The Diplomat
UN Tourism Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili led the UN Tourism delegation to Rio de Janeiro to inaugurate its third regional office, after Nara (Japan) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The new Regional Office will focus on strengthening investment promotion.
One of the first key deliverables will be guidelines aimed at boosting green investment, recognizing the importance of biodiversity for tourism in the Americas. The Rio Office will also develop a strategy around technical training for young people, enabling them to acquire the professional skills they need to grow the sector throughout the region.
On the occasion of the inauguration, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili held a bilateral meeting with Brazil’s Minister of Tourism Celso Sabino. The meeting focused on the projects to be carried out at the Regional Office and how it can serve as a hub for tourism development, both in the country and in the region as a whole.
Pololikashvili stated that “the UN Tourism Regional Office for the Americas will support the evolution of the tourism sector not only in Brazil, but in the entire region. Rio de Janeiro will be a true hub of leadership and ideas, with a focus on growing and securing investments for the sector and harnessing the power of tourism for sustainable and inclusive development.”
Other axes that will be directed from the Regional Office include the empowerment of women, with the celebration of a meeting focused on this topic during 2025. The office will also make progress in the areas of indigenous tourism, accessibility and multi-destination routes in the region, such as the Jesuit Trail in South America, among others.
The Regional Office for the Americas brings tourism management closer to its members in the field. In addition to its headquarters in Madrid and the recently opened Regional Office in Rio de Janeiro, the Organization has a Regional Office in Nara, Japan, and another for the Middle East in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A Regional Office for Africa is scheduled to open in Marrakech, Morocco.
The Regional Offices enable UN Tourism to provide targeted support to its Members in all regions of the world, focusing on priorities such as innovation in tourism, investment, and education and training across the sector.
