Whilst the world population reached the 8 billion mark in late 2022, the current population of young people (aged 10–24) is also at its historical maximum of 1.8 billion. Yet today’s youth does not only constitute the largest youth population to date, but also the one with the highest level of formal education, informal education opportunities, connectivity and political engagement.
Young people have demonstrated time and time again that they have an opinion about the present and a vision for the future of our planet and the life on it. They have the interest, the ideas and the will to transform the world that we live in and steer its development towards a more sustainable and prosperous future – for all.
When young people are offered opportunities for meaningful political engagement and placed in an encouraging environment receptive to their ideas and proposals, they can achieve great things. They take charge of their lives and the lives in their wider communities. They become empowered.
The United Nations has long recognized the important contribution that young people can make to the development of our societies, including participation among the fundamental rights and promoting meaningful youth engagement as an important mechanism in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2018, the United Nations launched a system-wide Youth Strategy, called Youth 2030. Its first priority focusses on the vital support that the UN system must offer to youth leadership, as well as building awareness and capacity. It outlines the importance of putting in place mechanisms that allow young people to share their input and feedback on UN work and establishing channels for regular engagement between young people and UN senior managers.
Pursuant to this priority, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, launched the Global Youth Tourism Summit (GYTS).
GYTS was introduced in 2022 as a platform to empower young people to take active part in decision-making processes in the tourism sector. It is a direct response of UNWTO to the need for a more effective and meaningful engagement of young people in the creation of national and international policies in the tourism sector and a recognition of the important role that young people can play as agents of development, social change and, ultimately, the achievement of the SDGs also through tourism.
Youth constitutes a considerable size and therefore important cohort on the receiving end of tourism. According to the data of the World Youth Student & Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation, in 2018, youth travel (including travellers between the ages of 15 and 29) represented 23% of international tourist arrivals and generated USD 333 billion in tourism receipts. The figure had risen by 175%, from USD 190 billion in 2009.
Furthermore, tourism is a major global employer: prior to the pandemic, an estimated 1 in 10 jobs worldwide was directly or indirectly related to tourism. In addition, 1 in 5 newly created jobs were registered in travel and tourism. The breadth of the tourism value chain makes the sector a compelling option for pursuing career aspirations of a wide spectrum of professionals.
The employment potential and influence of tourism and travel on the wider economy makes it interesting for young people also from the point of view of policy and governance. When considering it as a career choice, young people may grow an interest in contributing to shaping the legal and policy framework of the tourism sector. If offered an opportunity and support, they may feel empowered to actively engage in the decision-making processes and participate in shaping the future of tourism.
As observed from the above, youth can be considered an important stakeholder in the tourism sector and UNWTO is committed to supporting young people to make their voices heard at every level.
Whilst the world population reached the 8 billion mark in late 2022, the current population of young people (aged 10–24) is also at its historical maximum of 1.8 billion. Yet today’s youth does not only constitute the largest youth population to date, but also the one with the highest level of formal education, informal education opportunities, connectivity and political engagement.
Young people have demonstrated time and time again that they have an opinion about the present and a vision for the future of our planet and the life on it. They have the interest, the ideas and the will to transform the world that we live in and steer its development towards a more sustainable and prosperous future – for all.
When young people are offered opportunities for meaningful political engagement and placed in an encouraging environment receptive to their ideas and proposals, they can achieve great things. They take charge of their lives and the lives in their wider communities. They become empowered.
The United Nations has long recognized the important contribution that young people can make to the development of our societies, including participation among the fundamental rights and promoting meaningful youth engagement as an important mechanism in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2018, the United Nations launched a system-wide Youth Strategy, called Youth 2030. Its first priority focusses on the vital support that the UN system must offer to youth leadership, as well as building awareness and capacity. It outlines the importance of putting in place mechanisms that allow young people to share their input and feedback on UN work and establishing channels for regular engagement between young people and UN senior managers.
Pursuant to this priority, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, launched the Global Youth Tourism Summit (GYTS).
GYTS was introduced in 2022 as a platform to empower young people to take active part in decision-making processes in the tourism sector. It is a direct response of UNWTO to the need for a more effective and meaningful engagement of young people in the creation of national and international policies in the tourism sector and a recognition of the important role that young people can play as agents of development, social change and, ultimately, the achievement of the SDGs also through tourism.
Youth constitutes a considerable size and therefore important cohort on the receiving end of tourism. According to the data of the World Youth Student & Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation, in 2018, youth travel (including travellers between the ages of 15 and 29) represented 23% of international tourist arrivals and generated USD 333 billion in tourism receipts. The figure had risen by 175%, from USD 190 billion in 2009.
Furthermore, tourism is a major global employer: prior to the pandemic, an estimated 1 in 10 jobs worldwide was directly or indirectly related to tourism. In addition, 1 in 5 newly created jobs were registered in travel and tourism. The breadth of the tourism value chain makes the sector a compelling option for pursuing career aspirations of a wide spectrum of professionals.
The employment potential and influence of tourism and travel on the wider economy makes it interesting for young people also from the point of view of policy and governance. When considering it as a career choice, young people may grow an interest in contributing to shaping the legal and policy framework of the tourism sector. If offered an opportunity and support, they may feel empowered to actively engage in the decision-making processes and participate in shaping the future of tourism.
As observed from the above, youth can be considered an important stakeholder in the tourism sector and UNWTO is committed to supporting young people to make their voices heard at every level.
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