International Tourism Policy

Running header: International Tourism Policy 1
International Tourism Policy
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International Tourism Policy 2
In the world today, tourism is regarded as one of the most essential economic sectors
(Bianchi, 2018). According to UNWTO, in 2017, a total of 1.3 billion tourists traveled around
the world hence portraying a growing trend of international tourism. Over the years, UNWTO
and UNESCO have developed programs to promote both tourism and culture. Tourism can’t
work by itself since culture is an essential aspect of the motivation for travel. Besides, if tourism
does not incorporate culture, sustainability cannot be achieved (Blancas, Lozano-Oyola,
González & Caballero, 2018). The nexus between culture and tourism has been an aspect of
great importance for both of the UN organizations.
The aim of this essay will be to establish how international organizations such as
UNESCO and UNWTO influence tourism development as well as promote sustainable tourism
planning. UNESCO is an UN agency whose main purpose is to encourage international
collaboration through culture, science and education (Mingst, 2018). However, its world heritage
tourism program has assisted preserve heritage sites for future generations. On the other hand,
UNWTO is an UN agency whose main purpose is foster sustainable and responsible tourism
across the world.
In 2014, UNWTO and UNESCO signed a memorandum of understanding with the vision
of promoting tourism and culture. In the memorandum, two major initiatives were established in
order to achieve the vision. One of the initiatives was to promote the world heritage sustainable
tourism program, and the other was to promote a global code of ethics for tourism. The code of
ethics was approved by the UNWTO assembly in the year 1999, and the United Nations
endorsed it in the year 2001. Since then, the global code of ethics has been essential for the
promotion of responsible and sustainable tourism. Besides, the initiative emphasizes the
importance of tourism as a contributor to cultural heritage.
On the other hand, the two organizations are highly involved in the world heritage and
sustainable tourism program. This program is directed towards the development of a framework
that ensures a coordinated achievement of a sustainable result in relation to tourism at world
heritage sites (Ruoss & Alfarè, 2013). In support of the heritage sites, both organizations are on
the forefront of integrating tourism and culture nexus through site-to-site partnerships at local,
national, regional, and global levels. In an action plan designed by both organizations on the
period between 2013 and 2015, the plan included five objectives, and the two organization have