TEHRAN – The United Nations World Tourism Organization is to hold the first UNWTO Global Youth Tourism Summit, which will bring tens of young people from 60 countries to Sorrento, Italy.

According to organizers, the event is aimed to offer more than 130 international teenagers an opportunity to play a leading role in the future of the sector, ISNA reported on Thursday.

Due to take place from 27 June to 3 July, the event seeks to unite youth with leaders from across the sector, including politicians and key figures from the worlds of sport, gastronomy, entertainment, and innovation, the report said.

Organized by the UN body in collaboration with Italy’s Ministry of Tourism and the National Tourism Agency (ENIT), the summit will feature a number of masterclasses, evening talks, as well as a simulation of the UNWTO General Assembly.

Furthermore, the summit will focus on some of the key challenges and opportunities facing global tourism right now, with an emphasis on the sector’s role in achieving the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The Global Youth Tourism will celebrate and empower the next generation of tourism leaders. It will help build a lasting legacy by providing young people with the skills and knowledge they need to transform tourism not only in their communities but everywhere,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili has said.

Italian Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia has expressed hope the summit would recommend governments new insights into the sector.

“We are confident that ideas and proposals will emerge that can advise governments on how to improve the global tourism offer and make it closer to the needs of new tourists,” Garavaglia said.

According to available data, the number of youth between the ages of 15 and 24 is 1.1 billion; youth constitute 18 percent of the global population. Youth and children together, including all those aged 24 years and younger, account for nearly 40 percent of the world's population. Iran’s population consists of about one-quarter of children under 14 and nearly half of those less than 40 years old, which makes tourism an appealing prospect for their future, both in terms of development and economic prosperity.

Iran expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

AFM