German activities Cooperation with the tourism industry

    In order to make tourism in developing countries and emerging economies more sustainable and more crisis-resilient, there needs to be close cooperation between the tourism industry, academia, and the development community. The BMZ therefore supports exchange and transfer of knowledge between the various stakeholders, in line with the 2030 Agenda. It also provides expertise and financial support for partner organisations to help them implement projects in countries of the Global South.

    Recycling and circular economy at a hotel
    Recycling and circular economy at a hotel — © GIZ/Djulian --pageNumber-- of --total--
    Hotel worker doing her round
    Hotel worker doing her round — © GIZ/Djulian --pageNumber-- of --total--
    Installation of solar panels
    Installation of solar panels — © GIZ/Ilan Godfrey --pageNumber-- of --total--
    Management meeting at a hotel
    Management meeting at a hotel — © GIZ/Djulian --pageNumber-- of --total--
    Composting of kitchen waste at a hotel
    Composting of kitchen waste at a hotel — © GIZ/Djulian --pageNumber-- of --total--
    Jewellery and souvenir shop in Kenya
    Jewellery and souvenir shop in Kenya — © GIZ/Joe Kageni --pageNumber-- of --total--
    Manager in South Africa at work
    Manager in South Africa at work — © GIZ/Cyrile Ndegeya --pageNumber-- of --total--

    Cooperation with the tourism industry is a key issue for the BMZ. This is not only about making sure that tourism itself will develop in a socially and environmentally sound manner but also about using it as a driver for sustainable development across industries.

    Tour operators should use their expertise, innovative capacity and capital in order to contribute to the development of local value chains in destination countries. They should also live up to their responsibility for ensuring that the home regions of local people remain a good place to live.

    Example eAcademy for the tourism and hospitality industry

    Flexible, free, target group-oriented training is important for many people and enterprises in the BMZ's partner countries.On the BMZ's digital learning platform, atingi.org, people can access the atingi eAcademy “Tourism & Hospitality”. It offers 45 free courses that are available in English, French and Spanish. This easily accessible and inclusive programme offers important knowledge for newcomers to enter the tourism labour market and for tourism sector workers to expand their skills.

    Many partners, such as the TUI Care Foundation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are making use of the courses offered by the eAcademy, developing them further for their target groups.

    Learning certificates that have been recognised by the tourism industry, referred to as Open Badges, give workers a chance to furnish evidence of what they have learned, making it easier for them to find a job. So far, learners have completed more than one million learning units.

    Example Sector Dialogue on Tourism for Sustainable Development

    Build Back Better

    Sector Dialogue on Tourism for Sustainable Development – COVID-19 Measures

    In March 2016, the BMZ and the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW) launched an industry dialogue on tourism for sustainable development.

    The sector dialogue brings together representatives of politics, the private sector, civil society and academia. This includes tour operators, tourism industry associations, and research institutions. The overarching purpose of the sector dialogue is to use tourism in order to contribute towards sustainable development and, thus, towards implementing the 2030 Agenda.

    As at: 18/07/2024