More than 500 delegates from around the world, including Ministers of Tourism of UNWTO Member States, international organizations, as well as leaders from the private sector and civil society, will participate in the meeting of the supreme governing body of this specialized agency of the United Nations.

On 1 to 3 December, Madrid will host the 24th General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), where the future of a strategic sector for many countries after the pandemic will be analysed, bearing in mind the commitment to a more inclusive and sustainable tourism.

Innovation, education and rural development

In line with the UNWTO's core priorities, the General Assembly will focus on building for the future through innovation, education and tourism for rural development.

In Madrid, the official headquarters of the UNWTO, the organization will launch its new initiative “Digital Futures Programme for SMEs”, designed to help small tourism businesses take advantage of the benefits of innovation.

Likewise, the winners of the first edition of the UNWTO initiative “Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO” will be announced, recognizing the best examples of rural destinations that embrace tourism as a pillar of growth and opportunity, while the UNWTO 2021 Students’ League will celebrate the future of the sector.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili will present his report to the Members, outlining how the Organization has led the global tourism response to the unprecedented crisis caused by COVID-19, in particular by providing vital support for jobs and businesses and ensuring harmonized standards and protocols to restore confidence in travel. The report will also set out plans for a more inclusive and resilient future, including the revision of the UNWTO 2030 Agenda for Africa and the first International Code for the Protection of Tourists, also designed to restore confidence in travel.

The Secretary-General thanked the Spanish Government for offering to host the event, after the Kingdom of Morocco was forced to relinquish hosting it due to public health considerations. “In difficult circumstances, Spain has stepped forward to host this important General Assembly. In the UNWTO’s host city, Madrid, world tourism will come together to chart a future in which our sector can develop its unique potential as a pillar of growth, inclusive and opportunities for all” said the Secretary-General Pololikashvili.

The Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of Spain, Reyes Maroto, said: “It is an honour to be able to hold this Assembly in a country that is the host of the UNWTO and whose influence in tourism is so important. We value the role that the tourism of the future will play, marked by respect for the environment and a commitment to new tourism attractions beyond “sun-and-sand”. Spain is a leading country in world tourism and wants to continue to be so after the pandemic. We were pioneers in implementing the COVID Certificate and now our country is considered a safe destination. We will continue working to maintain high levels of quality and diversity in our tourism.”

Statutory meetings and elections

On the eve of the 24th session of the General Assembly, the Plenary Session of the Affiliate Members of the UNWTO will be held. At the session, private companies, destination management organizations, and representatives of civil society and academia will share initiatives for the recovery of tourism and ideas for sustainable growth. They are also expected to approve the revised legal framework for Affiliate Members, which will continue to promote UNWTO’s transition to a more agile, dynamic and responsive organization.

On that day, the UNWTO’s Programme and Budget Committee will meet to underline the Secretariat’s commitment to transparency.

At the The 24th General Assembly, the Members will also be asked to confirm the appointment of Secretary-General Pololikashvili for a second term, following the recommendation of the UNWTO Executive Council held earlier in the year. Likewise, the Members will also vote to decide on the themes of the 2022 and 2023 World Tourism Day celebrations, and the host country of the 25th General Assembly in 2023.

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About UN Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Our Priorities

Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper.

Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all.

Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange.

Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UN Tourism Members' competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management.

Advancing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the SDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda.

Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector.

Our Structure

Members: An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.

Organs: The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization. The Executive Council take all measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and reports to the Assembly.

Secretariat: UN Tourism headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and organized into departments covering issues such as sustainability, education, tourism trends and marketing, sustainable development, statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), destination management, ethics and risk and crisis management. The Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department carries out development projects in over 100 countries worldwide, while the Regional Departments for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East serve as the link between UN Tourism and its 160 Member States. The Affiliate Members Department represents UN Tourism's 500 plus Affiliate members.

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