WBN #iEmPOWER : Re-activating Economic Opportunities through Tourism

Tourism is one of the top 10 global industries by employment in 2022 and has become the major driver of economic growth and job creation. Unfortunately, tourism suffered a hard hit during COVID-19 pandemic due to travel restrictions and border closures. This has also affected other industries linked to tourism such as hospitality, retail, manufacturing and transportation, to name a few. The two-year economic slump caused a major halt in arrivals which fell by as much as 84 per cent. Experts predict the tourism industry worldwide will not fully recover until 2024. This impacted many MSMEs linked to the industry. For many developing countries, tourism is not only a large economic contributor to their GDP but also presents many employment opportunities for women within the myriad of sectors connected to it. Solutions and actions to step up its revival and reactivate travel may differ from country to country but two common catalysts that accelerate revival now are tech and collaborations. Besides effective tourism recovery plans, support from governments, private sector, civil society and individuals, are needed to change business models and governance structures that will revive tourism back to its optimum level, including all the industries linked to it, and build their resilience.

This session will explore:

• Tourism industry to adapt to post-pandemic economy and regulations
• Tourism and travel in the digital age
• Steps for sustainable tourism
• Global guidelines to restart tourism
• How to forge effective collaborations
• Preparing tourism for 2023 and beyond

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