Alberto Rubio (Samarkand)
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) will be the third regional headquarters of the World Tourism Organization, after receiving the approval of the XXV General Assembly and formalizing the signing of the headquarters agreement by the Brazilian Minister of Tourism. Rio thus joins the network of regional offices that the UNWTO began to establish with the opening of those in Nara (Japan) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
Brazilian Tourism Minister Celso Sabino told The Diplomat at the end of the signing protocol that “it is a great moment for tourism, for Brazil and for Latin America” because “it will allow us to concentrate UNWTO policies in our region”. “It is also a great opportunity,” he added, “to plan joint strategies to promote tourism and, in particular, sustainable ecotourism” in all South American countries.
The new office will also have among its objectives the creation and development of start-ups that provide innovative products and services to the tourism sector. The official opening of this new UNWTO headquarters in Rio de Janeiro is scheduled for December 15.
The opening of the new UNWTO regional office was welcomed by all Latin American delegations consulted by The Diplomat.
Paraguay’s Minister of Tourism, Angie Duarte, considered that the Rio de Janeiro office will have a positive impact on the entire region as it will allow “forming a bloc to make consensual decisions and, in short, to have more strength as South America”.
The Brazilian office will not be an obstacle to constitute the headquarters requested by Argentina, according to its Vice Minister of Tourism, Yanina Martinez. “They are not exclusive, as multiple offices can be opened with the only requirement that they be dedicated to particular themes.” Martínez added that both offices “will strengthen the region” and will be used “as their own” by those countries that do not have them.
The Minister of Tourism of Guatemala, Anayansi Rodríguez, after congratulating Brazil and Argentina, stressed that the new headquarters “will facilitate many procedures because distance has always been an obstacle for us”. And after emphasizing that “we are a very united region in which it is very easy to come to an agreement,” she congratulated herself because the opening of the UNWTO office will allow “the world to see this small region as well”.
William Rodríguez, Costa Rica’s Minister of Tourism, considered it “an advantage for any country” to have a UNWTO office in the region and added that the Rio office “will be an element of cohesion” so that the Americas can present themselves in UNWTO forums with a more solid position.
In addition to Brazil, the opening of the regional office for Africa in Marrakech, Morocco, is also planned for the coming months. Negotiations are continuing to make progress toward a greater presence in the field with the regional offices requested by Argentina, China, India and Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan included an item on the agenda of the General Assembly for discussion of its proposal to host a thematic office on “Silk Road Tourism” in Samarkand.
