In an historic first, the world’s two leading Travel & Tourism organisations representing the global public and private sectors agreed to work together across a number of key objectives. The Memorandum of Understanding, signed today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations (UNWTO) at the G20 Ministerial meeting (Goa, India), focused on advancing public-private sector cooperation at the global level whilst promoting job creation, talent development and business opportunities around the world.

Together, WTTC and UNWTO will promote tourism in the global and national agendas while working to progress skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment and the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient Travel & Tourism sector.

The two parties will also foster community empowerment and inclusion, and collaborate around crisis preparedness, management, and recovery, building on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said “Through the signing of an historic new MOU, WTTC and UNWTO embark on a new chapter of collaboration together, uniting our expertise to pave the way for a prosperous future for the Travel & Tourism sector.

“Together, we can create a powerful synergy that will shape the global landscape, opening doors to endless opportunities and benefiting travelers, businesses, and destinations alike.”

Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, underscored that “We are only stronger if we work together to respond to the interconnected challenges facing our sector. Strong public-private partnerships are the foundation to transform tourism and build resilience, and consolidating our partnership with WTTC will achieve exactly what we need – joining efforts to build a better future through tourism.”

The MOU was signed by WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvil, alongside representatives of the public and private sectors.