A. Rubio
The UNWTO Executive Council met last Friday, for the second time in a week, to welcome its new members. Saudi Arabia will continue to chair the Council, while the first and second vice-chairs will go to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Jamaica, respectively.
The 120th Council also approved that its 121st session will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, in the first half of 2024. The composition of the Council’s Commissions on Statistics, Competitiveness, Sustainability and Online Education was also determined.
At the 119th Council meeting, also held in Samarkand, Members approved the Organization’s Program of Work for 2024 and 2025. It sets out the lines of work for the next two years, with both strategic objectives and programmatic priorities. As UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili noted, “we know where we are going, we know what we want and we know our priorities for tourism.”
The 120th session of the Executive Council thanked its outgoing Members for their service and active participation in guiding the Organization over the past four years. The incoming members are Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Lithuania, Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Previously, the XXV UNWTO General Assembly approved the work of the Organization, focusing on the expansion of its global presence, its ethical and legal frameworks and the role of public-private partnerships.
In this regard, UNWTO continued to advance its goal of being present in all regions through new regional and thematic offices. The Saudi Arabia Regional Office, inaugurated in Riyadh in 2021, will be joined on December 15 by the Rio de Janeiro Regional Office, which will focus on investment. The Regional Office for Africa, planned for Marrakech, Morocco, will focus on innovation and investment priorities in tourism. The Assembly also approved the establishment of a Thematic Office on Silk Road Tourism.
In Samarkand, the Assembly approved new members to join the World Committee on Tourism Ethics, with a clear commitment to diversity. Members also inquired about the International Conference on Accessible Tourism, to be held in San Marino in November.
During the plenary session, UNWTO formally welcomed the Members that have already agreed to adhere to the International Code for the Protection of Tourists. To date, Argentina, Brazil, Lebanon, Lithuania, Portugal, Senegal, Thailand, Uruguay and Venezuela have agreed to adhere to the landmark legal instrument. The Code was designed during the pandemic, and the first harmonized international legal framework is set to play a key role in restoring consumer confidence in travel.
The General Assembly also voted, with 73% in favor, to allow Secretary General Pololikashvili to stand for a third term. In conclusion, Members agreed that the 26th session of the UNWTO General Assembly will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
