Interview with Harry Theoharis
Official candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
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Harry Theoharis
Official candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Former Minister of Tourism of Greece
What motivated you to apply to lead the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and what do you think would be your greatest contribution to the organization?
UN Tourism should be an equitable, inclusive organization that truly represents its Member States. It should drive positive change across the sector socially, economically, and environmentally. UN Tourism should be one-step ahead and leading sustainable progress and marking the path for member states and yet, in recent years it has failed to keep up with the pace of change and it has lost credibility as a leader. There is an urgent need to transform the organization for it to once again be a uniting force and worthy leader for global tourism. I am a bridge-builder and a forward-thinking digital transformer, and I am confident that I can contribute to drastically increasing the positive impact of UN Tourism’s work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
As a former Minister of Tourism of Greece, what key learnings from your experience could benefit global tourism from UNWTO?
My experience as tourism minister of Greece was during the pandemic, a time when destinations from around the world shared a common problem and could see the benefits of collaboration and sharing of best practice among different countries. We applied innovative technological solutions and involved all the population and tourism stakeholders at every stage. Throughout the crisis I was publicly sharing each of our challenges, experience and solutions not just in Greece but with the global tourism community. The key learning was that tourism is a complex and fast changing sector and even the most difficult and unexpected challenges can be solved with innovation, process and finance. Tourism is, by definition, a global sector and as such it can only be managed in collaboration between destinations and source markets and public and private stakeholders.
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed tourism. What concrete measures would you propose to make the sector more resilient to future crises?
COVID was one example of crisis that received a lot of attention because the whole world was affected and measure had to be taken that have become industry standards. There are many other types of crisis affecting smaller areas but with devastating effects and the combination of innovation, solidarity and sharing of best practice can and should be applied to each crisis. UN Tourism can and must be the unifying force through which to channel these collaborations efficiently and with solidarity among Member States.
We need to Strengthen Regional Resilience and Investments, develop cross-border networks and establish inter-regional institutions, in collaboration with key partners, for disaster preparedness and recovery, ensuring swift mobilization of funds and resources to support vulnerable communities.
I also propose that UN Tourism members adopt a Global Tourism Solidarity Charter as a formal agreement to uphold principles of inclusivity and shared prosperity, and address challenges posed by conflicts and humanitarian disasters through collective action. Facilitate resource sharing and track progress with an annual Global Solidarity Report.
Finally, UN Tourism should work with public and private sectors to enhance real-time data-sharing and AI-driven predictive analytics to manage crises effectively.
Sustainable tourism is a global priority. What innovative approaches would you promote to achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability?
Economic growth cannot be sustained to the detriment of the environment. This is particularly true for the Visitor Economy. As with any industry, there is an undeniable environmental impact but the Tourism industry is one of the most committed to environmental sustainability precisely because we rely entirely on maintaining the balance of people, places and planet. The main environmental impact comes from the transport element of tourism and I am confident that technology will solve these issues and UN Tourism should be creating the conditions for innovation with a robust structure for collaboration and funding.
We cannot rely entirely on technology and environmental sustainability requires conscious changes in the attitudes and behavior of society as a whole. UN Tourism should be playing a more prominent role in education and advocacy. Education is key to solving issues from waste reduction, water and energy efficiency and of course inclusion and social sustainability.
Digitalisation is key to modern tourism. How can UNWTO lead the way in using emerging technologies to improve the traveller experience and optimise tourism management?
I am a software engineer by trade and before entering public service I worked for many many years in the technology sector leading digital transformation projects. As Secretary General for Public Revenues at the Greek Finance Ministry I led the digital transformation that succeeded in meeting budget revenues and producing a fiscal surplus. I also launched a digital platform to increase transparency in public administration. With this experience the first priority is to digitally transform UN Tourism as an organization to make it more transparent, more efficient and more agile.
I will then build a Start-Up Accelerator Ecosystem to Support Member States with actionable tools, cutting-edge strategies including AI, and by setting up scalable frameworks and start-up hubs to revolutionize their tourism ecosystems, driving innovation, competitiveness, and accountable, transformative outcomes.
Digital innovation from biometrics at airports to blockchain safety checks on aircraft or predictive ai for crowd management will have a huge impact on creating a seamless traveller experience and UN Tourism should be fostering a stronger culture of collaborative innovation.
How would you strengthen collaboration between UNWTO and governments to ensure inclusive tourism policies with a global impact?
I will ensure that the organs of governance fulfil their role freely, uniting and empowering Member States to pioneer bold policies for shared prosperity and maximize our contribution to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. I will be to reform the organization to ensure greater transparency and accountability. This will be achieved through a series of initiatives to set clear, measurable governance standards and metrics, publish regular reports, conduct independent audits, and launch a centralized, publicly accessible platform that provides real-time data on project outcomes, financial performance, and progress against goals.
Greece has implemented successful initiatives to diversify tourism and extend the tourist season. How would UNWTO apply these strategies globally?
Indeed, as Minister of Tourism of Greece, addressing seasonality was one of my priorities and the initiatives we implemented had a lasting impact. Seasonality is one of the major issues facing destinations around the world and it is one of the paths to sustainable growth. There are common traits, but every destination has its own challenges; sometimes seasonality is conditioned by the dynamics of source markets and sometimes by those of the destination (climate, cultural events, religion etc.). UN Tourism should be providing expert consultancy and advise so members can draw from a tool kit of best practice shared by other members and apply strategies to their individual circumstances.
Some of the initiatives that have proven successful in helping destinations shift from seasonal reliance include:
• Using data and market intelligence to identify opportunities
• Promoting off-peak travel with financial incentives and marketing campaigns.
• Developing specialized tourism segments (e.g., wellness, cultural, agrotourism).
• Supporting SMEs in creating year-round tourism offerings.
What role do emerging markets play in your vision for global tourism, and how can UNWTO facilitate their integration into the international system?
One of the reasons global tourism has grown exponentially over a few decades is that the appetite from travelers for discovering destinations results in bi-directional connectivity and new destinations become new markets. Connectivity is an opportunity but there remain major social and economic differences between the populations of source markets and destinations. Here UN Tourism has an important role to play in facilitating the free movement of travel from emerging source markets and providing capacity-building programs for infrastructure development. UN Tourism should support digital transformation in lesser-known destinations and emerging source markets and facilitate, where necessary, access to sustainable investment and funding.
Inclusive tourism is essential for global development. What initiatives would you lead to promote tourism that benefits local communities and is accessible to all?
One of the priority initiatives in my action plan as Secretary General of UN Tourism is the creation of Community Empowerment Task Forces. This entails the creation and deployment of task force groups that involve diverse stakeholders such as local government, indigenous groups, and small businesses in shaping tourism policies, ensuring benefits are equitably distributed and culturally respectful, promoting sustainable development.
What is your view on the role of affiliate members, such as the private sector and non-governmental organizations, in strengthening UNWTO strategies?
UN Tourism is the only UN agency that involves private sector affiliates in its funding and governance. This is a reflection of the necessary partnership between the public and private sectors in the sustainable development of tourism. The affiliate membership provides the important connection between governments, industry leaders, academia and other non-governmental organizations to work together towards tourism’s contribution to the UN Sustainable development goals. My view is that UN Tourism is currently failing to take advantage of this unique symbiosis, the affiliate members are largely ignored and this is a huge missed opportunity for UN Tourism, its member states and the global tourism community.
What role do you want to give to universities and research centres in the development of innovative tourism policies and in the training of future leaders in the sector?
Through the Affiliate membership UN Tourism will actively involve academia and research institutions in its numerous Capacity Building Initiatives offering education and skills development training programs for Member States to implement trust-building practices in customer relations, community engagement, and crisis management, ensuring equitable access to resources, tool and opportunities.
Universities will also play a key role in the roll out of the Community Empowerment task force mentioned above.
What specific programmes would you propose to increase collaboration between UNWTO Affiliate Members and Member States, and on what projects?
One of my key priorities as Secretary General is leveraging strategic partnership with key players in media, technology and innovation to promote lesser-known destinations and diverse cultural experiences, make effective use of AI and augmented reality to enhance destination storytelling, and build scalable digital platforms to reach new audiences. This partnership will be articulated in the active collaboration between Affiliate Membership and Member States.
Affiliate members would actively contribute to the creation of the start-up accelerator ecosystem to ensure the best innovative ideas become effective solutions to the challenges facing the tourism industry.
Affiliate members will also be the driving force behind the Tourism Booster Programme I am proposing as a means to empower members with data-driven insights and tools to boost connectivity, unlock new markets, and enhance competitiveness, while working with partners in aviation and infrastructure to increase tourism’s contribution to global GDP.
How do you think UNWTO can collaborate under your leadership with institutions such as the Tourism and Society Think Tank, which has already registered more than 180,000 professionals from 137 countries?
As stated above, the affiliate membership system is the perfect vehicle for collaboration with any institution that is aligned to the goals of UN Tourism. In the case of TSTT the vision and values are absolutely aligned, and I look forward to a close collaboration on specific projects with measurable results.
How do you perceive the recent re-identification of the UNWTO as “UN Tourism” and what strategies do you consider necessary to enhance its role as a global leader in tourism?
The name and the brand has evolved over the last 50 years as it adapts to different contexts. I understand that this recent change was motivated by the confusion, outside the tourism industry, with the World Trade Organization. The most important part of a brand is not the name or the logo but the values and promise that are the pillars of the brand. My feeling is that in recent years the brand equity and global credibility and reputation of UN Tourism has been undermined as the values have changed. My strategy to restore the status and effectiveness of UN Tourism as the global leader and point of conversion of the Tourism industry is summed up by my promise: Reform to transform, unite to grow.
What legacy do you hope to leave at the end of your term and how would you like your leadership to be remembered within the UNWTO and the global tourism sector?
I dream of an organization that is prosperous and purposeful: an equitable, inclusive, and regenerative force for good that truly represents its Member States. One that drives positive change across the sector - socially, economically, and environmentally. But dreams demand action. I pledge to be a bridge-builder, an action-taker, and a catalyst for change. As my track record attests, I will unite Member States to pioneer bold policies for shared prosperity and maximize our contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.
We express our sincere gratitude for the interview, which allowed us to thoroughly understand Mr. Harry Theoharis' vision and commitment. It was an honor to engage in dialogue and discover the transformative drive he aims to bring to the global tourism sector—a reflection of his innovative perspective and unwavering dedication.
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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