UNWTO to host first global youth tourism summit | Page 2 | Sunday Observer

UNWTO to host first global youth tourism summit

26 June, 2022

The first UNWTO Global Youth Tourism Summit will bring more than 130 young people from 60 countries to Sorrento, Italy, next week, giving them a unique platform to play a leading role in the future of the sector.

The event, first of its kind, is organised by UNWTO and hosted in Italy in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and the National Tourism Agency (ENIT). It will unite global youth aged between 12 and 18 with leaders from across the sector, including politicians and key figures from the worlds of sport, gastronomy, entertainment and innovation. The Summit has received the medal of the President of the Republic of Italy and patronage of the Department of Youth Policies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The Global Youth Tourism will celebrate and empower the next generation of tourism leaders.

 It will help build a lasting legacy by providing young people with the skills and knowledge they need to transform tourism not only in their communities but everywhere”.

Due to take place from 27 June to 3 July, the Summit will feature six Masterclasses, alongside two evening talks, as well as a simulation of the UNWTO General Assembly and interactive sessions where participants will be able to engage directly with UN and with Ministers of Tourism and other high level officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Croatia, Germany, Georgia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Spain, Montenegro, Sao Tome & Principe, Yemen and many other UNWTO Member States.

The Italian Minister of Tourism, Massimo Garavaglia, adds: “The Italian government is proud to host the first World Youth Tourism Congress in Sorrento. We are confident that ideas and proposals will emerge that can advise governments on how to improve the global tourism offer and make it closer to the needs of new tourists”. Alessandra Priante, UNWTO Director for Europe, added: “Tourism gives opportunities to young people. But young people give tourism the opportunity to become stronger and more resilient. We are extremely proud of the first generation of GYTS-ers, who are already showing their promise and commitment to transform tourism, starting from their local communities”.

Roberta Garibaldi, CEO of ENIT, pointed out: “The synergy that can be created in the exchange among the under-19 generation and organisations on a level playing field cannot be anything but good for tourism, to look to the future with new eyes and forward-thinking ideas. We are even more excited than the young people we will be meeting”. The Summit will focus on some of the key challenges and opportunities facing global tourism right now, with an emphasis on the sector’s role in achieving the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This will include an in-depth look at biodiversity, to be organised in collaboration with Marevivo and the MSC Foundation.

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