Photo source: UN Tourism
The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) has urged G20 Tourism Ministers to strengthen cooperation and make tourism a driver of inclusion and sustainability.
Speaking at the G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting under South Africa’s Presidency, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili praised the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” and stressed that targeted policies and unified action are vital in today’s interconnected world.
The meeting addressed four priorities: boosting MSMEs and startups through digital innovation, unlocking tourism financing and investment, improving air connectivity, and building resilience for sustainable growth.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. Photo source: UN Tourism
Pololikashvili noted that international arrivals rose 5 percent in the first half of 2025, but warned that resilience is impossible without sustainability. He called for greater support for innovation, stressing that MSMEs — the backbone of tourism — need financing to close the digital divide.
Focusing on financing for development, he noted that despite tourism’s role as a major employer and source of foreign exchange, Official Development Assistance (ODA) for tourism remains below 0.11 percent of total disbursements. This is a missing opportunity for developing countries, particularly Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.
Photo source: UN Tourism
The G20 accounts for 70 percent of global arrivals and 83 percent of tourism GDP, underscoring its central role in shaping the future of the sector.
The G20 economies collectively represent 70 percent of international tourist arrivals and exports worldwide, as well as 83 percent of global tourism GDP. In 2023, the sector accounted directly for 3.1 percent of G20 GDP, 5 percent of all exports, and 23 percent of services exports.
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