Tourism and the future of cities is the theme of the forum that the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transition, Turismo de Portugal and the City Council of Porto are organising in Porto on 8-9 July 2021.
Considering the current crisis as an opportunity to rethink the role of tourism in the future of cities, the 2021 forum will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on tourism in cities and the role of tourism in the future of cities through:
_ exchange of ideas and good practices regarding urban tourism and destination management on the urban agenda, bringing together a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders involved in the planning and management of cities;
_ share of the learnings from the pandemic and its impact on tourism planning and management;
_ promotion of the integration of tourism into the wider national and local urban development agenda;
_ formulation of recommendations to improve urban tourism policy and governance as we emerge into a post-COVID-19 future;
_ call for action to reaffirm the commitment of governments and stakeholders to work towards building inclusive and sustainable cities for all.
This initiative counts with the presence of the Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition, Pedro Siza Vieira, the UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, the Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques. The forum is also attended by representatives of municipalities from countries such as Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and others, as well as representatives of companies and international organisations.
The UNWTO Mayors Forum for Sustainable Urban Tourism is an initiative launched in 2019 in Lisbon to bring together mayors and relevant stakeholders and organisations from around the world who share visionary leadership for tourism as a means of creating cities for all, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and in particular Goal 11 - Make cities inclusive, safe, secure, resilient and sustainable.
