UN Tourism: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Specialised agency of the United Nations}}
{{Short description|Specialised agency of the United Nations}}
{{Use British English Oxford spelling|date=December 2018}}
{{multiple issues|
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{multiple|
{{primary sources|date=January 2023}}
{{primary sources|date=January 2023}}
{{advert|date=January 2023}}
{{promotional|date=January 2023}}
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{{Infobox United Nations
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=December 2018}}
| name                    = UN Tourism<ref name="UIA">{{Cite web |url=https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100067971 |url-access= |title=UN Tourism |author1=Staff writer |year=2024 |department=UIA Global Civil Society Database |website=uia.org |publisher=[[Union of International Associations]] |agency=Yearbook of International Organizations Online |location=Brussels, Belgium |format= |arxiv= |asin= |bibcode= |doi= |doi-broken-date= |isbn= |issn= |jfm= |jstor= |lccn= |mr= |oclc= |ol= |osti= |pmc= |pmid= |rfc= |ssrn= |zbl= |id= |access-date=28 December 2024 |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |via= |quote= |trans-quote= |ref= |postscript=}}</ref>
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                    = UN Tourism<ref name="UIA">{{Cite web |url=https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100067971 |url-access= |title=UN Tourism |author1=Staff writer |year=2024 |department=UIA Global Civil Society Database |website=uia.org |publisher=[[Union of International Associations]] |agency=Yearbook of International Organizations Online |location=Brussels, Belgium |format= |arxiv= |asin= |bibcode= |doi= |doi-broken-date= |isbn= |issn= |jfm= |jstor= |lccn= |mr= |oclc= |ol= |osti= |pmc= |pmid= |rfc= |ssrn= |zbl= |id= |access-date=28 December 2024 |via= |quote= |trans-quote= |ref= |postscript=}}</ref>
| logo                    = Logo UN Tourism.svg
| logo                    = Logo UN Tourism.svg
| logo_size                = 150px
| logo_size                = 150px
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| parent_organization      = [[United Nations]]
| parent_organization      = [[United Nations]]
| subsidiaries            =  
| subsidiaries            =  
|num_employees =  89
|num_employees_year=2023<ref>[https://unsceb.org/hr-organization PERSONNEL BY ORGANIZATION] {{!}} [[United Nations]]</ref>
| footnotes                = {{portal-inline|Politics|size=tiny}}
| footnotes                = {{portal-inline|Politics|size=tiny}}
}}
}}
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UN Tourism serves as a global forum for tourism policy and a source of tourism research and knowledge. It encourages tourism competitiveness, innovation, education, investments and digital transformation. The organization also focusses on ethics, culture and social responsibility related to tourism, provides technical cooperation and includes a UN Tourism Academy and statistics work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home {{!}} UNWTO|url=https://www.unwto.org/|access-date=2020-11-05|website=www.unwto.org}}</ref>
UN Tourism serves as a global forum for tourism policy and a source of tourism research and knowledge. It encourages tourism competitiveness, innovation, education, investments and digital transformation. The organization also focusses on ethics, culture and social responsibility related to tourism, provides technical cooperation and includes a UN Tourism Academy and statistics work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home {{!}} UNWTO|url=https://www.unwto.org/|access-date=2020-11-05|website=www.unwto.org}}</ref>


The six official languages of UN Tourism are [[Arabic]], [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[English_language|English]], [[French_language|French]], [[Russian_language|Russian]], and [[Spanish_language|Spanish]].
The six official languages of UN Tourism are [[Arabic]], [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], [[Russian language|Russian]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]].  


Before the outbreak of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], tourism stood at an all-time high with 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals in 2019, according to the organization's ''World Tourism Barometer''. Against a backdrop of heightened uncertainty, UN Tourism conveyed the Global Tourism Crisis Committee to guide the tourism sector as it faced up to the COVID-19 challenge. A 2021 panel data study using UNWTO datasets showed that the global tourism sector lost approximately 604.8 billion USD under the best-case COVID-19 scenario and over 1.9 trillion USD in the worst-case scenario, underscoring the need for international policy coordination through organizations like the UNWTO. <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Škare |first=Marinko |last2=Soriano |first2=Domingo Riberio |last3=Porada-Rochoń |first3=Małgorzata |date=2021-02-01 |title=Impact of COVID-19 on the travel and tourism industry |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0040162520312956 |journal=Technological Forecasting and Social Change |volume=163 |pages=120469 |doi=10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120469 |issn=0040-1625 |pmc=9189715 |pmid=35721368}}</ref> Following a massive 72% drop in international arrivals in 2020 due to the pandemic, travel gradually recovered and attained pre-pandemic levels in 2024 <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unwto.org/news/international-tourism-recovers-pre-pandemic-levels-in-2024 |title=International tourism recovers pre-pandemic levels in 2024 |date=21 January 2025 |publisher=UN Tourism |accessdate=20 April 2025}}</ref>   .
From its inception in 1975 until 2023, the UN World Tourism Organization was abbreviated as UNWTO.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unwto.org/news/unwto-becomes-un-tourism-to-mark-a-new-era-for-global-sector |title=UNWTO Becomes "UN Tourism" to Mark A New Era for Global Sector |date=23 January 2024 |publisher=UN Tourism |access-date=17 February 2024}}</ref>


From its inception in 1975 until 2023, the UN World Tourism Organization was abbreviated as UNWTO.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unwto.org/news/unwto-becomes-un-tourism-to-mark-a-new-era-for-global-sector |title=UNWTO Becomes "UN Tourism" to Mark A New Era for Global Sector |date=23 January 2024 |publisher=UN Tourism |accessdate=17 February 2024}}</ref>
==COVID-19==
Before the outbreak of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], tourism stood at an all-time high with 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals in 2019, according to the organization's ''World Tourism Barometer''. Against a backdrop of heightened uncertainty, UN Tourism conveyed the Global Tourism Crisis Committee to guide the tourism sector as it faced up to the COVID-19 challenge. The global tourism sector eas estimated to have lost over US$600 billion under the best-case COVID-19 scenario and over US$1.9 trillion in the worst-case scenario.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Škare |first=Marinko |last2=Soriano |first2=Domingo Riberio |last3=Porada-Rochoń |first3=Małgorzata |date=2021-02-01 |title=Impact of COVID-19 on the travel and tourism industry |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0040162520312956 |journal=Technological Forecasting and Social Change |volume=163 |article-number=120469 |doi=10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120469 |issn=0040-1625 |pmc=9189715 |pmid=35721368}}</ref> Following a 72% drop in international arrivals in 2020, travel recovered and attained pre-pandemic levels in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unwto.org/news/international-tourism-recovers-pre-pandemic-levels-in-2024 |title=International tourism recovers pre-pandemic levels in 2024 |date=21 January 2025 |publisher=UN Tourism |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref>


== Members ==
== Members ==
[[File:UNWTO Tourism Regions.svg|thumb|334px|UNWTO Tourism Regions]]UN Tourism has 160 Member States,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who we are &#124; World Tourism Organization UNWTO |url=http://www2.unwto.org/content/who-we-are-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unwto.org/states/index.php|title=Member States|access-date=20 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Spanish Visa Experts |url=https://myspainvisa.com/ |access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref> six associate members (Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macao, Madeira and Puerto Rico),<ref>territories or groups of territories not responsible for their external relations but whose membership is approved by the state assuming responsibility for their external relations.</ref> and two observers ([[Holy See]] (1979), Palestine (1999)).  
[[File:UNWTO Tourism Regions.svg|thumb|334px|UNWTO Tourism Regions]]UN Tourism has 160 Member States,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who we are &#124; World Tourism Organization UNWTO |url=http://www2.unwto.org/content/who-we-are-0 |access-date=8 December 2018 |archive-date=2 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702232246/http://www2.unwto.org/content/who-we-are-0 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unwto.org/states/index.php|title=Member States|access-date=20 January 2016|archive-date=15 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715221037/http://www.unwto.org/states/index.php}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Spanish Visa Experts |url=https://migratiolex.com/ |access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref> six associate members (Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macao, Madeira and Puerto Rico),<ref>territories or groups of territories not responsible for their external relations but whose membership is approved by the state assuming responsibility for their external relations.</ref> and two observers ([[Holy See]] (1979), Palestine (1999)).


Nonmembers are: [[Australia]], [[Belgium]], [[Belize]], [[Canada]], [[Denmark]], [[Dominica]], [[Estonia]], [[Finland]], [[Grenada]], [[Guyana]], [[Iceland]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Kiribati]], [[Latvia]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Luxembourg]], the [[Marshall Islands]], [[Micronesia]], [[Nauru]], [[New Zealand]], [[Norway]], [[Russia]], [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]], [[Saint Lucia]], [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]], [[Singapore]], [[Solomon Islands]], [[Somalia]], [[South Sudan]], [[Suriname]], [[Sweden]], [[Tonga]], [[Tuvalu]], the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[United States]].
Nonmembers are: [[Australia]], [[Belgium]], [[Belize]], [[Canada]], [[Denmark]], [[Dominica]], [[Estonia]], [[Finland]], [[Grenada]], [[Guyana]], [[Iceland]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Kiribati]], [[Latvia]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Luxembourg]], the [[Marshall Islands]], [[Micronesia]], [[Nauru]], [[New Zealand]], [[Norway]], [[Russia]], [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]], [[Saint Lucia]], [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]], [[Singapore]], [[Solomon Islands]], [[Somalia]], [[South Sudan]], [[Suriname]], [[Sweden]], [[Tonga]], [[Tuvalu]], the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[United States]].
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Seventeen state members have withdrawn from the organization for different periods in the past including Australia (citing poor value for money), [[Bahamas]] (later rejoined), [[Bahrain]] (rejoined in 2001), Belgium, Canada (Canada withdrew from the World Tourism Organization when it appointed [[Robert Mugabe]] as a leader in 2013), [[Costa Rica]] (rejoined in 1995), [[El Salvador]] (rejoined in 1993), Grenada, [[Honduras]] (rejoined in 2001), [[Kuwait]] (rejoined in 2003), Latvia, [[Malaysia]] (rejoined in 1991), [[Myanmar]] (rejoined in 2012), [[Panama]] (rejoined in 1996), [[Philippines]] (rejoined in 1991), [[Qatar]] (rejoined in 2002), [[Thailand]] (rejoined in 1996), United Kingdom and [[Puerto Rico]] (as an associate member).{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} The [[Netherlands Antilles]] was an associate member before [[Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles|its dissolution]].
Seventeen state members have withdrawn from the organization for different periods in the past including Australia (citing poor value for money), [[Bahamas]] (later rejoined), [[Bahrain]] (rejoined in 2001), Belgium, Canada (Canada withdrew from the World Tourism Organization when it appointed [[Robert Mugabe]] as a leader in 2013), [[Costa Rica]] (rejoined in 1995), [[El Salvador]] (rejoined in 1993), Grenada, [[Honduras]] (rejoined in 2001), [[Kuwait]] (rejoined in 2003), Latvia, [[Malaysia]] (rejoined in 1991), [[Myanmar]] (rejoined in 2012), [[Panama]] (rejoined in 1996), [[Philippines]] (rejoined in 1991), [[Qatar]] (rejoined in 2002), [[Thailand]] (rejoined in 1996), United Kingdom and [[Puerto Rico]] (as an associate member).{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} The [[Netherlands Antilles]] was an associate member before [[Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles|its dissolution]].


The United Arab Emirates (UAE) rejoined the organization in May 2013, 26 years after having left UN Tourism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2013-05-08/united-arab-emirates-joins-world-tourism-organization|title=The United Arab Emirates joins the World Tourism Organization |website= World Tourism Organization UNWTO |date=2013-05-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315203348/http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2013-05-08/united-arab-emirates-joins-world-tourism-organization  |archive-date= Mar 15, 2018 }}</ref>
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) rejoined the organization in May 2013, 26 years after having left UN Tourism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2013-05-08/united-arab-emirates-joins-world-tourism-organization|title=The United Arab Emirates joins the World Tourism Organization |website= World Tourism Organization UNWTO |date=2013-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315203348/http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2013-05-08/united-arab-emirates-joins-world-tourism-organization  |archive-date= Mar 15, 2018 }}</ref>


Additionally, UN Tourism has over 500 affiliate members, including non-governmental entities with specialised interests in tourism, and commercial and non-commercial bodies and associations with activities related to the aims of UN Tourism or falling within its competence.
Additionally, UN Tourism has over 500 affiliate members, including non-governmental entities with specialised interests in tourism, and commercial and non-commercial bodies and associations with activities related to the aims of UN Tourism or falling within its competence.


On 2 April 2022, Russia announced it would leave UN Tourism, and the organization subsequently voted the same day to suspend Russia in response to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine |Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=Apr 27, 2022 |title=UN tourism body chief says Russia quitting the organization |url=https://leaderpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/un-tourism-body-chief-says-russia-quitting-the-organization |first1=Corina |last1=Pons |first2=Andrei |last2=Khalip |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240404020431/https://leaderpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/un-tourism-body-chief-says-russia-quitting-the-organization |archive-date=4 Apr 2024 |website=Regina Leader Post |agency=Reuters}}</ref>
On 2 April 2022, Russia announced it would leave UN Tourism, and the organization subsequently voted the same day to suspend Russia in response to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=Apr 27, 2022 |title=UN tourism body chief says Russia quitting the organization |url=https://leaderpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/un-tourism-body-chief-says-russia-quitting-the-organization |first1=Corina |last1=Pons |first2=Andrei |last2=Khalip |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240404020431/https://leaderpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/un-tourism-body-chief-says-russia-quitting-the-organization |archive-date=4 Apr 2024 |website=Regina Leader Post |agency=Reuters}}</ref>


==Secretaries-General==
==Secretaries-General==
[[file:UNWTO Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuaimi at UNCTAD (sq cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Shaikha Al Nuaimi]] - Secretary General 2026 - ]]
{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
|-
|-
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|2010–2017
|2010–2017
|-
|-
|{{flagicon|Georgia}} [[Zurab Pololikashvili]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2017-05-12/unwto-executive-council-recommends-zurab-pololikashvili-secretary-general-p|title=UNWTO Executive Council recommends Zurab Pololikashvili for Secretary-General for the period 2018-2021 |website=World Tourism Organization UNWTO |date=2017-05-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808150227/http://media.unwto.org:80/press-release/2017-05-12/unwto-executive-council-recommends-zurab-pololikashvili-secretary-general-p |archive-date= Aug 8, 2019 }}</ref>
|{{flagicon|Georgia}} [[Zurab Pololikashvili]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2017-05-12/unwto-executive-council-recommends-zurab-pololikashvili-secretary-general-p|title=UNWTO Executive Council recommends Zurab Pololikashvili for Secretary-General for the period 2018-2021 |website=World Tourism Organization UNWTO |date=2017-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808150227/http://media.unwto.org:80/press-release/2017-05-12/unwto-executive-council-recommends-zurab-pololikashvili-secretary-general-p |archive-date= Aug 8, 2019 }}</ref>
|2018–
|2018–2025
|-
|{{flagicon|UAE}} [[Shaikha Al Nuaimi]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nissani |first=Lubna |date=2025-05-31 |title=Emirati Sheikha Nasser Al-Noueis is the first woman to head the United Nations World Tourism Organization. |url=https://www.tesaaworld.com/en/news/emirati-sheikha-nasser-al-nuaimi-is-the-first-woman-to-head-the-united-nations-world-tourism-organization |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=TESAA |language=en}}</ref>
|2026–2029
|}
|}


As the host country of UN Tourism's headquarters, Spain has a permanent seat on the Executive Council. Representatives of the associate members and affiliate members participate in Executive Council meetings as observers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.unwto.org/en/node/16/ |website=World Tourism Organization UNWTO |title=Executive Council|access-date=20 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160205145701/http://www2.unwto.org/en/node/16/ |archive-date= Feb 5, 2016 }}</ref>
As the host country of UN Tourism's headquarters, Spain has a permanent seat on the Executive Council. Representatives of the associate members and affiliate members participate in Executive Council meetings as observers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.unwto.org/en/node/16/ |website=World Tourism Organization UNWTO |title=Executive Council|access-date=20 January 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160205145701/http://www2.unwto.org/en/node/16/ |archive-date= Feb 5, 2016 }}</ref>


==Publications==
==Publications==
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===Visa Openness Report===
===Visa Openness Report===


UN Tourism research concluded that, by improving visa processes and entry formalities, G20 economies could boost their international tourist numbers by 122 million, tourism exports by US$2016 billion and employment by 5 million.<ref>{{Cite book |doi = 10.18111/9789284414727|title = The Impact of Visa Facilitation on Job Creation in the G20 Economies: Report prepared for the 4th T20 Ministers' Meeting, Mexico, 15–16 May 2012|year = 2012|isbn = 9789284414727 |publisher=UNWTO and WTTC |doi-access=free |url=https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284414727 }}</ref>
UN Tourism research concluded that, by improving visa processes and entry formalities, G20 economies could boost their international tourist numbers by 122 million, tourism exports by US$2016 billion and employment by 5 million.<ref>{{Cite book |doi = 10.18111/9789284414727|title = The Impact of Visa Facilitation on Job Creation in the G20 Economies: Report prepared for the 4th T20 Ministers' Meeting, Mexico, 15–16 May 2012|year = 2012|isbn = 978-92-844-1472-7 |publisher=UNWTO and WTTC |doi-access=free |url=https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284414727 }}</ref>


The Organization's latest UN Tourism Visa Openness Report, published in 2016, shows the highest ever percentage of international tourists not requiring a visa to travel - 39% compared with 23% in 2008.<ref>{{Cite book |doi = 10.18111/9789284417384|title = Visa openness report 2015|year = 2016|isbn = 9789284417384}}</ref> The report concluded that the 30 countries whose citizens were least affected by visa restrictions in 2015 were (based on the data compiled by the UN Tourism, based on information from national official institutions):<ref>{{cite web|title=Visa Openness Report 2016|url=http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/docpdf/2015visaopennessreportonline.pdf|publisher=World Tourism Organization|access-date=17 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123123959/http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/docpdf/2015visaopennessreportonline.pdf|archive-date=23 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The Organization's latest UN Tourism Visa Openness Report, published in 2016, shows the highest ever percentage of international tourists not requiring a visa to travel - 39% compared with 23% in 2008.<ref>{{Cite book |doi = 10.18111/9789284417384|title = Visa openness report 2015|year = 2016|isbn = 978-92-844-1738-4}}</ref> The report concluded that the 30 countries whose citizens were least affected by visa restrictions in 2015 were (based on the data compiled by the UN Tourism, based on information from national official institutions):<ref>{{cite web|title=Visa Openness Report 2016|url=http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/docpdf/2015visaopennessreportonline.pdf|publisher=World Tourism Organization|access-date=17 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123123959/http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/docpdf/2015visaopennessreportonline.pdf|archive-date=23 January 2016}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
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|-
|-
| 8
| 8
| {{flag|France}}, {{flag|Japan}} {{flag|Netherlands}}, {{flag|South Korea}}, {{flag|Sweden}}, {{flag|United States}}
| {{flag|France}}, {{flag|Japan}}, {{flag|Netherlands}}, {{flag|South Korea}}, {{flag|Sweden}}, {{flag|United States}}
| 159
| 159
|-
|-
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== Ambassadors ==
== Ambassadors ==


=== Sports<ref name=":0" /> ===
=== Sports ===
*Didier Drogba - Football player
*Didier Drogba - Football player
*Leo Messi - Football player
*Leo Messi - Football player
*Andrés Iniesta - Football players
*Andrés Iniesta - Football players
Source:<ref name=":0" />


=== Gastronomy and Wine ===
=== Gastronomy and Wine ===
* Gino Sorbillo - chef
* Gino Sorbillo - chef
* Ramon Freixa - chef
* Ramón Freixa - chef


=== Business Leaders ===
=== Business Leaders ===
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* Adam Goldstein - Businessman
* Adam Goldstein - Businessman


=== Arts & Culture ===
=== Arts and Culture ===
* Giorgio Armani - clothing designer
* Giorgio Armani - clothing designer
* Plácido Domingo - Opera singer
* Plácido Domingo - Opera singer
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==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{commons category}}
* {{official|https://www.unwto.org/}}
* {{official website|https://www.unwto.org/}}
* [http://www.e-unwto.org/ UNWTO eLibrary]
* [http://www.e-unwto.org/ UNWTO eLibrary]
* [http://themis.unwto.org/ UNWTO Themis Foundation]
* [http://themis.unwto.org/ UNWTO Themis Foundation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523051318/http://themis.unwto.org/ |date=23 May 2016 }}


{{United Nations}}
{{United Nations}}

Latest revision as of 19:20, 4 November 2025

Template:Short description Template:Multiple issues Template:Use Oxford spelling Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other

The United Nations World Tourism Organization or UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which promotes responsible, sustainable and universally-accessible tourism. Its headquarters are in Madrid, Spain. Other offices include: a Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific in Nara, Japan[1] and a Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

UN Tourism serves as a global forum for tourism policy and a source of tourism research and knowledge. It encourages tourism competitiveness, innovation, education, investments and digital transformation. The organization also focusses on ethics, culture and social responsibility related to tourism, provides technical cooperation and includes a UN Tourism Academy and statistics work.[2]

The six official languages of UN Tourism are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

From its inception in 1975 until 2023, the UN World Tourism Organization was abbreviated as UNWTO.[3]

COVID-19

Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism stood at an all-time high with 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals in 2019, according to the organization's World Tourism Barometer. Against a backdrop of heightened uncertainty, UN Tourism conveyed the Global Tourism Crisis Committee to guide the tourism sector as it faced up to the COVID-19 challenge. The global tourism sector eas estimated to have lost over US$600 billion under the best-case COVID-19 scenario and over US$1.9 trillion in the worst-case scenario.[4] Following a 72% drop in international arrivals in 2020, travel recovered and attained pre-pandemic levels in 2024.[5]

Members

File:UNWTO Tourism Regions.svg
UNWTO Tourism Regions

UN Tourism has 160 Member States,[6][7][8] six associate members (Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macao, Madeira and Puerto Rico),[9] and two observers (Holy See (1979), Palestine (1999)).

Nonmembers are: Australia, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Denmark, Dominica, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Kiribati, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Tonga, Tuvalu, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Seventeen state members have withdrawn from the organization for different periods in the past including Australia (citing poor value for money), Bahamas (later rejoined), Bahrain (rejoined in 2001), Belgium, Canada (Canada withdrew from the World Tourism Organization when it appointed Robert Mugabe as a leader in 2013), Costa Rica (rejoined in 1995), El Salvador (rejoined in 1993), Grenada, Honduras (rejoined in 2001), Kuwait (rejoined in 2003), Latvia, Malaysia (rejoined in 1991), Myanmar (rejoined in 2012), Panama (rejoined in 1996), Philippines (rejoined in 1991), Qatar (rejoined in 2002), Thailand (rejoined in 1996), United Kingdom and Puerto Rico (as an associate member).Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The Netherlands Antilles was an associate member before its dissolution.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) rejoined the organization in May 2013, 26 years after having left UN Tourism.[10]

Additionally, UN Tourism has over 500 affiliate members, including non-governmental entities with specialised interests in tourism, and commercial and non-commercial bodies and associations with activities related to the aims of UN Tourism or falling within its competence.

On 2 April 2022, Russia announced it would leave UN Tourism, and the organization subsequently voted the same day to suspend Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[11]

Secretaries-General

File:UNWTO Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuaimi at UNCTAD (sq cropped).jpg
Shaikha Al Nuaimi - Secretary General 2026 -
Name Years of Tenure
Template:Flagicon Robert Lonati 1975–1985
Template:Flagicon Willibald Pahr 1986–1989
Template:Flagicon Antonio Enriquez Savignac 1990–1996
Template:Flagicon Francesco Frangialli 1997–2009
Template:Flagicon Taleb Rifai 2010–2017
Template:Flagicon Zurab Pololikashvili[12] 2018–2025
Template:Flagicon Shaikha Al Nuaimi[13] 2026–2029

As the host country of UN Tourism's headquarters, Spain has a permanent seat on the Executive Council. Representatives of the associate members and affiliate members participate in Executive Council meetings as observers.[14]

Publications

  • World Tourism Barometer (quarterly)
  • International Tourism Highlights (annual)
  • UNWTO Annual Report
  • UNWTO Declarations
  • Knowledge Network Issues Paper Series

Tourism Data Dashboard

UN Tourism releases its Tourism Data Dashboard which "provides statistics and insights on key indicators for inbound and outbound tourism at the global, regional and national levels. Data covers tourist arrivals, tourism share of exports and contribution to GDP, source markets, seasonality and accommodation (data on number of rooms, guest and nights)."[15]

Visa Openness Report

UN Tourism research concluded that, by improving visa processes and entry formalities, G20 economies could boost their international tourist numbers by 122 million, tourism exports by US$2016 billion and employment by 5 million.[16]

The Organization's latest UN Tourism Visa Openness Report, published in 2016, shows the highest ever percentage of international tourists not requiring a visa to travel - 39% compared with 23% in 2008.[17] The report concluded that the 30 countries whose citizens were least affected by visa restrictions in 2015 were (based on the data compiled by the UN Tourism, based on information from national official institutions):[18]

Least restricted citizens
Rank Country Mobility index (out of 215 with no visa weighted by 1, visa on arrival weighted by 0.7, eVisa by 0.5 and traditional visa weighted by 0)
1 Template:Country data Denmark, Template:Country data Finland, Template:Country data Germany, Template:Country data Italy, Template:Country data Luxembourg, Template:Country data Singapore, Template:Country data United Kingdom 160
8 Template:Country data France, Template:Country data Japan, Template:Country data Netherlands, Template:Country data South Korea, Template:Country data Sweden, Template:Country data United States 159
14 Template:Country data Belgium, Template:Country data Canada, Template:Country data Ireland, Template:Country data Norway, Template:Country data Portugal, Template:Country data Spain, Template:Country data Switzerland 158
21 Template:Country data Austria, Template:Country data Greece, Template:Country data Malta 157
24 Template:Country data Czech Republic, Template:Country data New Zealand 156
26 Template:Country data Hungary, Template:Country data Iceland, Template:Country data Malaysia 155
29 Template:Country data Australia, Template:Country data Slovakia 154

Ambassadors

Sports

  • Didier Drogba - Football player
  • Leo Messi - Football player
  • Andrés Iniesta - Football players

Source:[1]

Gastronomy and Wine

  • Gino Sorbillo - chef
  • Ramón Freixa - chef

Business Leaders

  • Michael Frenzel - Businessman
  • Adam Goldstein - Businessman

Arts and Culture

  • Giorgio Armani - clothing designer
  • Plácido Domingo - Opera singer

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

  • Jafari, J. (1974). Creation of the intergovernmental world tourism organization. Annals of Tourism Research, 2, (5), 237–245.
  • United Nations General Assembly. (1969). General assembly – twenty fourth session.
  • United Nations World Tourism Organization. (2007). About UNWTO.
  • World Tourism Organization. (2003). WTO news, 2003 (3). Madrid: World Tourism Organization.
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External links

Template:Sister project

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