UN Tourism Launches Safe Destinations Challenge to Build Secure Travel Futures

UN Tourism has launched the 'Safe Destinations Challenge', a new initiative designed to find innovative solutions that make travel destinations safer, more resilient, and better prepared for crises. Targeting the European region first, the challenge aims to secure the future of tourism by encouraging smarter, more sustainable practices.

In 2024 alone, Europe welcomed 747 million international tourists—nearly 58% of all global tourist arrivals. But the region also continues to face growing threats from climate change, health emergencies, and digital vulnerabilities. Over the last five decades, Europe has endured more than 1,700 climate, weather, and water-related disasters, resulting in over 160,000 lives lost and financial losses exceeding USD 500 billion.

The Safe Destinations Challenge, launched under the UN Tourism’s SAFE-D initiative, calls on startups, scaleups, small businesses, local authorities, academics, and tourism organisations to submit ideas under three key categories:

1. Resilience to Natural, Climate, and Health-Related Hazards – Projects that help destinations anticipate and manage environmental and health-related risks.

2. Safety, Security, and Cyber Threats – Innovations that enhance both physical and digital safety for travellers and locals alike.

3. Crisis Communication – Effective strategies for managing communication before, during, and after emergencies.

Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of UN Tourism, says: “Tourism is more than an industry—it’s a network of human stories. With 1 in 10 jobs worldwide linked to this sector, the way we anticipate and respond to risks will define our collective future. In 2020, we saw the cost of unpreparedness leading to a loss of around $1.3 trillion in international tourism export revenues. This challenge is an invitation to build destinations that are stronger, safer, and more human—because resilience is no longer optional, it’s essential.”