UNWTO urges Europe to lead the way in tourism restart

UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) stressed (30-Mar-2021) the importance of collaboration to the restart of tourism, stating that strong and coordinated political action is needed in Europe to reopen the region to tourism in time for the peak summer season. UNWTO also congratulated the European Commission for taking the lead and advancing plans to launch its Digital Green Pass, recognising its potential to restart tourism in a number of destinations. At the same time, the UNWTO leadership also credited the European Commission's intentions to support national recovery and resilience plans, as well as the recent launch of the 'Re-Open EU' website and mobile app, both of which complement UNWTO's own global #RestartTourism campaign. UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili further emphasised the need for harmonised protocols and digital solutions to make safe international travel possible. [more - original PR]