Tourism Authority of the United Nations Introduces the "Safe Destinations Challenge" to enhance tourism resilience across Europe and globally
Taking a Stand Against Tourism Catastrophes: The Safe Destinations Challenge
In the ever-evolving world we live in, safeguarding both tourist hotspots and their inhabitants has become vital. Over the last five decades, Europe has witnessed more than 1,700 climate, fire, weather, and water-related calamities, claiming over 160,000 lives and causing economic damages exceeding half a trillion US dollars. In this critical juncture, the importance of increasing preparedness and crisis response capacity cannot be overstated.
This Open Innovation Call for Tourism Crisis Preparedness, Response, and Recovery in the European Region is being initiated as part of the Safety of Destinations (SAFE-D) initiative for Tourism Crisis Preparedness, Response, and Recovery in the European Region of UN Tourism.
What's the Deal?
This call is all about innovative concepts, tools, and projects that can bolster crisis preparedness and management in three key areas:
Category 1:Projects that fortify resilience against natural, climate, and health-related perils in tourism destinations. These initiatives focus on forecasting, reducing, and reacting to potential threats, thereby shielding both local communities and visitors.
Category 2:Innovations that target safety and security issues at tourist destinations, including the rising cyber threats impacting tourism infrastructure and data. Such projects aim to protect tourists and tourism assets from physical risks and cyber-raids, thus enhancing the overall security landscape of destinations.
Category 3:Strategies that strengthen communications during emergencies. These solutions aim to ensure timely, accurate, and clear information dissemination among destinations, tourists, stakeholders, and emergency responders, thereby minimizing panic and facilitating coordinated crisis management.
Natalia Bayona, the Executive Director of UN Tourism, proclaimed, "Tourism is more than just an industry-it's a network of human stories. With one in ten 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 resulting in approximately USD 1.3 trillion in international tourism export losses. This challenge is an invitation to build destinations that are stronger, safer, and more human-because resilience is no longer optional, it's essential."
The challenge is open to startups, scaleups, innovative micro and SMEs, local authorities, academic institutions, and tourism organizations working diligently to preserve the physical, cultural, and economic integrity of destinations.
Applications will be accepted until 31st October 2025.
Learn More About UN Tourism SAFE-D
The Safety of Destinations (SAFE-D) Initiative, spearheaded by UN Tourism, is a global campaign aiming to bolster crisis preparedness, response, and recovery in destinations worldwide. The SAFE-D Europe Initiative, launched in early 2025 at the behest of Czechia, is a direct response to the escalating pattern of vulnerability in tourism. The initiative sheds light on the increasing frequency of crises impacting tourism, ranging from floods, fires, and pandemics to cyberattacks, geopolitical instability, and infrastructure failure. The initiative calls for enhanced preparedness, response, and recovery capacities among European destinations, as climate hazards become more intense and geopolitical tensions continue to persist. Therefore, there is an urgent need to strengthen tourism crisis governance to ensure the sector's sustainability and resilience.
Additional Resources
UN Tourism Safe Destinations ChallengeDownload the Press Release (PDF)
- The climate, weather, and water-related catastrophes in Europe over the last five decades have resulted in losses exceeding half a trillion US dollars and claimed over 160,000 lives.
- This critical juncture necessitates an increase in preparedness and crisis response capacity, as evidenced by the 1,700 calamities Europe has faced.
- The Open Innovation Call for Tourism Crisis Preparedness, Response, and Recovery is introduced as part of the Safety of Destinations (SAFE-D) initiative, focusing on innovative concepts to bolster resilience in three key areas.
- Initiatives in Category 1 target fortifying destination resilience against natural, climate, and health-related perils, with an aim to protect both local communities and visitors.
- Category 2 focuses on addressing safety and security issues at tourist destinations, particularly cyber threats impacting tourism infrastructure and data, to increase overall destination security.
- Solutions in Category 3 prioritize strengthening communication during emergencies, ensuring timely, accurate, and clear information dissemination.
- According to Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of UN Tourism, the sector's sustainability and resilience hinge on the way risks are anticipated and responded to, with climate hazards becoming more intense and geopolitical tensions persisting.
- The Safety of Destinations (SAFE-D) Initiative, led by UN Tourism, is a global campaign aiming to bolster crisis preparedness, response, and recovery in destinations worldwide, emphasizing the need for enhanced tourism crisis governance in light of increasing crises frequencies and intensities.
