The First Global Youth Tourism Summit

Save the Date: August 23-25, 2021
Add it to your calendar: Global Youth Tourism Summit from Sorrento, Italy 🌍

Sustainable development and peace cannot be achieved unless we involve young people and create the conditions that allow them to reach and unleash their full potential.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is developing a new platform to enhance youth empowerment and engagement in tourism – the Global Youth Tourism Summit.

The GYTS is a global series of international events where children and youth will develop, share and discuss their innovative ideas, vision and proposals for the future of sustainable tourism within the global framework of the UN Agenda 2030 and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The event will bring together children and youth, aged 12 to 18, with UN and government officials, representatives of the tourism industry, globally recognised celebrities, tourism experts and other major stakeholders.

Sorrento, Italy

The 1st Global Youth Tourism Summit will take place in Sorrento (Italy) from 23 to 25 August 2021 and will be the first of this kind at the global level, allowing young participants to be part of a unique experience, aiming to promote youth engagement in the tourism sector and empower younger generations in driving a more sustainable world.

Participants will explore different aspects of responsible and sustainable tourism through a variety of interactive activities: workshops, roundtables, masterclasses, plenary sessions, cultural and sports activities and UNWTO General Assembly simulations.

The summit is organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism Italy and the Italian National Tourism Board, and has been placed by the Italian government in the framework of its G20 presidency this year. 

Speaking As One 

With this initiative, UNWTO joins the rest of the UN family in actively recognizing the vital contribution of youth to the continued development of the societies. 

“Children and youth are not only our future leaders, but important stakeholders of the present, and we can empower and involve them starting today”, says UNWTO SecretaryGeneral, Zurab Pololikashvili. 

"As the leaders of tomorrow, it is pivotal that young people become involved in shaping and the global vision for the future", he added.


Model UNWTO 

Through a model UNWTO General Assembly, participants will adopt their own declaration on the future of tourism. The document will be presented at the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly (12-15 October 2021, Marrakesh, Morocco). 
  
The event will include a range of interactive activities and also involve leading global personalities to share their experiences around tourism and areas such as sports, music, gastronomy, and the film industry.