UN Tourism reports 307 million international arrivals in early 2026, with global conflict and increasing costs slowing growth and shifting travel demand.

The UN Tourism Best Tourism Villages initiative is expanding its global network to promote sustainable tourism and support rural development through cultural preservation and local economic growth. 

Every year, Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO recognizes rural destinations which stand out for their commitment to sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental – and the preservation and promotion of community-based values with the aim to make tourism a driver or rural development and well-being.

This World Tourism Day (27 September), UN Tourism emphasizes “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”, underscoring the importance of directing resources towards the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN's 2030 roadmap for a better world. Targeted tourism investments can generate skilled jobs, bolster local businesses, and reduce tourism's environmental impact, all while empowering communities and celebrating their cultures. It's time for innovation, not just profit-driven investments. Let’s harness the power of tourism as a force for positive transformation.

32 destinations from all around the world have been named as ‘Best Tourism Villages 2022’ by UNWTO recognizing rural destinations that are embracing tourism as a driver of development.

Global tourism experienced a 4% upturn in 2021, compared to 2020. However, international tourist arrivals were still 72% below pre-pandemic levels according to estimates by UNWTO.

In the three decades leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, world tourism grew steadily year on year. But in 2020, the industry suffered an unprecedent hit, accounting for a staggering 70% of the fall in global gross domestic product (GDP).

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has been constantly assessing the impact of the pandemic, and working hard to help kickstart the industry on behalf of millions around the world who rely on it.

Zoritsa Urosevic, UNWTO’s Executive Director spoke in depth to UN News’s Bessie Du, and highlighted the need to rethink the whole sector, boost rural tourism, and improve safety for travellers.

Audio Credit: Bessie Du, UN News - Chinese

Photo Credit: UNWTO

The UNWTO has launched the Global Rural Tourism Start-up Competition to identify the best ideas that will help rural communities recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given the relatively small size of the populations of the Small Island Developing States, the cost of mass vaccinations will be minimal compared to the potential benefits of restarting tourism, says the UN World Tourism Organization. 

UNWTO and UNESCO collaborate to guidelines for the responsible restart of cultural tourism to ensure inclusive access to heritage, as countries around the world recover from the pandemic.

The 25 winning startups, selected by a jury made up of leaders from across the tourism sector, offer distinct solutions for advancing the SDGs. The winning startups will now be given expert support and backing to develop further.

2020 was the worst year in tourism history with 1 billion fewer international arrivals than in the previous year, due to an unprecedented fall in demand and widespread travel restrictions. A meeting of the Global Tourism Crisis Committee focused on the integration of vaccines into a harmonized approach to safe travel and launching a coordinated effort to boost confidence in the sector.

With countries around the world now rolling out vaccines against the COVID-19 virus, the Global Tourism Crisis Committee, organized by the World Tourism Organization, noted that this opens a critical window in the fight against the pandemic and to promote the safe resumption of international travel. Members highlighted the importance of stepping up coordination, within the framework of the International Health Regulations, of vaccination certificates to ensure the implementation of common, harmonized digital related travel principles, protocols and documents. 

Based on the current evidence, UNWTO expects international arrivals to decline by 70% to 75% for the whole of 2020. In this case, global tourism will have returned to levels of 30 years ago, with 1 billion fewer arrivals.

After partnering back in May for a campaign asking the world to be patient, responsible and “travel tomorrow”, UNWTO and CNN team up again as the restart of tourism gets underway.