The Georgian village of Mestia, with its beautiful nature and rich history, is very popular among tourists. Global tourism is recovering rapidly and could become a catalyst for economic development Culture and education
By the end of 2024, international tourism could fully recover and reach pre-pandemic levels, according to the World Tourism Organization. The sector has recovered from the biggest crisis in history and could face significant changes in the near future.
On Tuesday, a high-level event on tourism was held at the UN headquarters in New York as part of Sustainable Development Week. Zurab Pololikashvili, head of the World Tourism Organization, said the tourism industry’s recovery “must be a catalyst for bold action and transformative change.”
As one of the largest sectors in the world, tourism is a driver of economic growth, social and cultural development, as well as an important driver of job creation and entrepreneurship.
Tourism – if found appropriate approach to its development – can be a source of income for the national economy and contribute to improving the living conditions of local communities, including indigenous communities, and create economic opportunities for youth and people living in remote areas, while contributing to the conservation of both material and intangible cultural heritage.
Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly, also noted the role of women in the tourism sector.
“One in ten people worldwide work in this sector. And with women holding 54 percent of these jobs (compared to 39 percent in the overall economy), tourism is an important means of empowering women,” Francis said.
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International tourism will reach pre-pandemic levels in 2024
“Its ability to attract significant amounts of foreign direct investment and rapidly increase exports has made its attractive and popular catalyst for development,” he added.
For some developing countries, the tourism sector is a major source of employment, foreign exchange earnings and tax revenue.
B In small island developing States, tourism accounts for almost 35 percent of all exports, and in some cases up to 80 percent of exports. Francis warned that the country’s over-reliance on tourism also comes with huge potential risks.
“Despite the impressive benefits derived from its vast supply chains, tourism is also inherently susceptible to a variety of disruptive forces such as climate change, pandemics, terrorist attacks and internal political instability,” the head of the Civil Aviation emphasized.
“Sustainable infrastructure, green transport, renewable energy and relief from massive debt burdens are all essential to ensuring sustainability and stability in the global tourism sector,” he concluded .