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Tourism, the Most Human of All Sectors

, by Andrea Celauro
Alessandra Priante, Bocconi alumna and Director of the Regional Department for Europe at UNWTO, explains the directions the organization is moving in and the key elements it needs to work on despite emerging well from the crisis. Human capital, for example, which is the aspect that has been most negatively affected by the threeyear pandemic

Sustainable tourism, promotion of tourism in rural areas, but also careful attention to mitigating the pandemic's effects on employment. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is at the forefront with its Member States to relaunch the global tourism sector, an initiative that also passes through concrete actions at the European level. Alessandra Priante, Bocconi alumna, is the spokesperson for these actions and since 2019, after extensive international experience in Strasbourg, in the Middle East and at the Ministry of Tourism in Rome, is Director of the Regional Department for Europe at UNWTO in Madrid.

How do you see post-pandemic tourism?

An estimated 235 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months this year, more than double in the same period in 2022. Europe reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023, supported by robust intra-regional demand.
What is most at risk is the workforce, which we have lost in large quantities during this pandemic.

What has been highlighted by the crisis during these three years?

The pandemic made it clear that only destinations that already had real sustainable tourism practices in place could restart organically, quickly and effectively. Therefore, sustainability should be the main ingredient for a real and concrete restart, no longer just words but deeds. That means conscious sustainability that understands how to include and create circular and resilient mechanisms.

What is UNWTO focusing on in promoting tourism?

UNWTO, in its role as the UN's only specialized tourism agency, is carrying out a series of innovative initiatives to promote sustainable, accessible and inclusive tourism.
For example, there is the Glasgow Declaration, which encourages the acceleration of climate action in tourism, guaranteeing the commitment to reduce emissions in the tourism sector by at least 50% over the next decade and to reach the "Net Zero" target as soon as possible, by 2050.
The pandemic has also clearly shown us that, at least in Europe, tourism is "domestic" and that there is a strong demand from tourists to choose destinations that are located in rural areas. This is one of the reasons why UNWTO, having perceived this change in tourist preferences, launched the Best Tourism Villages initiative.
I am proud to see my country as one of the leaders in this area thanks to the promotion of rural villages in its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

What should the role of a political institution be in order for the work of promotion to be effective?

The role of a political institution should be to create dialogue but also to have a clear and shared vision around which to unite all the forces of the country, at vertical and horizontal levels.
In addition, tourism must look at people, and we at UNWTO insist that member countries bring a lot of attention to the area of training. It is estimated that more than 50% of labor or human capital has been lost in Europe. We must create new opportunities for growth and employment in tourism. This is one of the main concerns of our European Member States: how can we make tourism a more attractive sector for job hunters, turning the crisis into an opportunity to create more interesting jobs, especially for young people? Tourism, being the most "human" of all sectors, must exploit its potential in facing this challenge.

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