2020 marks the ‘Year of Tourism and Rural Development’, a theme shared with this year’s World Tourism Day. The sustainability of tourism in rural areas will only be successful if a comprehensive, inclusive planning strategy is adopted and implemented based on a multi-action and multi-stakeholder participatory approach.

UNWTO used the occasion of World Tourism Day to launch its new Recommendations on Tourism and Rural Development which aim to support governments at various levels, as well as the private sector and the international community developing tourism in rural territories in a way that contributes to inclusive, sustainable and resilient development. The new publication outlines the key steps destinations can take to fully harness the potential of tourism to help drive social and economic recovery outside of urban areas.

World Tourism Organization (2020), UNWTO Recommendations on Tourism and Rural Development – A Guide to Making Tourism an Effective Tool for Rural Development, UNWTO, Madrid. These UNWTO Recommendations are available in https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284422173.