UN Tourism has gathered its Members States from Asia and the Pacific to guide the sector's development towards greater resilience and sustainability.

 

The Commission for Asia and the Pacific, along with the Commission for South Asia, met jointly in Jakarta for the 37th time, with 17 countries represented.

 

The region has been rapidly returning to full strength, with destinations welcoming 316 million international arrivals in 2024, equivalent to 87% of pre-pandemic numbers. South Asia saw the best results by sub-region, with a 92% recovery.

 

The Maldives posted the highest growth, welcoming 20% more tourists than in 2019, followed by Japan, Fiji, and Sri Lanka. Indonesia welcomed 13.9 million tourists in 2024, recovering 86% of 2019 levels.

 

The Secretary-General's Report outlined progress made over the past year in priority areas such as Tourism Insights, Knowhow, Investments and Innovation, Education, and UN Tourism's support on the ground for its Members.

 

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Our shared priorities will lay the foundations for a more resilient and sustainable tourism sector for Asia and the Pacific. At the heart of it all, however, is innovation and youth empowerment through training and education. Asia and the Pacific is one of the most dynamic regions on Earth. It is a hub of digital transformation, new ideas and innovators. And the future looks very bright indeed.”

 

Between 2018 and 2024, Asia and the Pacific attracted over 640 greenfield tourism projects worth a collective $66 billion, equivalent to more than one-third of global capital expenditure in tourism-related investment.

 

UN Tourism made clear the need to further increase investment and direct FDI towards projects with the potential to enhance sustainability and boost resilience.

 

UN Tourism is also guiding investment in people in the region, with education and human capital development being a key priority.

 

Member States updated on progress in this area, including the development of a first Co-branded Master's in Tourism Management with Beijing International Studies University and a co-branded Master's in Digital Marketing and Analytics with the Macao University of Tourism.

 

UN Tourism fulfilled its statutory obligations in Jakarta, with elections held for key positions for the months ahead.

 

The Philippines, Maldives, Japan, Fiji, India, Bhutan, Iran, and India will represent the Asia and Pacific region on the UN Tourism Executive Council. -TradeArabia News Service