Summary of the interviews to Francesco Frangialli former UNWTO Secretary

20-03-25

Francesco Frangialli interviewed by Marian de la Fuente criticised the lack of transparency at the UNWTO under Zurab Pololikashvili. Together with Taleb Rifai, he called for an urgent reform of the organisation in his open letter ‘UNWTO: Time for a change’.

In an exclusive interview with renowned journalist Marian de la Fuente, the former Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Francesco Frangialli, addressed the reasons behind the publication of the open letter entitled ‘UNWTO: Time for a Change’, drafted together with former UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. In this letter, both leaders express their concern about the lack of transparency and ethics in the current UNWTO administration, particularly under the management of Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, and call for urgent reform in the organisation.

Frangialli explained that his main motivation for writing this letter, in conjunction with Rifai, was concern over the deterioration of UNWTO since the election of Pololikashvili in 2017. Both former Secretary-Generals believe that their legacy of transforming UNWTO into a specialised UN agency has been threatened by a management that lacks transparency, ethics and proper governance.

Frangialli also stressed that the UNWTO has managed to consolidate itself as an international authority on tourism, promoting sustainable development and fostering policies to generate employment in developing countries. However, he denounced that, in recent years, the organisation has lost credibility and leadership due to bad administrative practices.

Concerns about current management

The former Secretary-General pointed to several problems within UNWTO under Pololikashvili's leadership:

Manipulation in the election of the secretary general: According to Frangialli, Pololikashvili's election was plagued by irregularities. Fair competition was prevented by discouraging other candidates and limiting the possibility of fair campaigning.
Inadequate organisational structure: He criticised Pololikashvili for appointing a deputy director general only to sideline him, opting instead for a bureaucratic and costly structure with three executive directors. This situation has led to management inefficiency.
Inequity in the treatment of member countries: Frangialli denounced that some countries have been favoured, especially those on the Executive Board, in exchange for political support. He gave examples of cases in which regional offices have been created without strategic planning, only as a strategy to buy votes.
Lack of financial transparency: He explained that the increase in costs in the organisation has been considerable due to the hiring of staff without adequate processes. He noted that many positions have been given to people close to the administration, which has increased operating expenses without clear justification.

Impact of a possible Pololikashvili re-election

According to Frangialli, a re-election of Pololikashvili would place UNWTO in a situation of stagnation. He explained that at the last General Assembly in Uzbekistan, an attempt was made to pass a resolution to eliminate elections and allow the secretary-general to continue in office without a time limit, which was rejected by more than one third of the members. This indicates that there is growing opposition within the UNWTO and that, in the event of a re-election, the organisation could enter a period of uncertainty and division.

Irregularities in the election process

Frangialli detailed several anomalies in Pololikashvili's election processes:

In his first election, two African candidates were running against each other, but one of them was induced to withdraw his candidacy with misinformation. This allowed the other candidate to corner the African votes, leaving Pololikashvili as the only viable option for many countries.
At the General Assembly where his election was to be confirmed, a secret ballot was not held as required by the UNWTO statute, calling into question the legitimacy of the process.
During his re-election, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pololikashvili used the context of the health crisis to manipulate the process, preventing other candidates from having sufficient time to campaign.

Consequences of the departure of major powers from the UNWTO

The former Secretary-General regretted the departure of countries such as the UK, Canada, Australia and Norway, who were key members during his tenure. He indicated that the UNWTO has become more vulnerable without these nations, as industrialised countries play a crucial role in providing funding and as source markets for tourism to developing countries.

He also denied Pololikashvili's claims about the possible return of the United States to the organisation, stating that, so far, this has not happened and does not seem likely under the current administration.

The case of Russia and its exclusion from the UNWTO

Frangialli criticised the decision to expel Russia from the UNWTO after the invasion of Ukraine. He explained that, while condemning Russian aggression, the expulsion of such an important member was a strategic mistake, as no other UN agency has taken similar action. He believes that the decision was motivated by Pololikashvili's personal political interests, given his Georgian origin and his closeness to the Ukrainian government at the time.

Assessment of candidates for the General Secretariat

Frangialli stressed that, of the six candidates for the General Secretary election, three have a real chance of winning:

Zurab Pololikashvili (current Secretary General).
Gloria Guevara (Mexico), former Minister of Tourism and former President of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), with extensive experience in the private sector.
Harry Theoharis (Greece), former Minister of Tourism of a key country in the industry.

Frangialli considered Guevara and Theoharis to be strong choices, highlighting Guevara's advantage for his combination of public and private sector experience.

Relationship between UNWTO and the private sector

Finally, the former Secretary-General emphasised the importance of the private sector in the UNWTO. He mentioned that, in addition to member countries, there are key affiliates such as NGOs, universities and tourism companies. However, he pointed out that the current administration has neglected this relationship, which affects the UNWTO's ability to fulfil its mission.

Francesco Frangialli made an urgent call for transparency and ethics in the UNWTO. He warned about the dangers of Pololikashvili's re-election and the need for a change of leadership to regain the organisation's credibility. He stressed that tourism is a key driver for global development and that UNWTO must return to its principles of democratic governance, fairness and professionalism.

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