Together with the Expedia Group, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will work to improve public-private relations and to support tourism recovery from the COVID-19 impact.

In order for them to work together on a number of issues to accelerate the recovery and make the industry more resilient and sustainable, both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

UNWTO General Secretary Zurab Pololikashvili met in Brussels with the Expedia Group's members in response to a successful discussion of the leadership of the European institutions. 

This strengthened relationship would see the UN Specialized Agency work more closely with the organisation in stressing the willingness of UNWTO to develop links to the private sector.

Joint initiatives would be targeted at business intelligence and creativity. UNWTO and Expedia will also work together to promote business, professional, and consumer protection education.

“From the very start of this crisis, UNWTO has been a strong advocate of close cooperation between the public and private sectors. This enhanced partnership will help improve our knowledge of global tourism trends, allowing us to respond to new challenges and guide tourism’s recovery. It will also help us place innovation and sustainability at the heart of this recovery, ensuring tourism emerges stronger than before," said Pololikashvili.

The partnership with between UNWTO and Expedia Group will see both parties share data on tourism trends and developments, both at the global and the local scale. 

This will help inform decision-making, producing data-based policies aimed a tourism’s sustainable recovery and future development.