(TAN): Tourism ministers of the G20 nations have promised to intensify their efforts to place sustainability and inclusion at the heart of tourism recovery and future growth, the UNWTO said.
Under the leadership of the 2020 G20 Saudi Presidency, UNWTO and the G20 Tourism Working Group developed the AlUla Framework to further advance the contribution of the sector as an effective means towards fairer growth and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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The Framework provides specific recommendations and tools to support both governments as well as all other key stakeholders in the tourism sector — including regional and local governments, the private sector, industry associations, civil society, communities and tourists — fostering a truly holistic and integrated approach to inclusive community development through tourism.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “As we join forces to restart tourism, we must live up to our responsibility to ensure that tourism’s benefits are shared by all.”
Ahmed bin Aqeel al-Khatib, Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister and chair of the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting welcomed the AlUla Framework saying, “The AlUla Framework — named after Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO world heritage site —demonstrates how the tourism sector can promote inclusive community development by highlighting practical examples and case studies that governments can emulate to protect local culture and the environment. The Framework is a vital tool to be used as we work together to rebuild the tourism sector to be more sustainable, resilient and inclusive.”
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Among the G20 Guidelines for Inclusive Community Development through Tourism endorsed at the meeting, is the importance of placing tourism at the heart of development policies at international, national and local level.
The guidelines further stress the importance of human capital development, inclusive labor markets, adequate social protection, and innovation and entrepreneurship as key contributors to travel and tourism as a human-centered sector, as well as to advancing women’s empowerment and to create decent jobs for all.
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