The Diplomat
The secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, received yesterday at the headquarters of this organization in Madrid the presidents of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, and Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, who are on their way to the Ibero-American Summit to be held tomorrow, Wednesday, in Andorra.
Pololikashvili conveyed to both the support of the UNWTO to achieve the recovery of the tourism sector in both countries, as in the rest of America, thanked them for their collaboration with the United Nations agency and congratulated them for their initiatives to overcome the crisis in the sector.
Specifically, with respect to the Dominican Republic, he highlighted the Responsible Tourism Recovery Plan, which “addressed the concerns of all those involved in the tourism sector and,” he added, “just as importantly, it also addressed the concerns of the tourists themselves.”
Pololikashvili congratulated Abinader for “striking a balance” between protecting public health and restoring the social and economic benefits of tourism. He added that “the confidence generated by his Travel Information Center will now be replicated on a global scale” with the Destination Tracker, created by UNWTO and IATA, which will provide reliable and up-to-date information on all the standards of both destinations and airlines.
In his meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, the UNWTO Secretary-General stressed that “tourism has helped keep Guatemala’s history and traditions alive, as well as helping to finance the preservation of its natural wonders and drive the digital transformation of the Americas, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Pololikashvili recalled that “tourism can bring back hope and opportunity for all. And that includes rural communities and indigenous peoples in Guatemala,” a country that in 2018 joined 21 other states in making tourism a formal part of the Ibero-American Plan of Action. “This ambitious plan,” he insisted, “will place indigenous peoples at the center of the future of the Americas.”
