Tourism ‘intrinsically susceptible’ to climate shocks, political unrest, pandemic threat

As part of the “long journey” to recover from the ravages of COVID-19, UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid highlighted on Wednesday the need to build a more sustainable, resilient, and responsible global tourism sector.

The President of the UN General Assembly on Thursday underscored the critical need for resilient infrastructure if the world is the reach the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the 2030 deadline.

International tourism is showing strong signs of recovery, with tourist numbers rising to 57 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. On World Tourism Day, marked on Tuesday, the UN is calling for a major global rethink of the sector, to ensure that tourism is sustainable, and benefits local communities.