UNESCO and World Tourism Organization collaborate on cultural tourism recovery guidelines

New guidelines developed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in cooperation with UNESCO outline how tourism and culture stakeholders can work together to support the inclusive recovery of cultural tourism, as countries around the world respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The publication, entitled UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guide, Issue 2: Cultural Tourism, draws on the insights and expertise of the two UN agencies to analyse the impact of the pandemic on their respective sectors. This includes how lost tourism revenues are severely impacting communities, heritage sites, cultural events, spaces and institutions, while also weakening competitiveness and market differentiation of destinations. The guidelines on cultural tourism also stress the need for support from policymakers to ensure the relevance of culture in the emergency and contingency planning within tourism destinations.

The release of the guidelines comes within the context of the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development 2021, a UN initiative designed to recognize how culture and creativity, including cultural tourism, can contribute to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).