According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s first Barometer of 2023, published in January, more than 900 million tourists travelled internationally in 2022, which is double the number that was recorded in 2021 and 63% of pre-pandemic levels. UNWTO’s scenarios for 2023 forecast that international tourist arrivals could reach up to 80% to 95% of the pre-Covid volumes .
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’sfirst Barometer of 2023 , published in January, more than 900 million tourists travelled internationally in 2022, which is double the number that was recorded in 2021 and 63% of pre-pandemic levels. UNWTO’s scenarios for 2023 forecast that international tourist arrivals could reach up to 80% to 95% of the pre-Covid volumes1.This increase in numbers indicates that tourism is making a strong recovery after the pandemic and that it has a resilient nature. It is relevant to stress that the industry is mainly composed of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), which represent up to 85% of the ecosystem2. This growth is coupled with technological advancements and a sustainable approach. In an era of dramatic transformation and technological advancements, it is crucial to act on digital transformation to succeed in the modern travel and tourism industry.
In fact, SMEs and startups often describe “digitalization” as a tool to unlock unlimited potential thanks to the wide-ranging benefits that digital technology can add in terms of development. SMEs and startups are often considered inquisitive entities that constantly reinvent themselves. Regrettably, during recent hard times, the financial support received was addressed to survival funding rather than to investment in innovation and technology. As a result, startups and SMEs are now seeking support to revitalize the travel and tourism sector and update business models and practices.
To empower these businesses, UNWTO has partnered with Amadeus to facilitate SMEs’ and startups’ efforts as key players in the travel industry. Innovation has been at the core of Amadeus' operations, which shares the vision of UNWTO on creating an equal, responsible, and sustainable future for the industry by cooperating and supporting the upcoming generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.
A key project we partnered on isTravel4Impact , a collaborative and added-value social innovation network that aims to improve the competitiveness and social and environmental impact of SMEs in the travel and tourism industry. We support and encourage this through the creation of a network to assist small and medium sized businesses in embedding digitalization and sustainability as key elements of their value proposition. UNWTO is proud to be a member of the Travel4Impact selection committee, as well as providing masterclasses to participating SMEs.
In addition, recognizing that SMEs are at the vanguard of economic recovery, UNWTO initiated the Digital Futures program, an initiative that aims to ensure that SMEs in the tourism value chain have access to the technologies they need as we strive to promote digital transformation. The initiative helps businesses establish connections with the travel ecosystem, which opens new opportunities for business travel and boosts companies’ growth. Moreover, Amadeus’ participation supports new enterprises to succeed in the travel technology industry.
What is UNWTO Digital Futures? It is an online platform that can be reachedhere , where SMEs can work with cutting-edge technology partners to improve their technological standards. The program consists of a digital self-diagnostic tool that evaluates key business digital strategy dimensions and, based on the results, offers five digital paths with dedicated digital tools and specialized training. Those paths are connectivity, business growth, e-commerce, big data & analytics and payments & security.
We truly believe that providing support to SMEs will lead to new ways of positively impacting the sector’s value chain. In this regard, we encourage all small and medium enterprises to join our Digital Futures program and Amadeus Travel4Impact initiative.
Another scope of work conducted at UNWTO to map and support startups and SMEs is the organization of startup competitions and innovation challenges. Finalist and winning enterprises are invited to join to UNWTO’s Innovation Network and received personalized mentoring and consultancy from our global partners and ecosystem collaborators. They also gain access to potential funding. This is the case of one of our winner startup,Refundit , an innovative VAT refund app that makes the process of tax-free shopping for tourists easier and more efficient, in which Amadeus invested via its program Amadeus Ventures.
At UNWTO, we consider innovation and capacity-building efforts to be central pillars in enabling change. These tools are especially important to equip the youngest generation, which has access to technological solutions and strive to undertake new ventures. For this reason, UNWTO joined the Amadeus Hackathon and encouraged all students to code on a cloud native platform and develop solutions related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event offered UNWTO and Amadeus the opportunity to engage with students who share an interest in making travel more sustainable.
In order to establish a sustainable tourism industry and embrace technology, UNWTO encourages and supports entrepreneurs to develop their businesses, participate in professional courses for proficiency, engage in competitions for opportunities, achieve digitization in modern tourism, and lastly encourage youth, startups, and SMEs to think bigger and to drive growth through innovation.
UNWTO and Amadeus will continue to work together towards a brighter, more sustainable future for travel and tourism.
[1] UNWTO (2023)
[2] OECD (2019)
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