UNWTO welcomed the outcome of the First T.20 Ministers’ Meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa (22-24 February) to debate the contribution of tourism to the global agenda, in particular to the ongoing process of supporting economic recovery and the transformation towards a greener and more sustainable economy.

“UNWTO is very happy to support this initiative and believes that the outcomes of the first T.20 meeting will be a major contribution to the process of the Roadmap for Recovery approved in the last UNWTO General Assembly in Kazakhstan as the strategic framework for our global response to today’s multifaceted challenges”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

Following a constructive and future-oriented meeting, ministers and high officials gathered in South Africa concluded with the following recommendations:
a. To strengthen the analytical base that underpins the economic and development case for travel and tourism.
b.To intensify collaboration to position tourism as a key driver of sustainable economic and social development.
c.To enhance the role of tourism to contribute towards creating new, decent employment opportunities, boosting trade, renewing infrastructure, and above all, accelerating ethical and sustainable development, thereby expanding the reach of the economic benefits of tourism to a larger segment of the world population.
d. To continue to examine broad international economic frameworks that have a significant impact on global tourism development.
e. To increase cooperation between countries, working closely with stakeholders, with a view to facilitating international movement of tourists, addressing restrictive travel barriers, and fostering mutual understanding and collaboration.
f. To engage and partner with the international community, including UNWTO; G20; international and intergovernmental bodies such as the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the International Labour organization(ILO); private sector organizations and associations such as the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC); national governments and regional organizations, and the European Commission, in order to advance tourism’s role in stimulating the global economy, enhancing employment, creating decent jobs, alleviating poverty, supporting development, and transforming progressively into a greener, more sustainable economy.

The T.20 Ministers’ Meeting is a member-driven initiative, with the support of UNWTO.