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Tourism Investment Report 2020

In association with fdi intelligence from the financial times.

For the third year in a row, the UNWTO has partnered with the fDi intelligence from the Financial Times to develop a joint publication on Tourism Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) analyzing data on Greenfield investments trends. The relevance of this report is pivotal to governments and investors because it exposed data on flows of capital, and destinations for investments providing insight on market trends for the tourism recovery.

In times of uncertainty, expertise and trusted information is more important than ever. This report provides investment and market data that both investors and stakeholders will need to maximize their impact of the sector in terms of economic growth, job creation and sustainability. Especially when around 100-120 million direct tourism jobs are at risk, which threatens to roll back the progress we have made in establishing tourism as a driver towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For this edition, the UNWTO’ Innovation, Digital Transformation and Investments department has developed an interactive report using data (2015-2019) from the fDi Intelligence on Tourism FDI.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the tourism sector hard; the data suggests that global FDI into tourism plummeted by 73.2% in the first half of 2020, compared with a year earlier. This put an end to the sector’s record high years. This data has a close relationship with the UNWTO’ scenarios for international tourist numbers decline, which could fall between 60 and 80% this year depending on the speed with which travel restrictions are lifted. This could translate into a loss of 850 million to 1.1 billion international tourist arrivals and a fall of $910 billion to $1.2 trillion in export revenues.

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Although, the investment cycle remained strong throughout 2019, with tourism mobilizing $61.8bn in global FDI, which, in turn, created more than 135,000 jobs. The trend appeared particularly consistent in Latin America and the Caribbean, where FDI reached new record levels. For example it created more than 56.000 jobs in Mexico from 2015 – 2019. Tourism FDI was also strong in the Middle East and Africa, where it rose to the highest level in a decade. However, almost half of all tourism investments globally (46.51%) are made at top 10 countries. From which around 30% of projects are concentrated in five countries: United Kingdom, United States, Germany, China, and Spain. It is important to notice that more than 30% of projects and of capital investment announced in the tourism cluster between 2015 and 2019 occurred in 2019.

The major sub sector that has led tourism investments are consider traditional investments, with construction as the main driver for around 57% of total Greenfield investments from 2015 to 2019. As such, the trends in accommodation are around
the sustainability where multinational companies are investing in green, and clean energy matrix of their operations. According to the fDi intelligence of the Financial Times, investors are paying increasing attention to the social and environmental footprint
of the projects they assess in tourism. They seem willing to prioritize developments that lift communities and preserve ecosystems, as long as financial sustainability is also taken into account.

Finally, there is also an increasing number of non-traditional investments related to services around software technologies that include: Travel arrangement & reservation services, Internet publishing, web search among other, which represent around 32% of total investments considering investments between 2015 - 2019. This data invites to research more about investments in technology as a source of FDI in the tourism sector. The Travel Tech startups have been introducing innovations in the tourism ecosystem, and they are constantly changing business models attracting more investors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that sustainable tourism requires that sustainable investments are at the center of new solutions, and not just of traditional investments that promote and underpin economic growth and productivity. It has also highlighted the importance of non-traditional investments that enhance innovation through the creation and diffusion of new solutions to decarbonize the sector. To harness the advantages of investments, it is critical that governments promote policies as well as new investment vehicles to recover, retain and attract foreign direct investments. Only this way can we reimagine tourism and enhance the sector’s positive impact on people and planet as we accelerate the achievement of SDGs.

The UNWTO is developing a series of investment guidelines to understand and generate sustainable investments and promote innovations in the tourism ecosystem. If you are interested in the UNWTO’ reports and guidelines to understand, enable and mobilize tourism investments , we invite you to register to receive the our investment updates.

Please feel free to download the full report:

TOURISM INVESTMENT 2020  

TOURISM INVESTMENT 2019  

TOURISM INVESTMENT 2018  

If you have questions about the report, or need more specific information about tourism investments white us an email to [email protected]

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• The UnTours Foundation Launches $10 Million ‘Reset Tourism Fund’ to Support High-Impact Tourism Businesses Worldwide

• January 31, 2023
• Emily Newlin
• No Comments
• Blog , News

We are excited to announce the launch of the Reset Tourism Fund alongside our founding partners – Expedia Group, TUI Care Foundation, Adventure Travel Trade Association, Flywire, and B Tourism – providing much-needed financing to tourism entrepreneurs and start-ups around the world. 

With over $540,000 already committed by the UnTours Foundation and funding partners, this effort is past the halfway point to the Phase One goal of $1 million. Funding partners interested in making philanthropic investments to the fund are being sought to help close out the first round of fundraising.

What is the Reset Tourism Fund

The UnTours Foundation has created the Reset Tourism Fund to identify those entrepreneurs whose businesses best represent a better future of tourism and provide them with the flexible capital needed to take their businesses to the next level of scale and impact. As a result, we will see greater benefits to host communities, more quality jobs for more workers, better stewardship of natural and cultural resources, more equitable opportunities for underserved travelers, and more meaningful experiences for all travelers.

“We all believe that the future of tourism must be more sustainable, equitable, and community-focused, but there has long been a gap for the small businesses leading the way in that effort – flexible and affordable capital to help them grow,” said Shannon Stowell, CEO of Adventure Travel Trade Association. “The Reset Tourism Fund will help bridge that gap and is a key development to drive our industry into a better, more high-impact future.”

To date, the Reset Tourism Fund has already deployed over $160,000 of funding into seven tourism-related companies in the United States, Mexico, and Kenya. Companies like GoPark Safaris:

“Reset Tourism Fund helped GoPark Safaris finance our first three hybrid vehicles, the first step in our goal of moving our entire fleet of vehicles to more climate-friendly options. The flexible funding provided has been a vital catalyst in our next stage of company growth and environmental sustainability.” -Gloria Nyamweru, Founder and COO – GoPark Safaris

V iew our current Reset Tourism Fund portfolio.

The Reset Tourism Fund will invest anywhere between $10,000 to $100,000 into companies at the forefront of building a more sustainable and community-enhancing industry. The fund will provide flexible capital to those businesses that are successfully integrating climate resiliency and sustainability into their operations, serving as pillars for their communities, creating quality jobs, putting racial and gender equality at the forefront of their business models, and offering meaningful travel experiences for ALL travelers, especially those who have been historically underserved by the industry.

Investments take the form of loan interest loans, revenue-based financing, and equity.

“UnTours Foundation has a 30-year history in providing flexible financing to world-changing entrepreneurs at the front lines of fighting poverty, injustice, and the climate crisis. Reset Tourism Fund is an exciting extension of this effort, focusing specifically on tourism, the industry that we know best, as owners of our own sustainable and Certified B Corporation travel company.” – Jonathan Coleman, Co-CEO – UnTours Foundation

Who Can Apply?

Businesses that apply for an investment from the Reset Tourism Fund must be directly connected to the tourism industry. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Hotels, B&B, and/or other lodgings
• Tour guides, hosts, or facilitators
• Restaurants or catering in which tourists are a primary customer
• Museum, activity, and other event space that caters to tourists
• Tourist-based transportation
• B2B – Serves businesses within the tourism industry

Your business should focus on rebuilding the tourism industry’s future by adhering to community-enhancing and environmentally sustainable business practices. We favor businesses that comply with the Future of Tourism Guiding Principles and/or B Corporation principles.

Opportunities from all geographic regions and countries will be considered. ATTA Professional and Business Members will have the opportunity to identify themselves as members on the application and will receive special consideration. ATTA Members can learn more about the partnership here .

What do businesses get in return?

• Flexible and affordable capital to grow their business.
• Technical assistance and mentorship from UnTours Foundation, our founding partners, and advisors to grow the business and increase its positive impact.
• Access to an expansive network of other funders, potential collaborators/partners, and advisors through the UnTours Foundation, fund partners, and UnTours Foundation advisors.

Who can potential funding and industry partners talk to?

Any corporation, foundation, or individual interested in joining as a funding partner should reach out directly to UnTours Foundation Co-CEO, Jonathan Coleman at [email protected] .

Reset Tourism Fund Investee Melissa Lee, founder of the The GREEN Program , which offers short-term, experiential educational trips that allow university students to learn about some of our world’s most interesting and pressing issues first hand.

This Philadelphia-based organization offers college students the chance to travel to destinations like Iceland, Peru, Japan, and Nepal for 10-day in-depth educational trips and receive college credit. Travelers learn about local ecological efforts, green energy, natural and cultural conservation, historical heritage, local economies, and other important issues on site. They hear from local experts and connect with local communities to build understanding.

Funding Partners

Expedia Group – Driven by the core belief that travel is a force for good, Expedia Group helps people experience the world in new ways and build lasting connections. Expedia Group provides industry-leading technology solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while facilitating memorable experiences for travelers through its house of brands (Expedia, Hotels.com. and Vrbo).

TUI Care Foundation – Building on the potential of tourism as a force for good, the TUI Care Foundation supports and initiates projects that create new opportunities and contribute to thriving communities in tourism destinations worldwide. Connecting holidaymakers to good causes, it supports education and training opportunities for young people; drives the protection of natural habitats and the marine environment; and helps local communities to thrive sustainably and benefit from tourism. The TUI Care Foundation builds on strong partnerships with local and international organizations to create meaningful and long-lasting impact. The independent charitable organization was founded by TUI, the world’s leading tourism business, and is based in the Netherlands.

Industry Partners

ATTA – The Adventure Travel Trade Association is the largest global network of adventure travel leaders and is made up of 30,000 individual guides, tour operators, lodges, travel advisors, tourism boards, destination marketing, and management organizations, outdoor educators, gear companies and travel media who share a belief and commitment to sustainable tourism.

Flywire – Flywire is a global payments enablement and software company focused on delivering the world’s most essential and complex payments with flexible solutions that enable the international payment and receivables process through seamless transaction experiences.

B Tourism – B Tourism is a global network of Certified B Corporation tourism companies and conscious travel organizations that take collective action for environmental and social justice.

Any corporation, foundation, or individual i nterested in joining as a funding partner should reach out directly to UnTours Foundation Co-CEO, Jonathan Coleman at [email protected] .

About the UnTours Foundation

The UnTours Foundation was born out of the sustainable travel company, UnTours . Amongst other claims to fame, UnTours was the world’s first ever Certified B Corporation. Since 1993, 100% of the profits from UnTours have been donated to support the work of the foundation and in 2016 the foundation became the sole shareholder of UnTours.

UnTours Foundation uses the profits from UnTours and donations from generous funding partners and donors to provide flexible and affordable investments into world-changing businesses, seeding over 300 businesses with nearly $10 million in loans and equity investments in its 30-year history.

FEATURED PHOTO:  Purple Elephant Ventures , one of the first investments of the Reset Tourism Fund, is a Nairobi-based venture studio creating multiple start-ups each year at the nexus of tourism, climate, and tech.

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