibility as a central pillar in measures to improve destinations’ offer and competitiveness, contributing to inclusive environments, services, and employment.

UNWTO continues to build on its successful partnership with the Spanish ONCE Foundation and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) . The joint work will continue to focus on the promotion of good practices during the current crisis, the application of standards , the measurement of accessible tourism, as well as labour inclusion and institutional disability inclusive policies. All three have contributed to the International Standardization Organization ( ISO Standards ) being the first global standard aimed at implementing and improving accessibility throughout the tourism value chain.

Launched on the 2020 International Day of Persons with Disabilities , the UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guide Issue I: Persons with Disabilities, suggests measures for the whole tourism value chain to build back better, becoming more accessible and more competitive. Just as other guidelines on the UNWTO series, this document will continue to be updated.

Tourism for Youth Development

Young people are disproportionately impacted by interlinked global crises, from climate change to conflicts to persistent poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these fragilities and has put youth in the spotlight, particularly given the potential social and economic consequences for this demographic, both in emerging and mature destinations.

Youth development and engagement are cross-cutting issues in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , and they can be a powerful catalyst to advance the contribution of tourism particularly for Goal 8 on economic growth and jobs, and Goal 12 on sustainable consumption and production as they can lead a transformation into a more responsible way of traveling. As the leaders of tomorrow, it is pivotal that young people become involved in shaping the global vision for the future.

UNWTO recognises youth as the present and future of the sector introduced several youth centred initiatives. Amongst them is the UNWTO Students League . The league is an innovative 360º competition for students that fosters talent development, Bridges the gap between studies and the realities of the sector and produces solutions for the Challenges of the Sector aligned with the SDGs.

Also placing young people at the centre of tourism’s future is the Global Youth Tourism Summit (GYTS) , the first edition was held on 29 June-July 2, 2022, in Sorrento, Italy, and welcomed more than 120 young delegates from more than 61 countries, alongside UNWTO Ambassadors for Tourism drawn from the worlds of sport, business and gastronomy. The event included a series of international events, workshops, and other educational initiatives, that will give children and youth a unique platform to share and discuss ideas and shape their visions for the future of sustainable tourism within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Out of the Summit, the Sorrento Call to Action offers a bold and ground-breaking vision for young people to be active participants in tourism’s restart and growth as a pillar of sustainable and inclusive development. 

Protecting Culture and Heritage

UNWTO promotes resources aimed at strengthening the dialogue between tourism and culture, while also promoting the exchange of good practices showcasing inclusive management systems and innovative cultural tourism experiences.

Tourism and the audio-visual industry are natural bedfellows. Tourists connect directly with the sites where films and television series are made, which gives these places added value to support the sustainable development of the sector. UNWTO and Netflix have partnered on the publication of a report which looks at the role of film and series as drivers for tourism and cultural affinity. The  Global Report on Cultural Affinity and Screen Tourism  explores the growing affection one has towards a particular country or culture displayed on the screen.

Against this backdrop, the cultural expressions of Indigenous peoples feature among the most distinctive features of tourism destinations, making them relevant players within the sector. Despite their global significance, Indigenous peoples have historically been among the most marginalized of population groups. UNWTO has developed measures to give indigenous communities access to relevant information , which may be compromised by linguistic and physical obstacles, or scarce external contacts . Previous work with the communities, allowed tourism operators to facilitate information flow between community focal points and crisis-management entities .

Again, UNWTO and its partners presented the Weaving the Recovery project to help Indigenous women benefit from tourism through fair trade and community entrepreneurship. This initiative, which brings together UNWTO, the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA), Centro de las Artes Indígenas (CAI) and the NGO IMPACTO, was selected as one of the ten most promising projects among more than 850 initiatives to address the most pressing global challenges. The project will test different methodologies in pilot communities, starting with Mexico, to enable indigenous women access markets and demonstrate their leadership .

Tourism for Rural Development

Tourism is a lifeline for rural communities, providing jobs, supporting rural businesses and protecting natural and cultural heritage. However, its true force still needs to be fully deployed.

UNWTO designated 2020 as the ‘ Year of Tourism and Rural Development ’, a theme shared with that year’s World Tourism Day. For the occasion, UNWTO partnered with Google Arts & Culture to bring together a new collection to help anyone to choose their perfect virtual travel experience, with thousands of museums and cultural destinations to explore. Alongside this, the UNWTO Recommendations on Tourism and Rural Development were released to provide expert guidance for a wide range of stakeholders.

UNWTO then designated World Tourism Day 2021 as a day to focus on “ Tourism for Inclusive Growth ”. This was an opportunity to look beyond the statistics and acknowledge that, behind every number, there is a person. It was a way to promote the potential of tourism to create jobs and opportunities, to advance and highlight the role tourism can play in preserving and promoting natural and cultural heritage and curbing urban migration.

With the vision of making tourism a force for transformation, rural development, and community wellbeing, UNWTO launched the ‘ Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO ’. promotes and enhances the role of tourism in safeguarding rural villages, along with their landscapes, natural and cultural diversity, knowledge systems, and local values and activities. It was launched on the opening of UNWTO’s Regional Office in the Middle East, underscoring the focus of the Office on, among other issues, the role of tourism in rural development. In the first round, 44 villages from 32 countries were granted the recognition, and these will benefit from continued mentoring and be given a platform to share ideas and knowledge.

Parallel to this, and under the leadership of the G20 Saudi Presidency, UNWTO and the G20 Tourism Working Group developed the AlUla Framework for Inclusive Community Development through Tourism to help fulfil the sector’s potential to contribute to and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The Framework provides guidance and inspiration to all governments, as well as all other key stakeholders in the tourism sector, empowering local communities with the aim of fostering a truly holistic and integrated approach to development through tourism.

The new UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme, which includes the Best Tourism Villages initiative, will provide training for national governments and municipalities, as well as grants for individual destinations. A first Observatory on Tourism for Rural Development will also provide key data and guide decision-making in the sector.

Meeting New Tourism Trends

Tourism continues to evolve, with new travel trends emerging and growing. From mountain tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism, and sports tourism to mention just a few, UNWTO supports its Members to embrace new trends and to diversify their tourism sectors.

Mountain tourism has significant potential to stimulate local economic growth and social change due to its close links with other economic activities, its contribution to GDP and job creation, and its capacity to promote the dispersal of demand. For many destinations, foodmaking as well as winemaking represent an integral part of their history and identity and have become the key elements in their branding. Gastronomy and wine tourism represents an opportunity to revitalize and diversify tourism, promote local economic development, involve many different professional sectors, and bring new uses to the primary sector.

The Guidelines for the Development of Gastronomy Tourism have been developed by UNWTO and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), a UNWTO affiliate member, as part of an ongoing collaboration. The guidelines serve as a practical toolkit to support the development of gastronomy tourism in destinations by providing recommendations on key aspects such as planning and management by national tourism administrations (NTAs), national tourism organizations (NTOs) and destination management organizations (DMOs).

In a further boost to Africa’s gastronomy and tourism potential, a dedicated session to celebrate the continent’s diverse culinary offering was held during the 6th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in Bruges, Belgium.

“It was a significant period in the history of African gastronomy celebrating the continent’s diverse culinary culture and opened doors for people to get curious about African gastronomy. It was a brilliant idea and it exposed my project and gave me a platform to move on.”

The UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism builds on the Organisation’s work in promoting innovation. The Gastronomy Forum similarly represents a unique opportunity for experts from across the growing field of gastronomy tourism to share new ideas and best practices in promoting Rural Tourism and Regional Development. Likewise, the UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism allows leaders in their field to find concrete solutions to build back better and make tourism an enabler of the way forward towards a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future for rural communities.

Working together, UNWTO and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) will build on the potential of sports to celebrate shared humanity, foster friendship across borders and create experiences and opportunities for people everywhere. Tourism and football are natural partners, bringing joy to many millions with benefits going far beyond vacations or single matches.

Tourism Transformed

Tourism emerged out of crisis at a crossroad. If it is to realize its full potential to drive sustainable and inclusive development while also fulfilling its climate action responsibilities, the sector cannot continue along the same, pre-pandemic path. UNWTO emphasizes the vital importance of rethinking and transforming tourism.

In the build up to World Tourism Day 2022, the determination of both the tourism sector and of tourists themselves to do more and to do better is evident. However, the actions of individual tourists, single businesses and destinations will not in themselves be enough to deliver transformation at the speed or scale required.

Looking ahead, UNWTO emphasizes the importance of whole-government approaches to tourism reform, alongside enhanced public and private partnerships. Tourism can only deliver on its unique power to provide opportunity and drive sustainable and inclusive growth if it is given practical and economic support. The future starts now.

COMMENTS

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