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Safety of Destinations Initiative
Ensuring safe and secure destinations is a fundamental priority for UN Tourism together with its partners, as safety is a cornerstone of responsible, sustainable, and accessible tourism worldwide.
Recognizing its importance, UN Tourism has been actively working with Member States and Affiliate Members, among which Skål International is one of the oldest, to strengthen tourism resilience.
Through research, policy guidance, and capacity-building, the Safety of Destinations Initiative (SAFE-D) supports destinations in adopting best practices, enhancing crisis preparedness, and fostering public-private collaboration.
A significant milestone in this initiative is the UN Tourism White Paper on Safety and Security in the Tourism Sector published in 2021 jointly with the Africa Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), which provides a strategic framework for strengthening risk management, crisis response, and safety communication strategies. This document highlights the necessity of a coordinated approach between governments, businesses, and local communities. Building on its key recommendations, UN Tourism has conducted a series of online workshops focused on best practices in destination safety, crisis management, and emergency response. These sessions have brought together stakeholders from across Africa, confirming strong global interest in advancing safety standards.
At the global level, UN Tourism is launching a comprehensive survey on destination safety to assess current safety measures, identify gaps, and determine areas where targeted technical support is needed, such as tourism police and crisis management. The findings will inform a global report with actionable recommendations to enhance safety policies and crisis preparedness strategies worldwide.
Building on this, UN Tourism is currently launching Safe-D Europe (Safe Destinations for Europe), a regional initiative tailored to European destinations which supports public authorities, tourism operators, and local stakeholders in developing robust safety policies, structured crisis frameworks, and effective response mechanisms. A dedicated series of online workshops will also be conducted to provide European destinations with practical tools, case studies, and expert insights to improve their safety management systems.
Recognizing the critical role of the private sector and Affiliate Members, UN Tourism actively engages hotels, tour operators, technology firms, and other industry stakeholders in developing innovative safety solutions and co-producing solutions that are relevant for the tourism sector.
Through the Safety of Destinations Initiative, UN Tourism champions safety as a fundamental pillar of tourism development, working closely with Skal International and other Affiliate Members to advance safety and resilience in global tourism. We invite Skal International, our Affiliate Members, and private sector partners to contribute to shaping the future of safe and sustainable tourism.
For more information, read our Newsletter and visit our dedicated webpage.
