In his welcome address, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stressed that "the window of opportunity to transform our sector will not remain open for long". He stressed that "now is the time to accelerate the building of a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable sector", and reminded this UNWTO governing body that the success of tourism can no longer be measured only in numbers, "but in the impact our sector has on the lives, livelihoods and well-being of people and the planet".
UN recognises UNWTO's role On the eve of the Marrakech meeting, a draft resolution calling on all parts of the UN system to promote tourism in their work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was presented to the UN General Assembly.
Support from 104 countries
They explain that the resolution, which so far "has the support of 104 countries, is the culmination of UNWTO's strengthened presence at the highest political level". It is also a reflection of the "unprecedented recognition of the importance of tourism for economic and social well-being and integrates UNWTO's key strategic work streams". "In particular, it highlights the power of tourism to help build inclusive societies and protect ecosystems," they add.
Stepping up education and training programmes
In his report to Members on its achievements since the previous Council session, Secretary-General Pololikashvili illustrated how UNWTO is "leading the transformation of tourism", indicating that to do so "it is essential to intensify education and training programmes, promote investment in tourism for growth and sustainability and provide technical assistance to Member States in all regions".
Thematic session on empowering small businesses as agents of transformation
In the framework of the 117th session of the Executive Council, UNWTO also held a special thematic session focused on empowering small businesses to be agents of transformation, inspired by the G20 Guidelines for SMEs and Tourism Communities as Agents of Transformation.
In doing so, the session brought Tourism Ministers together with leading figures from the private sector to address the biggest challenges that stand in the way of smaller businesses achieving their potential to drive change. These include access to investment and finance, lack of market intelligence and the inability to adapt to meet changing consumer trends.
Next Executive Board in the Dominican Republic
The Executive Council is the highest governing body of UNWTO and meets twice a year. Composed of 34 Members following the suspension of the Russian Federation from the Organisation, it works with the Secretary-General to implement both its own decisions and the recommendations of the Assembly.
The 118th session of the Executive Council will be held in the Dominican Republic and the next hosts sent a message to all members looking forward to welcoming them in 2023.
UNWTO welcomes 18 new Affiliate Members
The newly admitted UNWTO members reflect the diversity of the broad tourism sector, with private companies, destination management organisations, universities, professional associations, intergovernmental organisations and NGOs all represented. The new additions also reflect UNWTO's global mission, six from Europe; four from the Americas; four from Asia and the Pacific; two from Africa and two from the Middle East.
We are proud to see the network of Affiliate Members grow as it adds value to the Organization, and wish a warm welcome to the 18 new entities joining our community.
In accordance with the current legal admission process, the 18 nominations were submitted for consideration and approval by the 117th Executive Board after being previously reviewed and endorsed by the Affiliate Membership Committee during the Committee's meeting on 17 November. With this official approval by the Executive Council, the new members can enjoy all the rights and benefits of UNWTO membership, in accordance with UNWTO statutes and rules.
UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, said: "We are proud to see the network of Affiliate Members growing as it adds value to the Organization, and we wish a warm welcome to the 18 new entities joining our community".
The 18 new Affiliate Members are:
Spanish Association of Hotel Managers and Directors (Spain).
Busan Tourism Organization (Republic of Korea)
Cappadocia University / Kapadokya Üniversitesi (Türkiye)
Comité International Des Festivals Du Film Touristique - CIFFT (Austria)
Escuela Profesional de Turismo de la Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco (Peru)
Eturia CLM (Spain)
Eswatini Hospitality and Tourism Association (Kingdom of Eswatini)
Innovaris SL (Spain)
Jeddah Central Development Company (Saudi Arabia)
Johannesburg Tourism Company (South Africa)
Manifest Destinations Group, INC. (United States of America)
National Association of Inbound and Domestic Tourism of Moldova (Moldova)
ONWARD (United States of America)
Osaka University of Tourism (Japan)
Pacific Tourism Organization (Fiji)
Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (Jordan)
PT. Pintu Bali Digital (Indonesia)
Smart Tourism & Hospitality Consulting SA - SMART THC (Panama)
