The first UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture will provide an unprecedented global platform for policymakers, experts and practitioners in tourism and culture to meet and identify the key challenges and opportunities for stronger cooperation between these highly interlinked areas.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) and the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations (UNWTO) have co-launched a new report which provides statistical instruments and best practices in an effort to advance towards a harmonized international framework for collecting and analyzing tourism employment data.

AVIAREPS, the global leader in tourism, aviation and hospitality representation with 52 offices in 43 countries around the world, has become an official Affiliate Member of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with access to a global network of 400 institutional and professional associates in 156 countries.

During a conference held last week in Rome, Italy, the World Committee on Tourism Ethics lauded UN efforts to promote ethical behavior in the travel industry, including initiatives on accessible tourism, trafficking and illegal trading.

“Punta del Este 365” is an initiative that brings together the public and the private sector of Punta del Este in Uruguay to develop and implement new tourism products aimed at overcoming seasonality. The project is being developed by UNWTO together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Uruguay.

Destinations worldwide received some 517 million international tourists between January and June 2014. The figure showed an increase of 22 million comparing to the figure of same period of 2013. Figures indicate a boost to tourism industry despite of turbulent world economy.