MADRID, Spain, 27 June 2025: UN Tourism has launched the Safe Destinations Challenge to identify innovative solutions that position the sector as a driver of resilience, safety, and sustainability.
The initiative initially focuses on Europe, which welcomed 747 million international tourists in 2024, representing approximately 58% of the global total. UN Tourism didn’t elaborate on a timeframe to introduce the challenge to other regions.
The Safe Destinations Challenge aims to protect both tourism destinations and the people who inhabit and visit them. Over the past 50 years, Europe has faced more than 1,700 climate, fire, weather, and water-related hazards, resulting in over 160,000 lives lost and economic damages estimated to exceed USD500 billion. In this context, strengthening preparedness and crisis response capacity has never been more urgent.
This Open Innovation Call for Tourism Crisis Preparedness, Response and Recovery for Europe is being introduced within the framework of the Safety of Destinations (SAFE-D) initiative for Tourism Crisis Preparedness, Response and Recovery in the European Region of UN Tourism.
Scope of the challenge
This call focuses on ideas, tools, and projects that can improve crisis preparedness and management across three key categories:
• Category 1: Resilience to Natural, Climate, and Health-Related Hazards in Tourism. Destination Projects that help anticipate, mitigate, and respond to these risks, protecting both local communities and visitors.
• Category 2: Safety, Security, and Cyber Threats for Tourists and Destinations. Solutions that enhance physical and digital safety in tourism destinations.
• Category 3: Crisis Communication and Effective Strategies that strengthen communication before, during, and after emergencies.
UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona says: “Tourism is more than an industry… With one in 10 jobs worldwide linked to this sector, the way we anticipate and respond to risks will define our collective future. In 2020, we saw the cost of unpreparedness leading to a loss of around USD1.3 trillion in international tourism export revenues. 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 startups, scaleups, innovative micro and SMEs, local authorities, academic institutions, and tourism organisations working on solutions to preserve the physical, cultural and economic integrity of destinations.
Challeng Launch
19 June 2025
Submission Deadline
31 October 2025
Evaluation
November 2025
Pitch Event
Winter 2025-2026
About the UN Tourism SAFE-D
The Safety of Destinations (SAFE-D) Initiative, led by UN Tourism, is a global effort to strengthen crisis preparedness, response, and recovery in destinations worldwide.
The SAFE-D Europe Initiative, launched in early 2025 at the initiative of Czechia, is a direct response to this growing pattern of vulnerability. The initiative highlights the increasing frequency of crises affecting tourism, from floods, fires, and pandemics to cyberattacks, geopolitical instability, and infrastructure failure. It calls for enhanced preparedness, response, and recovery capacities among European destinations. With climate hazards intensifying and geopolitical tensions persisting, there is an urgent need to strengthen tourism crisis governance to ensure the sector’s sustainability and resilience.
For more information visit: UN Tourism Safe Destinations Challenge
