The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and airline and tourism management company Aviareps has announced a partnership to support the development and growth of the international tourism sector in selected European UNWTO member countries. According to a press statement by Aviareps, a full-service grant for destination marketing and four research grants will be handed out to accomplish this. 

The statement adds that as an Affiliate Member of the UNWTO, Aviareps will provide a diverse portfolio of destination marketing and research services free of charge to a total of five UNTWO member states.

The statement says that UNWTO and Aviareps Destination Marketing Grant will include a suite of digital marketing services such as campaign websites, landing pages, webinars, online press conferences, e-learning programmes and virtual events provided via the Aviareps Ecosystem.  Recipients of the UNWTO and Aviareps Research Grants will receive pro bono in-depth international travel trade and consumer research spanning several key markets. Together with the study, a thorough analysis of the destination’s present positioning and perceptions in each market, as well as possibilities and areas of focus to increase travel demand from each, will be conducted. The recipients of the funds will be selected by UNWTO, says the statement.

The Digital Ecosystem is Aviareps’ one-stop marketing hub for the travel industry, which empowers everyone to promote their destination or product to a global community online via a platform that combines several digital marketing services into one unified hub. The service portfolio furthermore includes influencer marketing services via Aviareps’ matchmaking platform Swayfluence, which takes the guesswork out of influencer marketing by making quality connections between brands and influencers for authentic and impactful campaigns.

Aviareps adds that modern digital services that are affordable and address the unique issues encountered by destination marketing organisations are now accessible thanks to their efforts and regular conversations with industry professionals. It is envisaged that this collection of digital resources would help all nations and areas recover quickly and sustainably from the pandemic’s consequences.

The statement goes on to say that UNWTO and Aviareps Destination Marketing Grant will also provide conventional PR services and allow the participant to take part in the different Aviareps Roadshows hosted throughout various international markets all year long in addition to the Ecosystem and Swayfluence services. The Aviareps Roadshows put eligible buyers from the travel industry in touch with destination stakeholders in each location for face-to-face, one-on-one business development meetings.

Zurab Pololikashvili

“Tourism is one of the most dynamic sectors in the world, and UNWTO is committed to driving innovation forward and supporting education and training at every level. With our Affiliate Member Aviareps, we are proud to support tourism professionals across Europe build skills and knowledge to promote their destinations and accelerate recovery,” says Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General.

Thomas Drechsler

“We are delighted to partner with UNWTO to support selected countries free of charge to quickly get back on their feet after the pandemic and to boost the sustainable expansion of their tourism industry. We consider it our responsibility as good corporate citizens within the industry to support deserving countries in the best possible way and feel honoured that the UNWTO chose Aviareps as a partner. Our digital marketing experts worldwide have developed our Ecosystem based on the latest technology, which has allowed us to evolve with international best practice and remain ahead of the curve. We are excited to provide our latest digital solutions, international networks, and expertise, to the countries selected by UNWTO, and hope to expand this collaboration with UNWTO to all regions around the world,” says Thomas Drechsler, COO Tourism at Aviareps.