The Diplomat
Iberia, Madrid City Council and Fitur received recognition yesterday from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for their long years as affiliate members, in the framework of its 25th General Assembly, which is being held until next Friday in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) with the participation of heads of the tourism industry from more than a hundred countries.
The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololiskashvili, presented the award to Iberia, for its 50 years as an affiliated member; to Madrid City Council, for its 40 years; and to Fitur, for its 30 years, which shows the weight and relevance that Spain currently has in the international context of the tourism sector.
According to a note distributed by the Madrid City Council, the councillor responsible for Tourism, Almudena Maíllo, was in charge of collecting the recognition for the capital of Spain, which maintains a close relationship with the UNWTO, the United Nations organisation responsible for promoting responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism for all. Maíllo highlighted “the role of the private sector in the global effort to promote and develop more sustainable and resilient tourism”.
The UNWTO, which has its headquarters in Madrid, will soon open a new location at the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones on the Paseo de la Castellana.
The Affiliate Members have been part of the UNWTO since 1975, when the Organization was created, and are one of its greatest assets. According to UNWTO Statutes, Associate Members of the former International Union of Official Travel Organizations (IUOTO) were entitled to become Affiliate Members of UNWTO, without the need for approval, on the basis of a declaration of acceptance of the obligations of Affiliate Members. Therefore, 20 Associate Members of the International Union of Official Travel Organizations decided to join the newly created UNWTO in 1975.
