His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain has described the tourism sector as an instrument in the acceleration of the achievement of the Social Developmental Goals, SDGs and digital transformation.
He made this known at a special gala dinner in Madrid when he joined the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to mark the 40th anniversary of FITUR, one of the world’s leading tourism trade fair recently.
In his words “The tourism sector is a source of wealth and employment, it is a tool for social cohesion, for the consolidation of the population, for fighting against climate change and inequality; It is an accelerator in the achievement of the SDGs and digital transformation” he said.
Similarly, Spanish Prime, Minister Pedro Sánchez also used the occasion of the Gala to announce his support for UNWTO’s plans to host a Global Tourism Forum. Sánchez labelled the upcoming forum as “The Davos of tourism”, and will hold its first edition in the final months of this year. The event hopes to show the commitment of UNWTO’s host country to fostering tourism for sustainable development, underscoring the sector’s contribution to the 2030 Agenda against the backdrop of the Decade for Action, as it remains just ten years to achieve the Agenda’s Global Goals.
While expressing his gratitude to King Felipe VI, UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili commended the government of Spain for their strong commitment to UNWTO’s mission.
“Your presence is an inspiration and a further reminder of our shared responsibility to continue improving tourism for the benefit of all. UNWTO is privileged to be based in Spain, a true world leader in tourism, and Madrid is also home to FITUR, a platform that brings tourism leaders together every year and sets the international agenda for our sector and its role in the world” he said.
This is the first time UNWTO and FITUR have hosted a royal dinner and comes just weeks after UNWTO and the Government of Spain ensured tourism was part of the conversation at the COP25 UN Climate Summit, also held in Madrid.