Safe travels: Why we all need the UN tourist protection code

Safe travels: Why we all need the UN tourist protection code.

With the summer holidays starting, the #WeeklyTradecast looks at travel and consumer protection rights with Alicia Gomez, Legal Counsel at the UN World Tourism Organization.

With millions of people on the move this summer, many holiday makers have no idea of their rights or the protections in place when something goes wrong.

During the pandemic, millions of flights were cancelled and many tourists stranded abroad. The crisis exposed the disparities of consumer rights, highlighting the need for an international legal framework to help tourists in distress.

Tourism is worth nearly 10 trillion US dollars and provides one in 10 jobs, so there's an economic urgency to keeping the industry moving and consumers confident, especially in Developing countries where tourism can make up a major part of the economy.