Resilience is defined in a variety of ways. Children and leaders may be described as resilient if they can apply Ginsburg’s seven C’s: “competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping and control.” So it is about how they, you and me, cope with adversity. This quality is clearly needed by those who work for long hours in the service sector, dealing with clients who can be demanding and rude. These issues arise at work and in the family and are not particular to tourism.
Google’s English dictionary, provided by Oxford Languages, defines resilience very differently as “the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness” and illustrates its use thus “the remarkable resilience of so many institutions.” Tourism is effectively a system which attracts and services tourists. The system comprises transport, accommodation, food and beverage, attractions and activities. For the tourism sector to be resilient, all of the parts of the sector need to be resilient, as does the institution, local government or national park authority responsible for the management of the place.
Sustainable tourism can help spur economic growth, alleviate poverty and promote decent work for all.
— United Nations (@UN) February 17, 2025
More on the link between tourism and the #GlobalGoals on Monday’s Global Tourism Resilience Day:https://t.co/RvDozTWKJZ pic.twitter.com/bxXnv4txRe
In February 2023, the UN General Assembly 77/269 proclaimed 17 February as Global Tourism Resilience Day, recognising that ” the use of sustainable and resilient tourism, as a tool to foster sustained and inclusive economic growth, social development and financial inclusion, enables the formalization of the informal sector, the promotion of domestic resource mobilization and environmental protection and the eradication of poverty and hunger, including the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources and the promotion of investment and entrepreneurship in sustainable tourism.”
UN Tourism and @uzembassyspain hosted diplomats in Madrid to present the UNGA Resolution proclaiming 2027 the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism.
— UN Tourism (@UNWTO) June 19, 2024
Sponsored by Uzbekistan, co-drafted by 86 UN Member States, it marks a global commitment to sustainable growth! pic.twitter.com/tuJfBbFchL
In 2022 the General Assembly called “upon all stakeholders to take into account that the resilience of tourism will depend on the sector’s ability to balance the needs of people and the planet for prosperity…”Proposed by Uzbekistan 2027 has been declared the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism, urging UNWTO, governments, UN agencies, and regional organisations to implement comprehensive measures for its success.
