MADRID — UNWTO and Google have teamed up to lead global tourism’s recovery through several new initiatives that include new trainings for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs). 

The new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) builds on previous cooperation between the two organizations. Most notably, new training sessions for DMOs will be launched using a new Capacity Building Curriculum developed by Google, which will empower destinations to switch to digital. It will also complement existing joint initiatives and a data sharing agreement for Google’s Travel Insights to power a portion of UNWTO’s tourism recovery tracker.

In addition, the Tourism Accelerator Program, designed by Google in partnership with UNWTO, will be scaled up globally. A pilot program launched across EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) in 2020 showed the value of working with policymakers to put digital at the heart of their tourism recovery plans and the benefits of upskilling DMOs so they can make effective use of data and market intelligence.

Under the agreement, Google will also provide ongoing support for a number of UNWTO initiatives, including Startup Competitions designed to promote innovation across the sector.

“The strong partnership between UNWTO and Google will help put innovation and digital at the centre of tourism’s recovery,” said UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili. “By working together, UNWTO and Google will empower destinations, businesses and tourism workers to realize the power of data and market intelligence, both increasingly important as global tourism looks to restart and recover.”

Google’s Managing Director for Travel Partnerships, Gianni Marostica, added: “We’re honoured to be working alongside UNWTO in this vital effort to support the global tourism sector on its path toward broader economic recovery. It’s critical that both policymakers and businesses have the tools and insights they need to reconnect with travellers in a digital environment.”

Looking ahead, UNWTO and Google will also collaborate on joint research projects related to tourism.