ICOMOS Webinar Series | Sustainable Development Goals Working Group (SDGWG)
Webinar 2- Economy & Prosperity: Driving Community-Based Sustainable Development through Cultural Tourism and Employment (SDGs 5, 8, 12 and 14)
Travel & Tourism is a dynamic engine of employment opportunities, where jobs in the industry particularly support women, youth and other, often marginalised groups of society. In 2019, Travel & Tourism’s direct, indirect and induced impact accounted for US$8.9 trillion contribution to the world’s GDP, or 10.3% of the global total, and 330 million jobs, representing 1 in 10 employed around the world. In January 2020, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Tourism Barometer recorded that international tourist arrivals worldwide grew 4% in 2019 to reach 1.5 billion visitors in total. Based on current trends at that time, economic prospects and the UNWTO Confidence Index, the organization forecasted a growth of 4% in international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2020.
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 knocked this upward trajectory sideways. There was a massive drop in international travel demand over January-June 2020, which translated into a loss of 440 million international arrivals and approximately US$460 billion in export revenues from international tourism. This is about five times the loss in international tourism receipts recorded in 2009 amid the global economic and financial crisis.
By focusing on a destination’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage, stakeholders including governments, destination management organizations, tour operators and associated businesses, and communities can all play key roles and benefit from tourism’s rejuvenation, resiliency and recovery from COVID-19. This webinar will provide an overview of the current and future view of the cultural tourism-supported visitor economy, and the design and implementation of innovative cultural tourism-related digital and funding platforms incorporating the tourism and employment SDG Targets outlined below:
SDG Target 5a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.
SDG Target 8.9: By 2030 devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism which creates jobs, promotes local culture and products.
SDG Target 12b: Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism which creates jobs, promotes local culture and products.
SDG Target 14.7: By 2030 increase the economic benefits to SIDS and LDCs from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.
Date: 17 October 2020, SaturdayTime: 14:00 – 15:30 CET
Registration: https://tinyurl.com/y2nbau7lZoom links are provided at the completion of registration forms.
