Tourism SMEs adopt new technology

from MTHULISI SIBANDA in Johannesburg, South Africa
Africa Editor
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is accelerating the adoption of new technology among tourism enterprises.

This is through the Digital Futures Programme, launched in collaboration with some of the world’s leading technology, finance and business companies.

The initiative is focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which make up 80 percent of all tourism businesses.

UNWTO aims to reach at least 1 million tourism SMEs over the lifetime of the programme, providing them with the foundational skills and knowledge needed to harness the power of new and emerging technologies.

The programme is anticipated to assist the SMEs recover from the impacts of the pandemic and drive the sector forward, powered by innovation and new technology.

“Small businesses are the backbone of tourism,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, said in Madrid, Spain at the launch.

“The Digital Futures Programme will help them to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and drive the sector forward, powered by innovation and new technology.”

The programme is built on a Digital Readiness Diagnostic Tool that benchmarks SMEs across five key digital dimensions, namely, Connectivity, Business Growth, E-Commerce, Big Data and Analytics, and Payments and Security.

With 160 member states and over 500 affiliate members, Madrid-heaquartered UNWTO is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

– CAJ News