UNWTO and India’s G20 Presidency, have joined hands to launch a new tool to advance the contribution of tourism policies and initiatives towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit next 9-10 September, UNWTO has worked with the Presidency through India’s Ministry of Tourism on the G20 Tourism and SDGs Dashboard. Halfway between the 2015 launch of the 2030 Agenda and the deadline to accomplish it, this tool will help to promote the sector’s contribution to accelerating progress towards achieving the 17 SDGs.
The Goa Roadmap for Tourism and the SDGs
The Dashboard showcases the pillars of the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the SDGs around the five priority areas set for the Tourism Working Group, which are: 1. Green Tourism; 2. Digitalization; 3. Skills; 4. Tourism MSMEs and 5. Destination Management.
The UNWTO-G20 Dashboard includes over 20 case studies under these five areas and will be updated on a regular basis during 2023 and in the coming years providing a unique reference for tourism policies and initiatives in their contribution to the SDGs.
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “G20 countries represent over 70% of tourism worldwide. Their leadership in the transformation of the sector is decisive. The G20 Tourism and SDGs Dashboard is a concrete outcome of G20 Tourism Working Group and a reference tool for all. UNWTO is very happy to have joined hands with the Ministry of Tourism of India to make this possible.”
Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India, added “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has consistently championed the transformative power of digitalization across all sectors, including tourism. Under his visionary leadership India is transforming into a digitally empowered country. Inspired by his foresight and commitment, the G20 Tourism and SDGs Dashboard is a testament to our nation’s digital strides and serves as a beacon of knowledge for all the public and private stakeholders globally. It offers a wealth of knowledge and showcases best practices, all aimed at steering the tourism industry towards greater sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity”.”
Tourism and the G20 economies
The G20 economies represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
In 2022, the G20 welcomed 74% of international tourists and 73% of tourism exports worldwide. In 2019, pre COVID-19 pandemic the Tourism Direct GDP reached 3.7% of the G20 economies.
The G20 Tourism and SDGs Dashboard is included in the UNWTO-led Tourism for SDGs Platform.
