Zurab Pololikashvili
UN Tourism Secretary General
J. González / A. Rubio
Zurab Pololikashvili welcomes us to his office in the building on Calle Poeta Juan Maragall, which the organisation hopes to leave at the end of the year to move into the Palacio de Congresos. But throughout the interview (you can watch the full video here) his mind is focused on the new projects with which he wants to take tourism to a new stage after having surpassed by far the record figures that the sector had before the pandemic.
Alberto Rubio– I would like to start by talking about your time as secretary general, a very difficult period marked by the pandemic. Can it be said that the tourism sector is the most resilient, considering how it has managed to recover?
Zurab Pololikashvili- I think the numbers say it all. We are in 2025 and the current figures are similar to the best year in the history of tourism, which was 2018-2019, with 1.4 billion international visits. We are currently talking about a 95% recovery. We always said that, once the pandemic was over, tourism would recover quickly because it is a very responsive sector. The years 2022 and 2023 were years of recovery, as many countries, including one of the largest, China, were completely closed. Now, in 2025, we have already reached 95% recovery.
Alberto Rubio– These years have taught us that tourism, besides being an industry in itself, also promotes peace and understanding between peoples. How do you assess this new perception of tourism?
Zurab Pololikashvili- Tourism has changed a lot in the last 10-20 years. It is no longer just traditional tourism; it is a cross-cutting sector that involves many areas, such as transport, health and others. Governments now see tourism as a priority for economic development, sustainability, cultural and diplomatic relations. In the aftermath of the pandemic, many world leaders have positioned tourism as one of the key sectors for economic revival. A clear example of its importance is that, for the first time, the European Parliament and the United Nations have recognised it as a priority, given that the closure of borders during the pandemic demonstrated its relevance. Since then, measures such as financial support and donations have been implemented to strengthen the sector.
Jesús González- Secretary General, Alberto was talking about peace. Will Russia’s membership of the organisation continue to be suspended despite a possible agreement with the United States over the invasion of Ukraine? What is your assessment of the situation and what should the organisation’s position be?
Zurab Pololikashvili- Tourism is peace and peace is tourism; one cannot exist without the other. That was the main reason why we pushed for the suspension of Russia’s voting rights in our organisation. The General Assembly voted to suspend Russia, which had been a very active member, even going so far as to organise the 2019 General Assembly in St Petersburg. However, we could not allow one country to bomb another and, at the same time, continue to participate in an organisation that promotes peace and tourism worldwide. What will happen in the future? The world is constantly changing, but our priority will always be peace, not only in Russia and Ukraine, but everywhere in the world. There are more than 58 active international conflicts, and our organisation continues to promote peace through tourism. We want the word ‘war’ to disappear from the vocabulary of future generations.
Jesús González- After seven years at the head of the organisation, do you want to continue as Secretary General? What motivates you to run again?
Zurab Pololikashvili- I’ll be very honest – it took me about two years to adapt to the organisation, to understand my colleagues and the priorities of the different governments. Then came the pandemic, an unprecedented situation. No one had ever been secretary general for tourism without tourism. We spent two years locked up in our homes, and during that time we created projects such as ‘The World’s Best Villages’, promoting domestic tourism. I was re-elected in the middle of the pandemic, and despite the restrictions, I was one of the first tourists to travel. I saw cities like Venice, Athens and Barcelona completely empty.
Tourism has recovered quickly because many families depend on it. There are still many projects that need to be completed. We have opened new regional offices and developed sustainable tourism education programmes. These projects require leadership and consolidation, and as the initiator of many of them, I believe it would be beneficial to complete them.
Alberto Rubio- There was some controversy about the legality of your re-election. As I understand it, at the Dakar General Assembly in 2005, term limits were proposed, but the necessary quorum was not reached. Therefore, that legislation is not in force and there is no formal restriction. Am I right?
Zurab Pololikashvili- A lot has changed since 2005, but it is true that the statutes of UN Tourism have not changed. At the General Assembly in Samarkand, almost 80% of the member countries decided to grant me the possibility to run for a third term, as an exception. This is because many governments want me to continue to lead the projects initiated in recent years.
Jesús González- Speaking of the future, what are your main proposals for the next four years?
Zurab Pololikashvili- We are working on a tourism development plan for the next ten years, which we will present at the end of this year or at FITUR. We want to anticipate the challenges in the sector and develop strategies to meet them. Another objective is to consolidate the offices and academies we are opening worldwide. Despite being a small organisation, with only 220 employees, we are expanding our global presence to better respond to regional needs.
Alberto Rubio- You spoke of a ‘new way of travelling’. What exactly are you referring to?
Zurab Pololikashvili- I am talking about digitalisation and innovation in the sector, but also about sustainability and education. We have incorporated tourism as a subject in several schools and high schools so that the new generations understand its importance and approach it responsibly. We believe that by educating from an early age we will achieve a more sustainable tourism and a better world.
