UN Tourism has rolled out its “Safe Destinations Challenge,” an initiative designed to unearth innovative solutions that will strengthen the tourism sector’s ability to drive resilience, safety, and sustainability. The program initially targets Europe, a region that welcomed an impressive 747 million international tourists in 2024, accounting for approximately 58% of global figures.
The “Safe Destinations Challenge” aims to safeguard both tourist destinations and the people who live in and visit them. Europe has a stark history of vulnerability; over the past five decades, it has endured more than 1,700 climate, fire, weather, and water-related disasters, leading to over 160,000 fatalities and economic damages exceeding half a trillion US dollars. This alarming trend underscores the critical need for enhanced preparedness and crisis response capabilities.
This open innovation call for “Tourism Crisis Preparedness, Response and Recovery for the European Region” is being launched under the umbrella of UN Tourism’s Safety of Destinations (SAFE-D) initiative.
What the Challenge Seeks
The challenge is actively seeking groundbreaking ideas, tools, and projects that can significantly improve crisis preparedness and management across three core categories:
- Category 1: Natural Disasters, Climate, and Health-Related Hazards for Tourism Destinations Projects in this category should focus on anticipating, mitigating, and responding to these risks, thereby protecting both local communities and visitors.
- Category 2: Safety, Security, and Cyber Threats for Tourists and Destinations This category calls for solutions that enhance both the physical and digital safety of tourism destinations.
- Category 3: Crisis Communication Effective strategies that bolster communication channels before, during, and after emergencies are the focus here.
Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of UN Tourism, emphasized the initiative’s importance: “Tourism is more than an industry – it’s a network of human stories. With 1 in 10 jobs worldwide linked to this sector, the way we anticipate and respond to risks will define our collective future. In 2020, we witnessed the cost of unpreparedness, leading to a loss of around USD 1.3 trillion in international tourism export revenues in that same year. This challenge is an invitation to build destinations that are stronger, safer, and more human – because resilience is no longer optional; it’s essential.”
The call is open to a diverse range of applicants, including startups, scaleups, innovative micro and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), local authorities, academic institutions, and tourism organizations that are developing solutions to preserve the physical, cultural, and economic integrity of destinations.
Applications for the “Safe Destinations Challenge” will close on October 31, 2025.
The Safety of Destinations (SAFE-D) Initiative, spearheaded by UN Tourism, is a global endeavor dedicated to strengthening crisis preparedness, response, and recovery in destinations worldwide. The SAFE-D Europe Initiative, launched in early 2025 at the behest of Czechia, directly addresses the increasing vulnerability of the sector. The initiative highlights the rising frequency of crises impacting tourism, from floods, fires, and pandemics to cyberattacks, geopolitical instability, and infrastructure failures. It advocates for enhanced preparedness, response, and recovery capacities among European destinations. With escalating climate hazards and persistent geopolitical tensions, there is an urgent need to reinforce tourism crisis governance to ensure the sector’s long-term sustainability and resilience.
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