UNWTO: First Global Youth Tourism Summit to Take Place in Sorrento, Italy

Photo source: UNWTO

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is getting ready to host its first Global Youth Tourism Summit (GYTS), that will bring more than 130 young people from 60 countries to Sorrento, Italy, next week.

Due to take place from 27 June -3 July, the event is organized by the UNWTO and hosted in Italy in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and the National Tourism Agency (ENIT).

It will unite global youth aged between 12 and 18 with leaders from across the sector, including politicians and key figures from the worlds of sport, gastronomy, entertainment and innovation.

“The global youth tourism will celebrate and empower the next generation of tourism leaders. It will help build a lasting legacy by providing young people with the skills and knowledge they need to transform tourism not only in their communities but everywhere,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili

The summit will feature six masterclasses, alongside two evening talks, as well as a simulation of the UNWTO General Assembly and interactive sessions where participants will be able to engage directly with UN officials, Tourism Ministers and other high-level officials from Congo, Croatia, Germany, Georgia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Spain, Montenegro and many other UNWTO member states.

The summit will focus on some of the key challenges and opportunities facing global tourism right now, with an emphasis on the sector’s role in achieving the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Reflecting UNWTO’s wider focus on innovation and the digital transformation of tourism, the summit will also feature a special session focused on online security, organized in collaboration with fellow UN agency the ITU (International Telecommunication Union), as well as a talk on virtual tourism and the Metaverse, organized in partnership with Meta.

Alongside this, the World Food Forum (facilitated by the UN’s agricultural organization, FAO) will host a debate on solutions to reduce food waste in tourism.

Among the international speakers due to take part in the GYTS are UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake, as well as UNWTO Ambassadors of Responsible Tourism Valeria Mazza, Didier Drogba, Gino Sorbillo and Pilar Rodriguez.

Addressing participants virtually will be Pope Francis, Sophia Loren, Eliza Jane Reid (First Lady of Iceland and UNWTO Ambassador), European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and many more.