In an era when Mother Nature is throwing more tantrums than a toddler denied screen time, UN Tourism has stepped in with a level head and a blueprint for sanity. Enter the Safe Destinations Challenge—a bold, and dare I say, refreshingly proactive initiative designed to steer Europe’s tourism sector out of harm’s way and into a future marked by resilience, safety, and a good deal of common sense.
Launched as part of the wider Safety of Destinations (SAFE-D) initiative, the Challenge is laser-focused on Europe. This region welcomed a whopping 747 million international tourists in 2024, accounting for around 58% of global arrivals. But beneath those impressive stats lies a sobering truth: Europe has weathered more than 1,700 climate, fire, weather, and water-related calamities over the past five decades, resulting in the loss of 160,000 lives and causing economic damage that would make a royal ransom blush—over half a trillion US dollars, if you please.
So, what’s the Challenge all about?
Put, it’s a call to arms. UN Tourism is scouting for clever ideas and innovative tools that don’t just sound good on paper but can genuinely beef up tourism’s preparedness, response, and recovery mechanisms. As Natalia Bayona, the straight-talking Executive Director of UN Tourism, puts it:
“Tourism is more than an industry—it’s a network of human stories… Resilience is no longer optional, it’s essential.”
And she’s not wrong. If 2020 taught us anything (apart from how to bake sourdough), it was that unpreparedness can cost dearly—to the tune of USD 1.3 trillion in lost international tourism export revenues, to be exact.
Three Key Areas of Focus
Applicants to the Challenge will be judged across three crucial categories, each as timely as the next:
1. Resilience to Natural, Climate and Health Hazards
Think floods, bushfires, heatwaves, pandemics—the sort of events that have become as seasonal as European summer holidays. This category seeks ideas that help destinations brace for impact and recover with dignity, keeping both locals and visitors protected.
2. Safety, Security, and Cyber Threats
From physical threats to digital ambushes, today’s tourism sector must be ready for the lot. Whether it’s a data breach at a luxury resort or a rogue drone at a heritage site, this stream is calling for smarter, tech-savvy security measures.
3. Crisis Communication
Because when the chips are down, transparent and timely communication is everything. Projects in this category will focus on delivering the right messages—before, during, and after a crisis—ensuring tourists and stakeholders alike stay informed, calm, and ideally, loyal.
Who Can Apply?
This isn’t a closed club for the usual suspects. Startups, scaleups, micro and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), academic institutions, local governments and tourism bodies are all encouraged to toss their hat in the ring—provided they’ve got a solution worth sharing.
The application window is now open and will close on 31 October 2025. No tricks, just (hopefully) some very clever treats.
A Czech-Initiated Solution with Global Reach
While the SAFE-D Europe Initiative officially raised its flag in early 2025, the brainchild originated in Czechia, whose foresight has set the ball rolling on this multinational safety push. The initiative recognises an increasingly jittery global stage, where floods, fires, cyberattacks, and infrastructure failures seem to occur in rapid succession.
In short, UN Tourism is saying what many in the industry have been whispering for years: we can’t just sell postcards and pine forests anymore—we need to future-proof our destinations, our economies, and our people.
There’s something decidedly comforting about a tourism campaign that doesn’t just promise “unforgettable experiences,” but considers how to keep those experiences from being unforgettably catastrophic.
What’s Next?
The initiative is gaining traction fast, and the winning submissions from the Challenge will not only receive global recognition but may also secure support to bring their solutions to life. And frankly, it’s not just Europe that stands to benefit. Once the wheels are turning, the model could expand to other vulnerable regions, because if there’s one thing tourism has always done well, it’s spreading ideas across borders.
So, whether you’re a cybersecurity whizz in Berlin, a university researcher in Florence, or a clever tourism officer from the coast of Croatia, this is your moment to step up.
After all, a safe destination isn’t just a luxury anymore. It’s the new standard.
