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{{Short description|Specialised agency of the United Nations}}
{{confused|World Trade Organization}}
{{Use British English Oxford spelling|date=December 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{multiple|
{{primary sources|date=January 2023}}
{{advert|date=January 2023}}
}}
{{Infobox United Nations
{{Infobox United Nations
| name =
| name = UN Tourism
| logo = EN_MV_RGB_Blue_TR.png
{{collapsible list
| logo_size = 150px
|titlestyle = background:transparent; font-size:9pt;
| logo_caption =
|title = UNWTO
| image = UNWTO headquarters (Madrid, Spain) 01.jpg
|{{Infobox|subbox=yes|bodystyle= font-size:9pt;font-weight:normal;
| caption = UN Tourism headquarters, Madrid, Spain
| rowclass1 = mergedrow| label3 = [[French language|French]]: | data3 = {{lang|fr|Organisation mondiale du tourisme}}
| type = [[List of specialized agencies of the United Nations|United Nations specialized agency]]
| rowclass2 = mergedrow| label5 = [[Spanish language|Spanish]]: | data5 = {{lang|es|Organización mundial del turismo}}
| abbreviation = UN Tourism
}}<!--NOTE: 'Organization' is only part of the official title in Russian.-->
| membership = 160 Member States<ref>{{Cite web |title=Member States |url=https://www.unwto.org/member-states |access-date=2024-04-07 |website=www.unwto.org}}</ref>
| leader_title = Secretary-General
| leader_name = [[Zurab Pololikashvili]]
| status = Active
| formation = {{Start date and age|1975|11|01|df=yes|p=y}}
| headquarters = [[Madrid]], Spain
| website = [https://www.unwto.org/ www.unwto.org]
| parent_organization = [[United Nations]]
| subsidiaries =
| footnotes = {{portal-inline|Politics|size=tiny}}
}}
}}
| caption =
| type = [[Specialized agency]]
| acronyms = UNWTO<br />OMT
| head = [[Taleb Rifai]] & AB
| status = Active
| established = {{start date and age|1975}}
| headquarters = [[Madrid]], [[Spain]]
| website = [http://www2.unwto.org/ UNWTO website]
| parent = [[United Nations]]
| footnotes =
}}

The '''United Nations World Tourism Organization''' ('''UNWTO''') is the [[United Nations]] agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible [[tourism]]. It is the leading international organization in the field of tourism, which 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. It encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism<ref>{{cite web|title=Global Code of Ethics for Tourism|url=http://ethics.unwto.org/en/content/global-code-ethics-tourism|website=unwto.org|publisher=World Tourism Organization|accessdate=17 December 2014}}</ref> to maximize the contribution of tourism to socio-economic development, while minimizing its possible negative [[impacts of tourism|impacts]], and is committed to promoting tourism as an instrument in achieving the United Nations [[Millennium Development Goals]] (MDGs), geared towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development.

UNWTO generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training, and works to make tourism an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in over 100 countries around the world.

UNWTO’s membership includes 156 countries, 6 territories and over 500 affiliate members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities. Its headquarters are located in [[Madrid]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.unwto.org/about/whereweare|title=Where we are|publisher=|accessdate=20 January 2016}}</ref>

==Organizational aims==
[[File:UNWTO headquarters (Madrid, Spain) 01.jpg|thumb|UNWTO headquarters Madrid]]
The objectives of the UNWTO are to promote and develop sustainable tourism to contribute to economic development, international understanding, peace, prosperity and universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. In pursuing these aims, UNWTO pays particular attention to the interests of developing countries in the field of tourism.<ref>[http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/docpdf/statutesoftheunwtoe.pdf Statutes of UNWTO]</ref>

==History==
The origin of UNWTO stems back to 1920 when the International Congress of Official Tourist Traffic Associations (ICOTT) was formed at [[The Hague]]. Some articles from early volumes of the Annals of Tourism Research,<ref name="Jafari">Jafari, ''Creation of the intergovernmental world tourism oration''</ref> claim that the UNWTO originated from the International Union of Official Tourist Publicity Organizations (IUOTPO), although the UNWTO states that the ICOTT became the International Union of Official Tourist Publicity Organizations first in 1934.

Following the end of the [[World War II|Second World War]] and with international travel numbers increasing, the IUOTPO restructured itself into the International Union of Official Travel Organizations (IUOTO). A technical, non-governmental organization, the IUOTO was made up of a combination of national tourist organizations, industry and consumer groups. The goals and objectives of the IUOTO were to not only promote tourism in general but also to extract the best out of tourism as an international trade component and as an economic development strategy for developing nations.<ref name="Jafari"/>


'''UN Tourism''' ('''UNWTO''' until 2023) is a [[List of specialized agencies of the United Nations|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 (city)|Nara]], Japan<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=UNWTO Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific |url=https://www.unwto.org/un-tourism-ambassadors |access-date=10 January 2024}}</ref> and a Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Towards the end of the 1960s, the IUOTO realized the need for further transformation to enhance its role on an international level. The 20th IUOTO general assembly in [[Tokyo]], 1967, declared the need for the creation of an intergovernmental body with the necessary abilities to function on an international level in cooperation with other international agencies, in particular the United Nations. Throughout the existence of the IUOTO, close ties had been established between the organization and the United Nations (UN) and initial suggestions had the IUOTO becoming part of the UN. However, following the circulation of a draft convention, consensus held that any resultant intergovernmental organization should be closely linked to the UN but preserve its "complete administrative and financial autonomy".<ref>Jafari, ''Creation of the intergovernmental world tourism organization'', 241</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>
It was on the recommendations of the UN that the formation of the new intergovernmental tourism organization was based. Resolution 2529 of the XXIVth UN general assembly stated:


The six official languages of UN Tourism are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
In 1970, the IUOTO general assembly voted in favor of forming the World Tourism Organization (WTO).<ref>{{cite web|title=The Postal History of ICAO|url=http://www.icao.int/secretariat/PostalHistory/icao_and_the_world_tourism_organization.htm|website=icao.int|accessdate=17 December 2014}}</ref> Based on statutes of the IUOTO, and after ratification by the prescribed 51 states, the WTO came into operation on November 1, 1974.


Before the outbreak of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], tourism stood at an all-time high: 1 out of 10 jobs worldwide depended on tourism and international tourist arrivals reached 1.5 billion in 2019. 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.
Most recently, at the fifteenth general assembly in 2003, the WTO general council and the UN agreed to establish the WTO as a specialized agency of the UN. The significance of this collaboration, WTO Secretary-General Mr. Francesco Frangialli claimed, would lie in "the increased visibility it gives the WTO, and the recognition that will be accorded to [it]. Tourism will be considered on an equal footing with other major activities of human society".<ref>World Tourism Organization, ''WTO news, 2003'', 3</ref>


From its inception in 1975 until 2023, UN Tourism was called the World Tourism Organization (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>
In 2004, UNWTO established the World Committee on Tourism Ethics, the implementation body for the ‎Global Code of Ethics (adopted in 1999). The Committee, whose members are elected due to their professional capacities rather than their nationalities or country affiliations, promotes and disseminates the Code and evaluates and monitors the implementation of its principles.


== 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.png|thumb|right|334px|{{legend|#008000|UNWTO member states}} {{legend|#00FF00|UNWTO associates}} {{legend|#FFFF00|UNWTO observers}}]]
[[File:UNWTO Tourism Regions.svg|thumb|334px|UNWTO Tourism Regions]]
[[File:UNWTO.svg|thumb|right|334px|UNWTO member states sorted by their regions]]


{{As of|July 2017}}, membership of the UNWTO included 156 states,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unwto.org/states/index.php|title=Member States|publisher=|accessdate=20 January 2016}}</ref> six territories ([[Flemish Community]] (1997), [[Puerto Rico]] (2002), [[Aruba]] (1987), [[Hong Kong]] (1999), [[Macau]] (1981), [[Madeira]] (1995)),<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 permanent observers ([[Holy See]] (1979), [[Palestine Liberation Organization|Palestine]] (1999)). Seventeen state members have withdrawn from the organization for different periods in the past: [[Australia]], [[Bahamas]], [[Bahrain]], [[Belgium]], [[Canada]], [[Costa Rica]], [[El Salvador]], [[Grenada]], [[Honduras]], [[Kuwait]], [[Latvia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Myanmar]], [[Panama]], [[Philippines]], [[Qatar]], [[Thailand]], [[United Kingdom]] and [[Puerto Rico]] (as an associate member).{{cn|date=March 2017}} The [[Netherland Antilles]] was an associate member before [[Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles|its dissolution]].
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]], [[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]], [[Bahrain]], [[Belgium]], [[Canada]] (Canada withdrew from the World Tourism Organization when it appointed [[Robert Mugabe]] as a leader in 2013), [[Costa Rica]], [[El Salvador]], [[Grenada]], [[Honduras]], [[Kuwait]], [[Latvia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Myanmar]], [[Panama]], [[Philippines]], [[Qatar]], [[Thailand]], [[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>
Non-members are: [[Antigua and Barbuda]], [[Barbados]], [[Belgium]], [[Belize]], [[Comoros]], [[Denmark]], [[Dominica]], [[Estonia]], [[Finland]], [[Grenada]], [[Guyana]], [[Iceland]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Kiribati]], [[Latvia]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Marshall Islands]], [[Micronesia]], [[Nauru]], [[New Zealand]], [[Palau]], [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]], [[Saint Lucia]], [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]], [[Samoa]], [[Singapore]], [[Solomon Islands]], [[Somalia]], [[South Sudan]], [[Suriname]], [[Sweden]], [[Tonga]], [[Tuvalu]], [[United Kingdom]],
[[United States]].


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.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) rejoined the organization in May 2013, 26 years after having left UNWTO.<ref>http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2013-05-08/united-arab-emirates-joins-world-tourism-organization</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>
Additionally, and uniquely for a United Nations specialized agency, UNWTO has over 500 affiliate members, representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities, non-governmental entities with specialised interests in tourism, and commercial and non-commercial bodies and associations with activities related to the aims of UNWTO or falling within its competence.


==Secretaries-General==
==Secretaries-General==
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|2010–2017
|2010–2017
|-
|-
|{{flagicon|Georgia}} [[Zurab Pololikashvili]]<ref>[http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2017-05-12/unwto-executive-council-recommends-zurab-pololikashvili-secretary-general-p UNWTO Executive Council recommends Zurab Pololikashvili for Secretary-General for the period 2018-2021]</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 |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>
|2018–
|2018–
|}
|}


As 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>
==Structure==


==Publications==
===General Assembly===
* UNWTO Annual Report
The General Assembly is the principal gathering of the World Tourism Organization. It meets every two years to approve the budget and programme of work and to debate topics of vital importance to the tourism sector. Every four years it elects a Secretary-General. The General Assembly is composed of full members and associate members. Affiliate members and representatives of other international organizations participate as observers.{{cn|date=March 2017}} The World Committee on Tourism Ethics is a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.unwto.org/en/content/general-assembly|title=General Assembly|publisher=|accessdate=20 January 2016}}</ref>
* UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer
* UNWTO Declarations
* Knowledge Network Issues Paper Series


==Tourism Data Dashboard==
===Executive Council===
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)."<ref>{{cite web |title=The UN Tourism Data Dashboard |url=https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/unwto-tourism-dashboard |website=UNWTO |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025125352/https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/unwto-tourism-dashboard |archive-date= Oct 25, 2023 }}</ref>
The Executive Council is UNWTO's governing board, responsible for ensuring that the Organization carries out its work and adheres to its budget. It meets at least twice a year and is composed of members elected by the General Assembly in a ratio of one for every five full members. As host country of UNWTO'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/|title=Executive Council|publisher=|accessdate=20 January 2016}}</ref>


===Committees===
===Visa Openness Report===
Specialized committees of UNWTO members advise on management and programme content. These include: the Programme Committee, the Committee on Budget and Finance, the Committee on Statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account, the Committee on Market and Competitiveness, the Sustainable Development of Tourism Committee, the World Committee on Tourism Ethics, the Committee on Poverty Reduction and the Committee for the Review of applications for affiliate membership.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.unwto.org/en/node/17|title=Committees|publisher=|accessdate=20 January 2016}}</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 = 9789284414727 |publisher=UNWTO and WTTC |doi-access=free |url=https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284414727 }}</ref>
===Secretariat===
The Secretariat is responsible for implementing UNWTO's programme of work and serving the needs of members. The group is led by Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai of Jordan, who supervises about 110 full-time staff at UNWTO's Madrid headquarters. The affiliate members are supported by a full-time Executive Director at the Madrid headquarters. The Secretariat also includes a regional support office for Asia-Pacific in Osaka, Japan, financed by the Japanese Government.{{cn|date=March 2017}}

===Official languages===
The official languages of UNWTO are Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.belta.by/en/news/society?id=701586|title=Chinese to become official language of World Tourism Organization|date=2012-12-12|accessdate=2012-12-19|publisher=Belarusian Telegraph Agency|location=Minsk}}</ref>

==Publications==
[[File:Tourism_Facts_%26_Figures.jpg|thumb|300px|Key tourism statistics]]
* [http://www.e-unwto.org/loi/knips Knowledge Network Issues Paper Series]
* [http://media.unwto.org/en/annual-reports UNWTO Annual Report]
* [http://www.e-unwto.org/loi/unwtodeclarations UNWTO Declarations]
* [http://www2.unwto.org/en/content/what-we-do UNWTO Fact Sheets]
* [http://www.e-unwto.org/loi/wtobarometereng UNWTO World Tourism Barometer]
* [http://www.e-unwto.org/loi/worldtravel World Travel – Tourisme Mondial]


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>
;Visa Openness Report
The World Tourism Organization in its Visa Openness Report concluded that the 30 countries whose citizens were least affected by visa restrictions in 2015 were (based on the data compiled by the UNWTO, 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|accessdate=17 January 2016}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
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|}
|}


== Ambassadors ==
The world average score in 2015 was 89, among advanced economies the average score was 154 and among emerging economies, 73 (Russia scored 93, India 50 and China 46)


=== Sports<ref name=":0" /> ===
==Notes==
Didier Drogba - Football player
{{reflist|30em}}

Leo Messi - Football player

Andrés Iniesta - Football player

=== Gastronomy and Wine ===
Gino Sorbillo - chef

Ramon Freixa - chef

=== Business Leaders ===
Michael Frenzel - Businessman

Adam Goldstein - Businessman

=== Arts, Design & Culture ===
Giorgio Armani - Passion designer

Placido Domingo - Opera singer

==See also==
*[[World Tourism Day]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*Jafari, J. (1974). Creation of the intergovernmental world tourism organization. Annals of Tourism Research, 2, (5), 237–245.
*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 General Assembly. (1969). General assembly – twenty fourth session.
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| url =http://www.world-tourism.org/newsroom/Releases/2005/december/acronym.htm
| url =http://www.world-tourism.org/newsroom/Releases/2005/december/acronym.htm
| date =2005-12-01
| date =2005-12-01
| accessdate =2008-03-04}}
| access-date =2008-03-04}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www2.unwto.org/ UNWTO website]
* {{official|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]
{{commonscat-inline|UNWTO|United Nations World Tourism Organization}}


{{United Nations}}
{{United Nations}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:World Tourism Organization| ]]
[[Category:Tourism agencies]]
[[Category:Tourism agencies]]
[[Category:United Nations Development Group]]
[[Category:United Nations Development Group]]
[[Category:United Nations specialized agencies]]
[[Category:United Nations specialized agencies]]
[[Category:World Tourism Organization| ]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Madrid]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Madrid]]
[[Category:Spain and the United Nations]]
[[Category:International organisations based in the Community of Madrid]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1974]]

Latest revision as of 02:44, 9 November 2024

Not to be confused with World Trade Organization.

UN Tourism
AbbreviationUN Tourism
Formation1 November 1975 (49 years ago) (1975-11-01)
TypeUnited Nations specialized agency
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
Membership160 Member States[1]
Secretary-General
Zurab Pololikashvili
Parent organization
United Nations
Websitewww.unwto.org
icon Politics portal

UN Tourism (UNWTO until 2023) 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[2] 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.[3]

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

Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism stood at an all-time high: 1 out of 10 jobs worldwide depended on tourism and international tourist arrivals reached 1.5 billion in 2019. 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.

From its inception in 1975 until 2023, UN Tourism was called the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).[4]

Members

[edit]
UNWTO Tourism Regions

UN Tourism has 160 Member States,[5][6][7] six associate members (Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macao, Madeira and Puerto Rico),[8] 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, 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, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada (Canada withdrew from the World Tourism Organization when it appointed Robert Mugabe as a leader in 2013), Costa Rica, El Salvador, Grenada, Honduras, Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Thailand, United Kingdom and Puerto Rico (as an associate member).[citation needed] 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.[9]

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.[10]

Secretaries-General

[edit]
Name Years of Tenure
France Robert Lonati 1975–1985
Austria Willibald Pahr 1986–1989
Mexico Antonio Enriquez Savignac 1990–1996
France Francesco Frangialli 1997–2009
Jordan Taleb Rifai 2010–2017
Georgia (country) Zurab Pololikashvili[11] 2018–

As 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.[12]

Publications

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  • UNWTO Annual Report
  • UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer
  • UNWTO Declarations
  • Knowledge Network Issues Paper Series

Tourism Data Dashboard

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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)."[13]

Visa Openness Report

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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.[14]

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.[15] 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):[16]

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  Denmark,  Finland,  Germany,  Italy,  Luxembourg,  Singapore,  United Kingdom 160
8  France,  Japan  Netherlands,  South Korea,  Sweden,  United States 159
14  Belgium,  Canada,  Ireland,  Norway,  Portugal,  Spain,   Switzerland 158
21  Austria,  Greece,  Malta 157
24  Czech Republic,  New Zealand 156
26  Hungary,  Iceland,  Malaysia 155
29  Australia,  Slovakia 154

Ambassadors

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Sports[2]

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Didier Drogba - Football player

Leo Messi - Football player

Andrés Iniesta - Football player

Gastronomy and Wine

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Gino Sorbillo - chef

Ramon Freixa - chef

Business Leaders

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Michael Frenzel - Businessman

Adam Goldstein - Businessman

Arts, Design & Culture

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Giorgio Armani - Passion designer

Placido Domingo - Opera singer

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Member States". www.unwto.org. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "UNWTO Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific". Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Home | UNWTO". www.unwto.org. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  4. ^ "UNWTO Becomes "UN Tourism" to Mark A New Era for Global Sector". UN Tourism. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Who we are | World Tourism Organization UNWTO".
  6. ^ "Member States". Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Spanish Visa Experts". Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "The United Arab Emirates joins the World Tourism Organization". World Tourism Organization UNWTO. 8 May 2013. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018.
  10. ^ Pons, Corina; Khalip, Andrei (27 April 2022). "UN tourism body chief says Russia quitting the organization". Regina Leader Post. Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024.
  11. ^ "UNWTO Executive Council recommends Zurab Pololikashvili for Secretary-General for the period 2018-2021". World Tourism Organization UNWTO. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Executive Council". World Tourism Organization UNWTO. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  13. ^ "The UN Tourism Data Dashboard". UNWTO. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023.
  14. ^ 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. UNWTO and WTTC. 2012. doi:10.18111/9789284414727. ISBN 9789284414727.
  15. ^ Visa openness report 2015. 2016. doi:10.18111/9789284417384. ISBN 9789284417384.
  16. ^ "Visa Openness Report 2016" (PDF). World Tourism Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.

Further reading

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  • 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.
  • "World Tourism Organization changes its abbreviation to UNWTO". UNWTO Press and Communications. 1 December 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
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