UN Tourism to Inaugurate its New Headquarters in Madrid This Monday

The Diplomat The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will participate this Monday in the inauguration of the new headquarters of UN Tourism, located in the Madrid Congress Palace and leased to the organization for a period of 75 years. The former World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, now UN Tourism) established its headquarters in Madrid in 1975, in a building on Poeta Joan Maragall Street (formerly Capitán Haya Street) that had become too small for the organization's needs. For this reason, the Spanish Government and UNWTO signed an international administrative agreement on March 25, 2022, whereby Spain leased Building B of the Congress Palace to UNWTO for a period of 75 years and assumed responsibility for the building's renovation. The Madrid Congress and Exhibition Palace was inaugurated in 1970. The Palace comprises three buildings (A, B, and C) and is managed by the Spanish Tourism Institute (TURESPAÑA). In 1995, a serious fire caused the collapse of Auditorium B and the adjoining rooms located on the north facade. Following the disaster, the necessary repairs were carried out to allow the rest of the building to function without reconstructing the affected areas, which remain open and unused to this day. The rest of the building continued to be used until 2012, when a temporary suspension of activities was decided upon due to a series of technical reports that determined that the safety requirements of current regulations were not being met. The suspension ceased to be temporary and became indefinite, until all safety regulations were fulfilled. In 2018, the then Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, pledged to expedite the renovation of the Congress Palace as much as possible for its transfer to the UNWTO, and in January 2019, the government of Pedro Sánchez renewed this same commitment with the support of the Community of Madrid and the Madrid City Council. However, the project was delayed by various circumstances, including changes in government and the pandemic, as well as some bureaucratic hurdles. The renovation work began in late October 2023 under the responsibility of Turespaña and was carried out by Ferrovial for €24.8 million. According to the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, it is “a modern and functional headquarters, with an excellent location in the heart of the capital's financial district and next to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.” The building has a total constructed area of almost 8,000 square meters and consists of a basement for facilities and parking for more than 30 cars, a mezzanine with a cafeteria and a multipurpose exhibition hall, and three floors for offices, meeting rooms, and conference rooms, including an auditorium of more than 500 square meters with translation booths.

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