cultural and artisticHeritage and Tourism

UNWTO members support the leadership and support of programs for the future of tourism



According to Aria Heritage, the member countries of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have strongly placed themselves next to its leadership and vision for this sector. Members of each world region, meeting for the 24th General Assembly in Madrid, Spain, endorsed the organization’s work plan and endorsed key initiatives designed to create more flexible, inclusive and sustainable tourism.

The General Assembly brings together more than 1,000 representatives from 135 countries, including 84 tourism ministers, as well as business leaders, destinations and representatives of key international organizations.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Polulikashvili said at the opening of the General Assembly that he was determined by the spirit of solidarity and the determination of tourism to respond to an unprecedented crisis. In his report to the members, he highlighted how the focus on cooperation and coordination of protocols, political support and funding for tourism has helped the sector reduce the effects of the epidemic and lay the foundations for relaunching tourism in many sectors. Create.

Support from the United Nations and the international community / We must make the most of this opportunity / Turn goodwill into tangible support

“Everywhere you look today, the tide of protectionist sentiment is flowing. We must make the most of this opportunity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the delegates, stressing the importance of the General Assembly and the UNWTO’s high place on the world agenda, and called for their cooperation for a “green, inclusive and sustainable” future.

“I applaud the UNWTO and Secretary-General Polulikashvili, and I hope the decisions taken by the General Assembly will help restore confidence in the world’s safe travel and movement, because developing economies can benefit from sustainable tourism,” Guterres said.

The remarks were reiterated by Dr. Tedros Adhanum Gabrisos, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), and Rebecca Greenspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Carlos Salazar Gomez, Secretary-General of the International Civil Aviation Organization, and Margaritis Chinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, also spoke.

In addition to updates on UNWTO activities since the last General Assembly two years ago, members also get an overview of the latest tourism trends, as shown by the latest UNWTO data, as well as an updated overview of travel restrictions around the world. Benefited.

From the floor of the Assembly, members from around the world expressed their solidarity with countries that have been affected by the continued imposition of travel restrictions.

Also in Madrid, member states personally voted in favor of Polulikashvili’s candidacy by the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization for a second term as Secretary-General.

According to the votes, Polulikashvili will lead the World Trade Organization from 2022 to 2025.

The UNWTO reiterated its royal approval on the eve of the General Assembly, with King Philip VI of Spain praising the UNWTO’s outstanding work that has led to global tourism, especially in the last 18 months in the worst crisis in the sector’s history.

At a special royal dinner, the King of Spain also stressed the importance of tourism for economies and communities, both in Spain and around the world, and called for the improvement of this sector for millions.

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