Nairobi declaration sets new global tourism resilience framework

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, has described the Nairobi Declaration on Global Tourism Resilience as a watershed moment for the sector, setting out a coordinated global framework to safeguard one of the world’s most important industries.

Adopted at the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo in Nairobi, Kenya, the Declaration commits governments to embedding resilience at the core of tourism policy. The event, held from 16–18 February 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, marked the first time the annual gathering has taken place outside Jamaica.

The Declaration outlines six priority areas, including institutionalising resilience within national legislation, establishing dedicated tourism resilience funds, leveraging data and artificial intelligence for crisis prediction, and accelerating climate adaptation and nature-positive models.

The move has particular relevance for the UK market. According to the House of Commons Library data, 18% of outbound trips by Britons now go beyond Europe and North America, many to climate-vulnerable destinations.

With tourism supporting around one in 10 jobs globally, the Declaration signals a shift from reactive crisis management towards proactive, data-driven, and inclusive resilience planning through to 2030.

The global travel experiences market is set to reach US$342 billion by 2029, according to a new Arival and Phocuswright report.