World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has a new chance African style with Saudi Arabia leading and venue Morocco

unwto logo
World Tourism Organization
Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Morocco is a melting pot of dynasties and cultures. It makes it the ideal city to reform a global travel and tourism industry that has been forced to its knees.
Morocco may be the country able to correct the wrongs in the past two UNWTO Secretary-General elections and set the future of this UN-affiliated agency back on track with necessary financial backing.
Morocco may be the venue where tourism once again becomes a leader in the world economy and a global family.

  1. The most secret, but also the most important ever, General Asssembly for the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was quietly moved from October 2021 to be held now from November 30 to December 2, 2021, in Marrakesh, Morocco.
  2. The re-appointment for Zurab Pololikashvili as UNWTO Secretary-General for the next period from 2022-2025 will be voted on. There is a chance to correct an important wrong.
  3. Moving the UNWTO headquarters from Madrid, Spain, to Riyad, Saudi Arabia, is expected to be added to the agenda and decided on.

UNWTO General Assembly 2021, Marrakesh, Morocco

Without issuing any press release or announcement, members of the World Tourism Organization were informed today about an expected date change for the upcoming 24th General Assembly.

The GA will be held as originally planned in the Moroccon City of Marrakesh from November 30 to December 2, 2021. The date change had been expected and was an open secret, just now revealed.

Morocco is a major African travel and tourism destination, and a victim of COVID-19, like most of the world.

UNWTO had been criticized to be ineffective and not living up to the challenges the tourism world had been facing since COVID-19 emerged in March of 2020.

Morocco will not just be the venue of another General Assembly. It will not just be hosted in a country that is committed to the travel and tourism industry, but also in a country that is hosting this important event against all odds when COVID-19 is at an expected peak.

It will be an event where member states can correct a wrong that started in 2018. It’s also an event where the UNWTO home could be moved for the first time since the implementation of the UNWTO special agency.

Depending on all of this, UNWTO may for the first time ever become an organization with sufficient funding, support, and be reinstated as a global leader and team player for the public tourism sector.

To gain back legitimacy, the issue of voting manipulations in 2017 and again in 2021 can finally be addressed before confirming a secretary-general to the 2022-2025 term.

Morocco will be the only place where the current Secretary-General cannot be the accused and the judge at the same time.

Saudi Arabia had been living up to becoming a first responder and a lot more to the global travel and tourism industry. With billions ready to invest, this is by far an attractive proposal for an organization with only an 8 million dollar budget, most of it spent on travel for the Secretary-General and his friends. Saudi Arabia in return feels a new headquarters in Riyadh will secure the financial stability of this UN-affiliated agency. Therefore, a proposal to move its headquarters from Madrid to Riyadh is expected to be added to the agenda.

Currently, this agenda doesn’t mention all of this yet. It’s now up to the UNWTO members to complete an agenda in a timely manner. It’s also up to the members to make travel arrangements to Marrakesh, so a broad vote on global tourism Issues can be facilitated and assured.

It can only be hoped leaders, also in the field of global health, the private industry, association heads, and a wide range of media, will be invited to attend the General Assembly. Global tourism needs leadership, and Morocco has the chance, which may be the last chance, to save the World Tourism Organization

The current agenda by the UNWTO secretariat:.

Monday, November 29, 2021

Arrival of delegates

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

10:00 – 11:00 Program and Budget Committee
10:00 – 11:00 Committee for the Review of Applications for Affiliate Membership
11:30 – 13:00 114th session of the Executive Council
12:00 – 14:00 43rd UNWTO Affiliate Members Plenary Session
14:00 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 16:30 Committee on Tourism and Sustainability
15:00 – 16:30 Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness
15:00 – 17:00 Working group on the International Code for the Protection of Tourists
15:00 – 18:00 43rd UNWTO Affiliate Members Plenary Session
16:30 – 18:00 Committee on Statistics
16:30 – 18:00 Committee on Tourism Online Education
19:00 – 22:00 Welcome dinner

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

10:00 – 10:30 Official opening
10:45 – 13:15 Plenary session 1
13:15 – 13:30 Group photo
13:30 – 15:30 Lunch
15:00 – 15:30 Credentials Committee
15:30 – 18:30 Plenary session 2
20:30 – 22:30 Dinner

Thursday, December 2, 2021


10:00 – 13:00 Thematic session: Innovation, Education and Rural Development to Build Back Better
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
14:30 – 17:30 Plenary session 3
14:30 – 16:30 Affiliate Members Board
17:30 – 18:30 Associate Members meeting
20:00 – 22:00 Dinner

Friday, December 3, 2021

10:30 – 12:00 115th session of the Executive Council
12:00 – 12:30 Program and Budget Committee
Technical visits (TBC)
Departure of delegates

Click here for more information on the 24th UNWTO General Assembly.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
Share to...