UNWTO Digital Futures Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs)
Digital Futures Program - Payments & Security
This path will provide a set of tools and resources to learn how SMEs can optimize digital payments acceptance, online payment channels and secure online stores.
Payments and Security is a path that provides with cybersecurity tools that will help to protect SMEs digital infrastructure, but also it will offer insights into the biggest security challenges companies face today by providing cybersecurity knowledge to protect and defend SMEs delivering security, convenience, and control to their consumers.
Introduction to Cybersecurity B
You’ll learn cybersecurity basics to protect your personal digital life and gain insights into the biggest security challenges companies, governments, and educational institutions face today. Cybersecurity professionals who can protect and defend an organization’s network are in high demand.
Cybersecurity Essentials B
Develop a foundational understanding of cybersecurity and how it relates to information and network security. Learn from cybersecurity professionals what a typical day in a cybersecurity career might look like and discover how unprecedented threats are driving demand for more cybersecurity jobs.
Cybersecurity Essentials Global
Develop a foundational understanding of cybersecurity and how it relates to information and network security. Learn from cybersecurity professionals what a typical day in a cybersecurity career might look like and discover how unprecedented threats are driving demand for more cybersecurity jobs.
Mastercard Contactless Payments B
Learn how you can optimize digital payment acceptance by offering your customers contactless payments.
Click to Pay
Click to Pay makes it easy for consumers to checkout, no matter what online payment channel they choose. Consumers store all their cards in a portable profile they can use securely whenever they see the Click to Pay icon.
Mastercard Trust Center
Learn more about common cybersecurity threats facing small businesses, conduct a cyber vulnerability assessment and access tools to protect your business online.
Ciberseguridad en la industria
En esta sesión se explicará la importancia de la ciberseguridad en el contexto de la transformación digital a la que estamos asistiendo, con foco específico en el sector industrial. Para ello, se explicará el contexto en que estas organizaciones están inmersas y los retos específicos a los que se enfrentan en la actualidad y en los próximos años, así como la forma de afrontarlos mediante algunas demostraciones prácticas.
Digital Paths for SMEs
The digital paths were curated based on impact assessments of adoption of digital and disruptive technologies in SMEs during the COVID-19 crisis, market trends, and different reports from UNWTO, and other organizations that identified digital fluency, skills shortages, and needs across different tourism subsectors. These digital paths offer top practical tools provided by top tech companies. The content and tools are structured in 5 dimensions which allows SMEs to identify their main needs and tailor a digital path determined by a Digital Readiness Tool and accelerate their digital transformation.
UNWTO Digital Futures Partners
UNWTO Digital Futures Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs)
Digital Futures Program - Big Data & Analytics
SMEs can achieve better outcomes faster by using software and data solutions. The big data and Analytics paths will allow to SMEs and Entrepreneurs to strengthen relationships with existing customers, reach new customers, gain audience insights, streamline your operations, or make their IT environment more secure whether they are. This path will help to identify customer insights analyzing their online data to develop data-driven advertising campaigns and optimize their operations and marketing campaigns touring big data into actionable insights and make them a key for informed and timely decisions.
A journey through data
How can you use data to manage travellers and their journey? In this episode we will discuss how to turn big data into actionable insights and make them a key for informed and timely decisions.
Data Analytics for Drive Economic Recovery
Learn how to identify customer wishes analysing their online search data, developing data-driven advertising campaigns that will help you manage flows and and improve seasonality.
Optimise Marketing Campaigns
How can you use data to bring your visitors back? In this episode you will understand the booking moment, discover traveller profiles and optimise your marketing campaigns with the help of booking data.
Estimating Demand Potential
Discover how to estimate the total demand potential of your destination and learn how the demand to your destination relates to the actual air traffic.
Marketing Campaigns for DMOs
Learn how to combine different data sets to optimise your strategy and maximise marketing campaigns potential. Optimize your DMO recovery activities
Recovery Strategies using Data for DMOs
Learn how to attract more visitors by leveraging, improving and exploring new horizons for you destination to build your recovery strategies using data
Smart Business tools to unleash SMES Growth Potential
SMEs can achieve better outcomes faster by using software from AWS Cloud and AWS Marketplace. Whether you’re trying to reach new customers, strengthen relationships with existing customers, gain audience insights, streamline your operations, or make your IT environment more secure, our solutions can help you achieve your business goals.
AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials
This updated digital course is for individuals who want to develop a fundamental understanding of the AWS Cloud, independent of any specific technical role. You’ll learn about AWS Cloud concepts, core AWS services, security, architecture, pricing, and support to build your AWS Cloud knowledge.
Data Analytics Learning Plan
This course is for individuals who want to develop a fundamental understanding of the AWS Cloud, independent of any specific technical role. You’ll learn about AWS Cloud concepts, core AWS services, security, architecture, pricing, and support to build your AWS Cloud knowledge.
Data Analytics Fundamentals
This course takes you through five key factors that indicate the need for specific AWS services in collecting, processing, analyzing, and presenting your data. This includes learning basic architectures, value propositions, and potential use cases.
Big Data on AWS
In this course, you'll learn about cloud-based Big Data solutions such as Amazon EMR, Amazon Redshift, Amazon Kinesis, and the rest of the AWS Big Data platform. You'll discover how to use Amazon EMR to process data using the broad ecosystem of Hadoop tools like Hive and Hue.
Machine learning
AWS Learning Plans offer a suggested set of digital courses designed to give beginners a clear path to learn. You’ll have gained skills to help you enter careers as an ML developer, data scientist, or data engineer.
Machine Learning for Business Challenges
Machine learning (ML) can help you solve business problems in ways that weren't possible before—but you've got to think big. By the end of this course, you'll have a better understanding of how to think about machine learning business challenges and decisions.
Reinventando el Turismo. Claves para acelerar la recuperación
La digitalización es una pieza clave en el plan de modernización y competitividad del sector turístico. Tecnologías como IoT, Big Data, 5G, edge computing, la nube y la ciberseguridad son las grandes protagonistas de la transformación digital de este sector, que permitirán afrontar los retos
Sistema de Inteligencia Turística
¿Alguna vez te has preguntado que preguntas puede responder un Sistema de Inteligencia Turística (SIT)?
Conoce la respuesta a esta y otras muchas otras preguntas sobre turismo, de la mano de nuestro experto Mario Romero.
Smart Mobility- Análisis de la movilidad de multitudes
Descubre cómo gracias a la Inteligencia Artificial convertimos datos anonimizados, categorizados, extrapolados y agregados de millones de líneas móviles en insights sobre el comportamiento de multitudes que ayudan a las administraciones públicas y las empresas privadas a tomar mejores.
Turismo Inteligente con Telefónica
Una visión 360º de los turistas con el fin de anticipar sus necesidades y adaptarse a las demandas de los visitantes en tiempo real. Un turista permanentemente conectado en busca de experiencias personalizadas. Tecnologías como Big Data, IA o IoT se convierten en aliados imprescindibles para entender patrones de comportamiento y mejorar la oferta turística.
Digital Paths for SMEs
The digital paths were curated based on impact assessments of adoption of digital and disruptive technologies in SMEs during the COVID-19 crisis, market trends, and different reports from UNWTO, and other organizations that identified digital fluency, skills shortages, and needs across different tourism subsectors. These digital paths offer top practical tools provided by top tech companies. The content and tools are structured in 5 dimensions which allows SMEs to identify their main needs and tailor a digital path determined by a Digital Readiness Tool and accelerate their digital transformation.
UNWTO Digital Futures Partners
UNWTO Digital Futures Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs)
Digital Futures Program - E-Commerce
The E-Commerce path aims to provide SMEs and Entrepreneurs with tools and training so they can securely pay, get paid, get capital, and get digital wherever they are through online presence. It also offers solutions to protect their business against cyber threats. This path offers several resources to learn how to promote your business with social media adds, explore available ad formats, and learn how to measure ad performance, storytelling, and much more.
Bring your business online
Set yourself up for success by learning how to market your business on social media. Get started with the basics, such as telling your business story, understanding target audiences, setting goals and planning social media content.
Establish your online Presence B
Learn how to connect with customers and communicate the benefits of your products or services through social media.
Optimise your Online Efforts B
Learn how to enhance your online presence, create a digital shopfront and grow your business.
Small Business Digital Acceleration Program B
We’re aiming to connect our small business community to tools and training so you can securely pay, get paid, get capital and get digital wherever you are.
Contactless Payments
Learn how you can optimize digital payment acceptance by offering your customers contactless payments.
Sell your products online B
Learn how to start selling products on Facebook and Instagram, from catalogue creation to order fulfilment.
Shops on Instagram
Set up Instagram Shopping and start selling on Instagram.
Feature the products you want to sell in postsand Stories on Instagram.
Advertising on Facebook
Learn how to promote your business with Facebook ads. Explore available ad formats and learn how to measure ad performance.
Create your Online Store
You can use your Shopify online store to create webpages, publish a blog, and sell your products. You need to be on the Basic Shopify plan or higher to sell with an online store.
Your online store is flexible, so you can build your business with the following customizations:
- build custom menus to help customers navigate your products and content
- add a custom domain
- set up dynamic checkout buttons for your product pages
- add filters to help customers find the products that interest them the most
- design your online store using responsive themes
Digital Paths for SMEs
The digital paths were curated based on impact assessments of adoption of digital and disruptive technologies in SMEs during the COVID-19 crisis, market trends, and different reports from UNWTO, and other organizations that identified digital fluency, skills shortages, and needs across different tourism subsectors. These digital paths offer top practical tools provided by top tech companies. The content and tools are structured in 5 dimensions which allows SMEs to identify their main needs and tailor a digital path determined by a Digital Readiness Tool and accelerate their digital transformation.
UNWTO Digital Futures Partners
UNWTO Digital Futures Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs)
Digital Futures Program - Business Growth
Business Growth provides to small business with tools and training so SMEs can get online presence, learn how to connect with customers and communicate the benefits of your products or services through social media. This path provides several tools to enable SMEs and Entrepreneurs to quickly establish an online presence by learning how to market their business on social media, understand how to market in the digital space and more.
Entrepreneurship - Launching Pad
The Launching Pad provides you tools to become a successful entrepreneur. This course is made for you to jump-starting your ideas, and to arm you with the right skills to take the next step with more self-confidence. No prerequisites required.
Bring your business online
Set yourself up for success by learning how to market your business on social media. Get started with the basics, such as telling your business story, understanding target audiences, setting goals and planning social media content.
Establish your online presence
Learn how to connect with customers and communicate the benefits of your products or services through social media.
Attract Digital Audience
Learn different ways to expand your audience and reach more people interested in your business.
Build Relationships
Learn how to create content that will engage, educate and excite your customers.
Improve your creative strategy
Learn how to transform images and videos into engaging content and ads.
Optimise Online efforts
Learn how to enhance your online presence, create a digital shopfront and grow your business.
Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy
The Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy is a global program that empowers emerging entrepreneurs to turn their passion for hospitality into hosting opportunities on Airbnb.
Sell Products online
Learn how to start selling products on Facebook and Instagram, from catalogue creation to order fulfilment.
Small Business Digital Acceleration Program
We’re aiming to connect our small business community to tools and training so you can securely pay, get paid, get capital and get digital wherever you are.
Entrepreneur Odyssey
Free, inspiring education designed for entrepreneurs, to help them learn the skills and concepts required to design, launch, manage and grow a resilient business venture.
Start Advertising with Facebook
Learn how to promote your business with Facebook ads. Explore available ad formats and learn how to measure ad performance.
Get started on WhatsApp
Learn how to set up your business and connect with customers on WhatsApp.
Get started on Instagram
Learn how to build your business presence on Instagram. Set up a business account, create engaging content and grow your audience.
Create your Online Store - Growth
Learn how you can use Shopify online store to create webpages, publish a blog, and sell your products. Build custom menus to help customers navigate your products and content, add a custom domain, set up dynamic checkout buttons for your product pages and much more.
Digital Paths for SMEs
The digital paths were curated based on impact assessments of adoption of digital and disruptive technologies in SMEs during the COVID-19 crisis, market trends, and different reports from UNWTO, and other organizations that identified digital fluency, skills shortages, and needs across different tourism subsectors. These digital paths offer top practical tools provided by top tech companies. The content and tools are structured in 5 dimensions which allows SMEs to identify their main needs and tailor a digital path determined by a Digital Readiness Tool and accelerate their digital transformation.
UNWTO Digital Futures Partners
UNWTO Digital Futures Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs)
Digital Futures Program - Connectivity Pathway
Digital infrastructure is at the heart of digitalization. The connectivity path is essential to many business functions today, which allow them to manage their business-critical data and operations, but also connect them with the world. This path will cover how devices communicate on a network, how to build a business network infrastructure, manage IT environments, and configure basic security and other connectivity services for SMEs.
Networking Essentials
In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of networking. It covers how devices communicate on a network, network addressing and network services, how to build a home network and configure basic security, and testing and troubleshooting network problems.
Networking Essentials Global
Networking is at the heart of every digital organization. The network is essential to many business functions today, including business-critical data and operations, cybersecurity, and so much more. Naturally, it is critical to a wide variety of career paths to understand what the network can do, how it operates, and how to protect it.
Cybersecurity Essentials
Develop a foundational understanding of cybersecurity and how it relates to information and network security. Learn from cybersecurity professionals what a typical day in a cybersecurity career might look like and discover how unprecedented threats are driving demand for more cybersecurity jobs.
Introduction to Cybersecurity Basic
You’ll learn cybersecurity basics to protect your personal digital life and gain insights into the biggest security challenges companies, governments, and educational institutions face today. Cybersecurity professionals who can protect and defend an organization’s network are in high demand.
Introduction to Cybersecurity Intermediate
It explores cyber trends, threats—along with the broader topic of cybersecurity in a way that will matter to you. In this course, you’ll learn how to protect your personal privacy online while gaining additional insight on the challenges companies, and governmental and educational institutions face today.
Entrepreneurship - Launching Pad
The Launching Pad provides you tools to become a successful entrepreneur. This course is made for you to jump-starting your ideas, and to arm you with the right skills to take the next step with more self-confidence. No prerequisites required.
Digital Paths for SMEs
The digital paths were curated based on impact assessments of adoption of digital and disruptive technologies in SMEs during the COVID-19 crisis, market trends, and different reports from UNWTO, and other organizations that identified digital fluency, skills shortages, and needs across different tourism subsectors. These digital paths offer top practical tools provided by top tech companies. The content and tools are structured in 5 dimensions which allows SMEs to identify their main needs and tailor a digital path determined by a Digital Readiness Tool and accelerate their digital transformation.
UNWTO Digital Futures Partners
24th UNWTO General Assembly | Contact
30 November - 3 December 2021, Madrid - Spain
UNWTO coordinators
Ms. Zhanna Yakovleva
Chief of Cabinet
Office of the Secretary-General
Ms. Yolanda Sansegundo
Conference Services Specialist
Conference Services
Host-country coordinators
Mr. Javier Fernández González
Deputy Director General of Cooperation and Tourism Competitiveness
State Secretariat for Tourism
Ms. Teresa Gancedo Nieto
Chief, International Relations Area
State Secretariat for Tourism
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24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly | About Madrid
30 November - 3 December 2021, Madrid - Spain
Climate: In November and December, the average temperature in Madrid can range between 10ºC during the day and 3ºC at night. Winters in Madrid are cold and dry. However, completely clear days are very typical, so it is possible to enjoy sunny weather at midday.
Official language: Spanish
Madrid local time (winter): GMT +1
Local currency and exchange rates: The official currency of Spain is the euro (EUR). The applicable exchange rate in November 2021 is approximately USD 1.16 to EUR 1. Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Throughout Madrid there are foreign exchange offices that are clearly indicated. There is also a currency exchange service at hotels. The city has numerous ATMs, and shops accept major credit cards.
Electricity: The electric current in Madrid is 220 volts, 50 Hz AC. Outlets take round pins. In any case, most hotels have adapters for special plugs. Participants should ensure that their electrical devices (computers, mobile phone chargers, razors, etc.) work with this voltage or, if not, use transformers and batteries that allow different voltages.
Credit cards, shopping and tipping
There are ATMs throughout the city, and in the vast majority of establishments it will be possible to pay for goods and services with a credit card (in the metro you can pay with a card, but not in the urban bus network).
Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted types of card, while American Express and Diners are less commonly accepted. Information regarding possible commissions for using credit cards in Spain should be consulted with the issuing bank, because transaction fees will depend on the entity managing the corresponding bank account.
Almost all establishments accept card payments, although some require a minimum charge (between 5 and 10 euros). Also, before getting into a taxi when not carrying cash, the driver should be asked if the taxi is equipped with a card payment terminal. There are different applications such as Free Now through which it is possible to request a taxi and pay with a card using it.
The concept of tipping in Madrid is directly related to customer satisfaction regarding the treatment received. Tipping continues to be considered in its original meaning as being “voluntary” and at the discretion of the consumer, at least among the national clientele, and the personnel of the service sector are well aware that nothing is taken for granted.
In some restaurants it is customary to charge an additional 2 to 3 euros for serving bread or a small appetizer - which the establishment is obliged to disclose, and can be rejected if not desired - but, in general, what the customer decides is respected when it comes to expressing appreciation for the friendliness and quality of the service in the final bill.
This custom extends to other tourism services in which there is some type of personal treatment, such as hotels, taxis, beauty salons or hairdressers.
It should be noted that all establishments include the price of the service, but in hotels and restaurants it is common to see “VAT not included” on the menu. This means that a 10% surcharge will be added to the price of what was consumed.
Health regulations and precautions: It is not necessary to be vaccinated against any disease in order to travel to Spain.
COVID-19 situation:
See updated information at: https://cnecovid.isciii.es/covid19/
If you need a PCR test for your return flight, ask at the reception of the Convention Center of the Madrid Marriott Auditorium hotel. They will inform you about the location of the mobile laboratory and its opening hours during the days of the Assembly.
Medical services: Madrid has a good network of health centres (primary care services) and hospitals.
Reference hospital:
Hospital Universitario La Paz
P.º de la Castellana, 261, 28046 Madrid
Emergency services: 24 hours
Tel.: +34 917 27 70 00
Reference hospital near the Hotel Madrid Marriott Auditorium (Event venue):
Hospital del Henares
Av. De Marie Curie, 0, 28822 Coslada, Madrid
Emergency services: 24 hours
Tel.: +34 911 91 20 00
Useful telephone numbers:
Emergency: 112
Police: 091 or 112
Ambulance: 112
Fire: 112
Callers can request to speak in English, German, French or Spanish.
In the event of any emergency during the days of the General Assembly, you can also contact the UNWTO Security Officer: Mr. Antonio García. Tel.: +34 699976040.
Local transport rates:
The fare for the taxi ride between the airport and the city ranges between 20 and 30 euros. The price of a single local bus ticket ranges from €1.50 to €2 and tickets for 10 trips can be purchased for €12.20.
Tourism information
In Spain
Tourism information for Spain
In Madrid
Tourism in the Community of Madrid
Tourism in the city of Madrid
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24th UNWTO General Assembly | Photo Gallery
30 November - 3 December 2021, Madrid - Spain
24th UNWTO General Assembly | Procedure for proxies
30 November - 3 December 2021, Madrid - Spain
In light of the currently evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related worldwide restrictions of gatherings, the access to the venue of the session is limited to the Head of Delegation plus 2 persons.
If a Full Member is unable to participate in the General Assembly, it can be exceptionally represented by a member of another State’s delegation, provided it submits a formal letter or fax signed by the competent authority designating the individual who will represent it and, if applicable, giving him/her the power to vote on its behalf. Please note that, unless the items for which the power to vote is given are clearly specified, it will be understood that the delegate has full powers to cast a vote on behalf of the government he/she is representing by proxy on any agenda item.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the General Assembly, at its twentieth session, adopted resolution 633(XX), which stipulates the following regarding mandates for representation:
- A mandate for representation can be given only in exceptional circumstances, duly explained in writing by the State giving the mandate;
- The Credentials Committee will assess the validity of these explanations;
- Only one mandate for representation may be given to a delegate representing another State;
- A mandate for representation may not be given to the Head of Delegation of another State; and
- The mandate for representation is valid for the whole session of the General Assembly.
The General Assembly, at its twenty-first session in Medellín, Colombia, in 2015 (resolution 649(XXI)) decided the following:
- The Credentials Committee will consider as invalid credentials in breach of the principle of secrecy of the vote;
- Once the Report of the Credentials Committee is issued, no further credentials or proxy letters will be considered by the Committee except:
- When the Committee itself has invited the Full or Associate Member concerned to regularize its credentials or its proxy; and
- When a State whose credentials have been accepted by the Committee does not have a representative for the remaining part of the session for reasons duly explained in writing by the State giving the mandate; in such case, the Committee will assess the existence of the exceptional circumstances justifying the proxy;
- The Chairs of the Regional Commissions will verify that the credentials and proxy letters comply with the applicable rules.
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24th UNWTO General Assembly | Submission of credentials and identification papers
30 November - 3 December 2021, Madrid - Spain
In light of the currently evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related worldwide restrictions of gatherings, the access to the venue of the session is limited to the Head of Delegation plus 2 persons.
The names of the delegates of Full Members and Associate Members, of the observers of Affiliate Members and of the invited representatives of the United Nations and other international organizations, both intergovernmental and non-governmental, shall be communicated to the Secretary-General, if possible, at least fifteen days before the session of the Assembly opens. (Rule 12(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly).
The credentials of the delegates of Full Members and Associate Members, issued by the competent authority of the State, shall be handed to the Secretary-General, if possible, at least one day before the session of the Assembly opens. (Rule 12(2) of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly).
It should be pointed out that, ever since the tenth session of the Assembly, only formal letters or faxes bearing the signature of the competent authority are considered valid credentials. Please note that since the twelfth session of the General Assembly, only credentials from Heads of State or Prime Ministers, Ministers of Foreign Affairs or Ministers responsible for tourism of the respective State or his/her equivalent are regarded as valid. Further, credentials can be accepted only if written in any of the working languages of the General Assembly or if an appropriate translation is attached. Please refer to the model credential letter (Annex 1).
Identification papers of the observers of Affiliate Members and invited representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental international organizations to attend as observers shall be handed to the Secretary-General, if possible, at least one day before the session of the Assembly opens. (Rule 12(3) of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly)
Seating arrangements
Delegations will be seated in the plenary meetings in English alphabetical order, beginning with the Member that is hosting the session of the General Assembly.