The 70th meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for Europe brought together 40 high-level representatives in the Albanian capital. Nearly all UN Tourism Members in the region participated, serving as a platform for dialogue and collaboration, exchanging knowledge, sharing best practices, and addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the tourism sector.
Albania leads Europe’s tourism rebound
Before the meeting, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, to discuss shared priorities and future collaboration. The Secretary-General has commended Albania’s leadership in tourism recovery after the pandemic. The country was one of the best-performing destinations in 2023, showing a 53% increase over the international tourism arrivals registered in 2019.
The Secretary-General of UN Tourism and the Prime Minister also discussed the importance of sustainable tourism development and opportunities to enhance the tourism sector in Albania further. They exchanged views on key strategies for promoting responsible tourism practices, harnessing digital innovation, and contributing to economic growth through tourism education. They underscored the value of fostering a resilient and inclusive tourism industry that benefits local communities and preserves cultural heritage.
UN Tourism Legal framework for the Agenda for Europe
High-level delegations representing 40 Members were informed about the work and activities realized by UN Tourism since the Commission met in Bulgaria in June 2023, as well as strategic objectives and priorities, with a focus on:
- Political outlook and the situation in Europe
- The rebranding of the World Tourism Organization
- Latest data on tourism arrivals and receipts
- Events and initiatives
In Tirana, Members adopted the Rules of Procedure of the Working Group, the Selection Criteria, and Key Performance Indicators for evaluating the projects supported through the Agenda for Europe and agreed on the priorities for elaborating the work of the Agenda for 2024. The Agenda for Europe manifests the priorities of the members in the region of Europe, the world’s leading destination and a pioneer in tourism innovation. It aims to ensure a regional focus that will benefit and address the specific needs of the members at a regional and subregional level.
This document is the result of a consultative process among the members in the region, initiated during the 66th meeting of the Commission for Europe in 2021, to advance the adaptability of the European tourism ecosystem to the new trends and reality that emerged in the post-pandemic era.
Moving forward
The UN Tourism Commission Members were updated about the preparations for World Tourism Day 2024 by Georgia and accepted the invitation of Azerbaijan to host the Commission meeting in 2025.
UN Tourism Sub Regional focus
The second meeting of the Working Group for Southeast Europe was held on the sidelines of the 70th meeting of the Commission for Europe, by the initiative of the host, Albania, and UN Tourism. The purpose of the meeting was to foster in-depth discussions on the specific challenges facing the tourism sector in Southeast Europe. Representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia shared their ideas, insights, and opinions, with a special focus on short-term rentals and regional investments.
Information and images provided by UN Tourism.
Link to the agenda of The 70th meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for Europe: https://www.unwto.org/europe/events/70-unwto-commission-for-europe
Link to UN Tourism / UNWTO reports on the Unravel Travel TV website: https://unraveltraveltv.com/category/unwto/
