Dhaka, Sept 28 (V7N) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an open, inclusive and human-centred digital future for tourism, stressing that artificial intelligence and technology should benefit tourism workers, local communities and emerging destinations.
In a message marking World Tourism Day 2026, observed on September 27, the UN chief said the occasion celebrates the ways tourism connects cultures and enriches lives while also raising questions about the future of the sector.
This year’s theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” reflects what he described as one of the defining transformations of the current era.
Guterres said artificial intelligence is changing how travellers choose destinations, how the tourism industry operates and how travel experiences are designed.
He noted that AI could strengthen small businesses, improve services and create new opportunities. However, he warned that without proper safeguards, technology could direct tourists toward the same limited number of destinations and digital platforms, leaving many other worthwhile destinations behind.
“Technology must serve humanity,” the Secretary-General said.
He stressed that tourism workers, local communities and emerging destinations should have a role in shaping the sector’s digital future.
According to the UN chief, achieving this requires investment in digital skills, wider access to technology and measures to ensure that innovation benefits the people and communities that sustain tourism.
He called for the new digital tools to be harnessed to promote sustainable development and create a tourism sector that is open, inclusive and centred on people.
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