Zurab Pololikashvili aspires to a third term at UNWTO

09-12-24

The current secretary general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili, has announced his intention to run for a third term, which would run from 2026 to 2029. This decision comes after receiving an endorsement from delegates at the last UNWTO General Assembly, held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Since assuming the leadership of the organization in 2018, Pololikashvili has promoted different programs but also his management has been marked by controversies in different areas.

Pololikashvili, of Georgian origin, has a track record in both the public and private spheres. Before heading the UNWTO, he was Georgia's ambassador to Spain and held ministerial positions in economic development, where he led various initiatives, some of them related to tourism. In addition, his experience includes positions in the financial sector and in the management of sports entities.

In his next term, Pololikashvili will seek to consolidate the achievements made and continue to lead key projects, such as the statistical framework for measuring tourism sustainability, recently approved by the United Nations, and the implementation of innovative strategies to strengthen the sector. 

With this new candidacy, Pololikashvili seeks to continue leading an institution that has global tourism as its objective.