UN Tourism and ILO Unveil New Employment Dataset to Enhance Sustainable Development Goals Monitoring

(IN SHORT) On October 30, 2024, UN Tourism launched a new dataset focused on tourism employment in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), aimed at enhancing the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This initiative addresses a critical gap in assessing tourism’s impact, specifically regarding its role in job creation and economic growth, as outlined in Goals 8, 12, and 14 of the 2030 Agenda. The dataset provides detailed insights into employment characteristics, including gender, employment status, and various tourism industries. It will be accessible in the UN Tourism Statistics Database and is designed to inform policies related to social development, employment creation, and poverty reduction, ultimately integrating tourism into broader global, national, and local agendas.

(PRESS RELEASE) Madrid, Spain, 2024-Oct-31 — /Travel PR News/ — On October 30, 2024, UN Tourism announced a significant advancement in tracking tourism’s contributions to sustainable development with the launch of a new dataset focused on tourism employment. This initiative aims to bolster the wider United Nations agenda and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The dataset addresses a critical gap in monitoring tourism’s impact, particularly in relation to the 2030 Agenda. Tourism is explicitly mentioned in several SDGs, including Goal 8, which emphasizes economic growth and decent work; Goal 12, which focuses on sustainable consumption and production; and Goal 14, which pertains to the sustainable use of oceans.

Traditionally, global assessments of tourism have concentrated on its economic contributions, specifically through the indicator “Tourism Direct GDP.” However, the new dataset, developed in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), sheds light on tourism’s role as a significant employment generator worldwide. By harmonizing data from both organizations, this dataset derives from the UN-endorsed Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism.

This groundbreaking dataset aligns with the indicator “employed persons in the tourism industries,” which was approved by the United Nations Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) during its 15th meeting in Oslo, Norway. The initiative was spearheaded by Austria and Spain (co-chairs of the UN Tourism Committee on Statistics), alongside Saudi Arabia (Vice-Chair of the Committee), CARICOM, the ILO, and UN Tourism as part of the 2025 Comprehensive Review of the Global Indicator Framework for the SDGs.

For the first time, this dataset offers detailed insights into tourism employment, breaking down data by gender, employment status (employees vs. self-employed), and across ten specific tourism industries, including accommodation, food and beverage services, various modes of passenger transport, travel agencies, cultural activities, and sports and recreation.

Accessible through the Sustainable Development Goals section of the UN Tourism Statistics Database, this dataset aims to facilitate analytical insights into tourism employment. It will assist in shaping tourism policies and decision-making in areas such as social development, job creation, economic diversification, and poverty reduction.

By equipping tourism stakeholders with this valuable data, the initiative seeks to integrate tourism more effectively into global, national, and local agendas, providing essential insights for ministries of employment, social affairs, and economic affairs, as well as for private sector representatives and academic researchers.

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Source: UNWTO

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