Tourexpi
The 70th meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for
Europe brought together 40 high-level representatives in the Albanian capital.
With the participation of nearly all UN Tourism’s Members in the region, the
meeting served as a platform for dialogue and collaboration, providing a ground
for exchanging knowledge, sharing best practices, and addressing the challenges
and opportunities facing the tourism sector.
Albania leads Europe’s tourism rebound
Prior to the meeting, UN Tourism Secretary-General
Zurab Pololikashvili met with the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama to discuss
shared priorities and future collaboration. The Secretary General has commended
Albania’s leadership in tourism recovery after the pandemic – the country has
been one of the best performing destinations in 2023, showing 53% increase over
the international tourism arrivals registered in 2019.
The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister also
discussed the importance of sustainable tourism development and opportunities
to further enhance the tourism sector in Albania. They exchanged views on key
strategies to promote responsible tourism practices, harness digital
innovation, and further contribute to economic growth through tourism
education. They underscored the value of fostering a resilient and inclusive
tourism industry that benefits local communities and preserves cultural
heritage.
Legal framework for the Agenda for Europe
High-level delegations representing 40 Members were
informed about the work and activities realized by UN Tourism since the
Commission met in Bulgaria in June 2023, as well as strategic objectives and
priorities, with a focus on:
·
Political
outlook and the situation Europe
·
The
rebranding of World Tourism Organization
·
Latest data
on tourism arrivals and receipts
·
Events and
initiatives
One of the main highlights of this meeting was the
adoption of the legal framework of the Agenda for Europe. The Members
adopted the Rules of Procedure of the Working Group, the Selection
Criteria and Key Performance Indicators for the evaluation for the
projects supported through the Agenda for Europe and agreed on the priorities
for the elaboration of the workplan of the Agenda for Europe for
2024. The Agenda for Europe is the manifestation of the priorities of the
members in the region of Europe, the world's leading destination and a pioneer
in tourism innovation. It aims to ensure a regional focus that will benefit and
address the specific needs of the members at a regional and subregional
level.
This document is the result of a consultative
process among the members in the region, initiated during the 66th meeting of
the Commission for Europe in 2021, to advance the adaptability of the European
tourism ecosystem to the new trends and reality that emerged in the
post-pandemic era.
Moving forward
The Commission Members were updated about the
preparations for World Tourism Day 2024 by Georgia and accepted the invitation
of Azerbaijan to host the Commission meeting in 2025.
Subregional focus
The second meeting of the Working Group for
Southeast Europe was held on the sidelines of the 70th meeting of the
Commission for Europe, by the initiative of the host, Albania, and UN Tourism.
The purpose of the meeting was to foster an in-depth discussions on the
specific challenges facing the tourism sector in Southeast Europe.
Representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia shared their
ideas, insights, and opinions, with a special focus on short-term rentals and
regional investments.
Tomorrow, a traditional side conference will be
held about “Tourism Investments and Economic Development in Europe”. During
this event, a guideline “Tourism Doing Business: Investing in Albania”,
developed by UN Tourism, will be presented. The speakers, experts, and other
participants of the event will discuss the global tourism investments trends
and opportunities, identify avenues for accelerating tourism investments for
positive change and for the benefit for all and share success stories and
future prospects of tourism investments in Albania.
Image
Credit: © UN Tourism
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