Transforming Tourism for a resilient and sustainable post COVID world

The tourism sector is one of those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rebuilding tourism is an opportunity for transformation with a focus on building more resilient communities and businesses through innovation, circularity, digitalization, sustainability, and partnerships.

This event will convene European government representatives, tourism institutions and international organisations to explore how tourism can build back greener towards a more sustainable tourism industry in a post-COVID scenario.

It will provide an overview of the impacts of COVID on the tourism sector and evaluate how stimulus packages and recovery plans could be aligned with a transition that meets health and safety requirements, leads to an inclusive green economy and meets the sustainable development agenda, and climate commitments.

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Agenda

13:00 Welcome and introductions Bruno Pozzi, Director of the Europe Office, UNEP

13:05 Setting the scene Dr Anna Spenceley, Chair of the IUCN Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group

13:15 Panel session: Sustainable tourism policies and practices during the COVID-19 recovery - needs, tools and benefits:

Moderator: Marika Palosaari, Programme Coordinator, Regional Office for Europe, UNEP

Panelists:

• Anne Pluvinage-Nierengarten, Head of the Global Affairs Unit, Directorate for European and International Affairs, Ministry for the Ecological Transition, France
• Peter Haxton, Policy Analyst, OECD
• Sergio Guerreiro, Director, Tourism Portugal
• Alina Szasz, Public Manager, Carpathian Sustainable Tourism Center
• Tim Fairhurst, Secretary General, European Tourism Association

14:00 - 14:25 Questions and answers session

14:25 - 14:30 Closing remarks

This is a side event of the 26th Meeting of the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy meeting, organized by UNEP.