Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

27 June 2022

Mr. Massimo Garavaglia, Honorable Minister of Tourism of Italy,

 

Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization,

 

Excellencies,

 

Dear Young friends,

 

I congratulate the Government of Italy and the World Tourism Organization for organizing this first Global Youth Tourism Summit.

 

Tourism is no doubt one of the biggest casualties of the pandemic.

 

Its collapse led to a significant decline in economies, affecting millions of livelihoods in tourism-dependent countries.

 

Before the pandemic, the tourism sector contributed 10% of global GDP, 7% of global exports, and accounted for 1 in every 10 jobs worldwide.

 

Its capacity to attract significant investment, generate jobs, increase exports, and adopt new and emerging technologies makes it an important pillar for economic growth and development.

 

This is particularly the case for countries in special situations, the LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS. Much of their achievements have been reversed or stalled in the wake of the pandemic. Covid-19’s profound impact on the tourism sector globally accounts for much of these reversals.

 

My friends,

 

With the world slowly opening up, we must ensure a sustainable and resilient tourism sector emerges from the rubble of the pandemic.

 

In line with this, I recently convened, in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization, a High-level Thematic debate which focused on “Putting sustainable and resilient tourism at the heart of an inclusive recovery”.

 

The event was truly an historic occasion. It was for the first-time that tourism was discussed in the United Nations General Assembly at a high level.

 

Given the importance of tourism to the global economy, the goal was to advocate for the rebound of the tourism sector in a manner that accelerates sustainable recovery from the pandemic. In ways that are inclusive and enhances the resilience of our economies.

 

I see the rebound of the tourism sector as a unique opportunity to maximize its contribution towards the realization of many of our international commitments.

 

This includes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change. 

 

Tourism plays a big role in decarbonization and can help accelerate global transition to low-carbon and circular business solutions.

 

Solutions such as sustainable energy generation, reduction of transport emissions, and the integration of nature-based solutions into tourism activities and operations.

 

However, this will only be possible with inclusive and scaled-up investments in tourism. This includes investing in youth in tourism.

 

Excellencies,

 

With a total of 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, today’s youth make up 16% of the global population. By 2030, this number is projected to have grown by 7 per cent, to nearly 1.3 billion.

 

Young people can play an important role in the recovery of the tourism sector. They can be agents of change and recovery and can be strong advocates for sustainable tourism.

 

With the general increase in mobility, where people are able to work remotely, the duration of youth travel has increased. 

 

Since the young travel for longer periods and are keen to immerse in the ‘local life’, they also tend to spend a greater proportion of their budget in the destination contributing to the livelihoods of local communities.

 

Young people are also increasingly traveling in search for new experiences, aiming to get the most out of travel. The host countries must understand the rapidly changing needs and desires of young people in order to stimulate them to travel.

 

Youth are important agents of change. Your creativity and innovation are assets, as we leverage digitalization and data to transform the tourism sector. A recent survey revealed that more than 40% of those under 33 consider “Instagrammability” when selecting their next holiday destination. 

 

Likewise, as staunch advocates of climate and environmental issues, you can make immense contributions on sustainable tourism strategies.

 

Youth empowerment in tourism is key to a resilient and sustainable recovery of the sector.

 

Providing career opportunities and entrepreneurship in tourism, and ensuring that youth have a seat at the table, is therefore vital. 

 

To succeed, we must put in place adequate support mechanisms – including, but not limited to, mentorship, soft skills development, workplace-based vocational experience, and leadership training.

 

And we must leverage strong global partnerships to fully empower youth in tourism. We must facilitate financial support towards youth-led MSMEs and supplemental services that support the tourism sector.

 

Excellencies, ladies, and gentlemen,

 

We are at a moment ripe for change and adaptation.

 

We must seize this moment to build development models that are people-centered, with youth empowerment at the heart of our efforts. This should be the case for tourism as well.

 

Let us strengthen our partnerships and commitments to make this a reality for our young people.

 

Thank you for this opportunity and I wish this Summit every success.

 

I thank you.