Zurab Pololikashvili

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) gathered leading Travel & Tourism stakeholders and G20 Ministers in a Public-Private Dialogue in Goa  to address the sector’s vast potential…

In an historic first, the world’s two leading Travel & Tourism organisations representing the global public and private sectors agreed to work together across a number of key objectives.…

Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO was launched in 2021 as part of the Organization’s work to make tourism a driver of rural development and wellbeing.

After stronger than expected recovery in 2022, this year could see international tourism arrivals return to pre-pandemic levels in Europe and the Middle East.

UNWTO, in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and UN Women has…

As the European Council presents the conclusions of the European Tourism Agenda, UNWTO has joined European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean in emphasizing the importance of jobs,…

The newly admitted UNWTO members reflect the diversity of the broad tourism sector, with private companies, Destination Management Organizations, universities, professional associations,…

Tourism leaders from every global region have met to advance plans to transform the sector against a backdrop of challenges old and new. UNWTO convened its Executive Council in Marrakesh,…

The growing importance of gastronomy tourism as a driver of inclusive development will be celebrated in the Japanese city of Nara next month.

The four pilot countries have led the way in putting gender-equality centre stage of their tourism recovery plans and UNWTO is committed to taking this work further and wider.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) have launched the Innovative Community Tourism Experiences Competition to promote innovation through…

Destinations around the world are reporting significant advances in sustainable tourism, with timely evidence and analytics serving as key tools for transformation as the sector’s recovery…

Held in the city of Alba, Piedmont, Italy, the 6th conference on ‘Wine tourism: innovation, partnerships and technology’ brought together more than 300 leading public and private sector…

The Travel & Tourism private sector was invited to the G20 Tourism Ministers’ meeting, when the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) addressed the Group of Twenty in Bali,…

Held around the theme of ‘Rethinking Tourism’, the Global Day of Observation emphasized the sector’s unique potential to drive recovery and deliver positive change for people everywhere.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals almost tripled in January to July 2022 (+172%) compared to the same period of 2021. This means the…

Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Zurab Pololikashvili has joined the Minister of Tourism of Italy Massimo Garavaglia to officially launch the first Global Youth…

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met the Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda for the first time since the country became UNWTO’s 160th Member State

United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has re-elected Zurab Pololikashvili to the role of general secretary of the organisation

International tourism enjoyed signs of rebound in June and July as some destinations eased travel restrictions and the global vaccination rollout advanced in many parts of the world

In preparation for COP26, two information sessions were held on the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism

UNWTO, Visit Portugal and the city of Reguengos de Monsaraz in the Alentejo region is holding the 5th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism, in collaboration with the Government of…

“Looking ahead, it is essential to understand how we can invest in technology that supports pandemic protection and preparedness, not just for healthcare provision.”

The crash in international tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic could cause a loss of more than USD 4 trillion to the global GDP for the years 2020 and 2021

1st Global Youth Tourism Summit from 23-25 August 2021 in Sorrento in Italy will be the first of this kind at the global level aiming to promote youth engagement in the tourism sector and…

UNWTO has launched Jobs Factory, powered by Hosco, the global hospitality network to connect talent with employers across the sector

Held under the theme ‘Gastronomy Tourism: Promoting Rural Tourism and Regional Development’, the Forum will take place 31 October – 2 November 2021 in Bruges, Belgium

European members of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have met in Athens to advance the safe and sustainable restart of tourism across the region

UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has opened its first regional office for the Middle East in Riyadh, bringing the United Nations specialized agency closer to its members and advancing…

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Google have signed a new agreement to work together and lead global tourism’s recovery through innovation, education, and market intelligence

UNWTO has served as tourism’s global voice as the Tourism Ministers of the G20 nations met to devise a way forward for an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable recovery for the sector

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has stated that the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global tourism has carried on into 2021.

The devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global tourism has carried on into 2021, with new data showing an 87% fall in international tourist arrivals in January as compared to 2020

UNWTO) is calling for the international community to show solidarity with ‘small island developing states’ (SIDS) by ensuring they have access to Covid-19 vaccinations

UNWTO is marking International Women’s Day 2021 with the release of its Inclusive Recovery Guide for women in tourism, compiled in collaboration with UN Women

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Moroccan officials recently met to advance the organization of the 24th UNWTO General Assembly in October 2021, the first global high-level UN…

UNWTO and Morocco met to advance the organisation of the 24th UNWTO General Assembly in October 2021, the first global high-level UN event to be held since the beginning of the pandemic

Global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020, with international arrivals dropping by 74 per cent when compared to 2019 according to the latest data from the UNWTO

The Executive Council of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has expressed its continued support for secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili

Today in Madrid, the UNWTO Global Tourism Crisis Committee will hold its first meeting of the year to advance concrete plans to ensure the restart of tourism will take place

International arrivals fell by 72% over the first ten months of 2020, with restrictions on travel, low consumer confidence and a global struggle to contain the COVID-19 virus, all…

Centred around a 45-second film, the 'restart tourism' campaign affirms UNWTO as the unifying voice behind the global restart of tourism

The number of destinations closed to international tourism has continued to fall.

According to the eighth edition of the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report, 70% of all global destinations have eased restrictions on travel introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

UNWTO has reaffirmed commitment to working closely with the government of Brazil to help the country’s tourism sector recover and become a key driver of sustainable development

UNWTO) has once again brought leaders from across the sector together for high-level talks aimed at strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors

Restrictions on travel introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to hit global tourism hard, with the latest data from the UNWTO showing a 70% fall in international arrivals…

Canary Islands has been confirmed as the latest member of the growing International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO), overseeing the responsible development of tourism…

Consistent and harmonised travel protocols, enhanced safety measures and the protection of jobs and livelihoods are the main ingredients needed for the restart of tourism

UNWTO will work alongside the Expedia Group to strengthen ties between the public and private sectors and drive tourism’s recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

Tourism ministers of the G20 nations have committed to stepping up their efforts to place sustainability and inclusion at the heart of tourism recovery and future growth

UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will work with California-based Eightfold.ai to help connect tourism jobseekers with employers and so drive the global recovery of the sector

UNWTO has confirmed that a majority of destinations around the world (53%) have now started easing travel restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The 2020 edition of World Tourism Day will celebrate the unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities outside of big cities and preserving cultural and natural heritage all…

A high-level delegation from UNWTO has concluded an official visit to Egypt to offer firm support for the government’s work to restart tourism and direct its benefits towards supporting…

The re-opening of borders to tourism is a welcome relief to millions who depend on the travel sector. But this alone is not enough, says UNWTO

UNWTO is calling on destinations to recognise the needs of travellers with disabilities or specific access requirements as they open up to visitors again

The responsible restart of tourism is underway around the world as growing numbers of destinations ease COVID-19 related travel restrictions and adapt to the new reality. According to…

The latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer shows that the near-complete lockdown imposed in response to the pandemic led to a 98% fall in international tourist numbers in May

A new set of recommendations published outline how the global tourism sector can continue in its fight against plastic pollution while effectively facing the public health and hygiene…

UNWTO head talks about how mere words will not do and concrete actions are needed for tourism recovery in post-COVID 19 times

Against the backdrop of the re-opening of borders across Europe, a high-level delegation from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has arrived in Italy to begin a first official…

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has welcomed Spain’s readiness to lead the way in restarting tourism. The head of the United Nations specialised agency attended a meeting with…

The world is slowly opening up again, new research from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) indicates, with destinations cautiously easing travel restrictions introduced in…

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has released a set of guidelines to help the tourism sector emerge stronger and more sustainably from COVID-19. The guidelines highlight the…

COVID-19 has placed the whole world on lockdown, with new research from the UN World Tourism Organisation showing that 100% of global destinations continue to have restrictions on travel…

The scale of disruption caused by COVID-19 to global tourism is shown in a comprehensive new report on travel restrictions from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The landmark…

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has released a set of recommendations calling for urgent and strong support to help the global tourism sector not only recover from the…

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has released an updated assessment of the likely impact of the Covid-19 on international tourism. Considering the unparalleled introduction of…

In the face of an unprecedented challenge, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO), calls on innovators and entrepreneurs to…

As the COVID-19 situation evolves, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) observes that full or partial travel restrictions have been – and continue to be – introduced across the…

In an update on the sector’s response to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) offers a first assessment pointing to a decrease in international…

Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) addressed the European Parliament in the context of several high-level meetings aimed at placing…

Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) paid a high-level visit to Greece to meet with the Prime Minister and minister of tourism and offer…

The 11th edition of the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism will take place on 11-13 March 2020 in Andorra, under the theme ‘Tourism, Innovation and Sustainability’. The congress…

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Basque Culinary Center have joined forces again for the second edition of the Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition. After the…

The Travel Foundation has announced its commitment to tackle plastic pollution as part of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, led by the UN Environment Programme and the World…

About 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals were recorded globally by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in 2019 – a new record. According to the first…

The growing sports tourism sector took centre stage at the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macau, SAR with the first 'SPORTSTECH' edition of the UN World Tourism Organisation’s Tourism…

City leaders from around the world met in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan for the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Urban Tourism Summit. The summit enjoyed the highest level of…

Australia South West Sustainable Tourism Observatory (ASWTO) has officially become the latest member of the World Tourism Organisation’s International Network of Sustainable Tourism…

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) are joining forces to strengthen sustainable and inclusive tourism as a tool for…

The secretary-general of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili and the CEO of Iberia, Luis Gallego, have signed a cooperation agreement in favour of sustainable…

Morocco has been officially chosen as the host of the 24th Session of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to be held in 2021. Members attending the 23rd General Assembly in St…

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has joined Globalia, a tourism group in Spain and Latin America, to launch the second edition of the UNWTO Global Tourism Start-up Competition.…

More than 1,000 participants from 124 countries have travelled to Saint Petersburg to be part of more than a dozen international tourism governance events during this week hosted by the…

As the special event titled Aid for Trade Conference, hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, got rolling, the unique potential of tourism as a tool for…

The US has highlighted its support of tourism as a driver of sustainable development. A high-level delegation of the government attending the World Tourism Organization…

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in collaboration with Barça Innovation Hub (BIHUB) and with the support of the Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), has announced the launch…

Exports generated by international tourism reached a whopping USD 1.7 trillion in 2018, 4% increase in real terms over the previous year, a new report from the UN World Tourism…

All the foodie travellers can now head to Japan as new culinary developments make the country a big hit in the gastronomy tourism map.

Innovation, partnerships and managing rising tourist numbers have been top of the agenda at the 64th Meeting of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Commission for Europe,…

According to the latest issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer from the World Tourism Organization, international tourism continued to grow in 2019.

Technology influences how we connect and inform ourselves. It has encouraged innovation and made the world a smaller, well-connected place.This has trickled and made its way across sectors,…

Qatar has become the most open country in the Middle East and the 8th most open in the world in terms of visa facilitation.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) with the support of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) launched a new online portal to advance the achievement of the…

Focusing on sustainability, Hilton Hotels announced its commitment to cut its environmental footprint in half and double its social impact investment by 2030.