Friends of eTurboNews including government, private industry, and media officials are ready to leak information from the upcoming General Assembly in Madrid.
What those allowed to attend the General Assembly in Madrid will see is the largest delegation of any country, the delegation from the Republic of Georgia, ready to give support to Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili in his election confirmation.
In May 2017, this publication reported about the same Georgian delegation of embassy officials physically shielding candidate Zurab Pololikashvili in the hotel lobby and during the Secretary-General voting process. Zurab was seen by an eTurboNews reporter unknown to him and standing in the midst of the group of Georgian embassy officials. Zurab was talking to someone in the room where Executive Council members were meeting to vote for the next Secretary-General. Zurab was using his mobile phone connected by SKYPE to give instructions to someone in this room.
A partial list of the Georgia delegation expected to attend this week:
- Ms. Ana Gochashvili Head of department Tourism Administration Georgia Yes
- Mr. Bacho Rusishvili Chief of Protocol Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia
- Ms. Helen Mdivani Primera Consejera Embajada de GeorgiaGeorgia
- Mr. ILIA GIORGADZE Ambassador Embassy of Georgia Georgia
- Mr. IRAKLI GIGAURI Counsellor Embassy of Georgia Georgia
- Mr. Leri Muradashvili Cameraman Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Georgia
- Mr. Luka Mamulaidze Cameraman Georgian Tourism Administration Georgia
- Ms. Mariam Kvrivishvili Deputy Minister Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Georgia
- Ms. Maya Omiadze Head of Strategic Communications Department Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Georgia
- Ms. Medea Janiashvili Acting Head Georgian National Tourism Administration Georgia
- Ms. Natia Turnava Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Government of Georgia Georgia
- Mr. Nikoloz Sabulua Photographer Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Georgia
- Ms. Nino Turmanidze Assistant Embajada de Georgia Georgia
- Ms. Nino Kiltava Asistente Embajada de Georgia Georgia
- Mr. Teimuraz Basilaia Counsellor Embassy of Georgia Georgia Mr. Zurab
- Mchedlishvili Senior Adviser of the Embassy of Georgia Embassy of Georgia Georgia
Without a doubt, and just a Google search away, eTurboNews remains the leading news outlet in the world covering UNWTO issues, as it had been for 20 years. eTurboNews played an active role in the UNWTO system but was never known to perform lipservice.
UNWTO is hosted by Spain, an European Union Country. EU nationals, which includes German eTurboNews reporters do not need a special journalist visa to report from Spain.
Freedom of the press is the right of newspapers, magazines, and other printed matter to publish news without any control from the government. The freedom of the press in Spain, a Constitutional Monarchy with a Parliamentary Democracy, is guaranteed in section 20 of its Constitution written in 1978, after the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco which ended in 1975. Spain has been ranked by the World Press Freedom on 29th place in 2017.
This may be the reason why eTurboNews currently enjoys more than 2 million readers every month.
Ever since 2018, coverage about the Stalin-inspired UNWTO leadership has been critical, resulting in eTurboNews being banned from all UNWTO supported press events.
At the recent World Travel Market in London (WTM) the eTurboNews publisher was deliberately prevented from entering a public UNWTO/WTTC event. WTTC was not aware of this UNWTO decision.
Marcelo Risi, head of communication for the World Tourism Organization was a friend of eTN under the former UNWTO leadership. eTurboNews reporters were hosted by UNWTO for every major event before Zurab took over.
Marcelo was now threatened to lose his job if he would respond to eTurboNews. It’s the reason he did not once answer media questions by this publication since January 1, 2018.
The same has been true for Anita Mendiratta. She contributed articles for eTurboNews for many years, and she was promoted to the top advisor for the previous Secretary-General Dr. Taleb Rifai.
Since January 1, 2018, she took the post of top advisor to the current secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili. Perhaps her job was also on the line if she was to communicate with eTurboNews?
After the General Assembly in Zambia/ Zimbabwe in 2013, Anita Mendiratta coordinated a partnership between eTurboNews, UNWTO, IATA, ICAO, and CNN under the name CNN TASK Group
Dr. Taleb Rifai said 8 years ago:
The partnership between UNWTO and CNN International is a significant step towards highlighting the potential of travel and tourism. The industry continues to grow, employing millions of people, contributing to the socio-economic development of the world’s poorest countries. Through this partnership, destinations are provided with the opportunity to maximize their benefits in a highly competitive market through the TASK Group’s destination marketing.
UNWTO will continue to work together with CNN to further the growth of tourism development and position it as a key player in the global development agenda.”
Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, UNWTO
Nia Dos Santos, and Geraldine Finnegan will attend the General Assembly on behalf of CNN and the TASK Group to attract CNN advertisers.
Daniella Wagner of Jacobs Media, the owner of Travel Weekly will be in Madrid to find business opportunities for her media company. You will not find a critical paragraph (if anything) about UNWTO in Travel Weekly.
“Sometimes commercial interests become secondary,” said Juergen Steinmetz, publisher of eTurboNews “I served on the UNWTO Task Group against Sexual Exploitation of Children and represented the global travel media for many years. Everyone in this group was stunned when it was eliminated the day the new Secretary-General took lead in 2018.”
“When I see the changes in leadership, the manipulation, the fear for their jobs some UNWTO staff are experiencing every day, the recent ethic report, any media with a conscience should not put silence before possible revenue opportunities. Travel and Tourism are too important as an industry sector, especially in a time of crisis.”
It appears eTurboNews remained consistent in its criticism of UNWTO together with a handful of other brave news outlets, including Hosteltur in Spain.
“The threat of telling the truth was the reason eTurboNews was banned from the General Assembly two years ago in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2019 eTurboNews told UNWTO, it will not be silenced. eTurboNews was banned at all regional, executive council conferences, media, and trade show events since January 1, 2018.”
The truth can be inconvenient, but eTurboNews will continue to cover UNWTO in good and bad times, directly or indirectly. We hope better times will start soon again.
A team of eTurboNews friends will be sharing information from the UNWTO General Assembly. Anyone with information can email [email protected] or WhatsApp: +1-808-953-4705
Besides CNN and Travel Weekly, the following not-so-critical media is allowed to attend the General Assembly.
- ADAM ALHASSAN Political Reporter AFRICA PARROT ONLINE NEWSPAPER, RADIO AND TV
- ANTHONY FORSON REPORTER FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE
- Benjamin BOULY RAMES Coordinateur vidéo Agence France Presse Espagne AFP
- Blessing Oregbe Asemota Correspondent INDEPENDENT TELEVISION AND RADIO STATION
- Chidebere Henry Eze Photographer Daily Independent Newspapers
- Cristina Giner Journalist / Correspondent EURONEWS
- Ekaterina Vorobyeva chief foreign correspondent Russian news agency TASS
- Elena Shesternina corresponsal en España RIA Nóvosti (MIA Rossiya Sogodnya)
- elie flouty Media Advisor Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities
- Emeka Emmanuel Eze Correspondent INDEPENDENT TELEVISION AND RADIO STATION
- Fausto Triana Corresponsal jefe Agencia Latinoamericana de Noticias Prensa Latina
- Favour Ebere Chukwuemeka Senior Reporter Daily Independent Newspapers
- Fetis Alain Founder JOIE DE VIVRE & YOU
- Forster Uchenna Chikezie Photographer Daily Champion Newspapers
- FRED AYO CAMERAMAN FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE
- GERARD LEFEBVRE Senior Analyst & Editor CLEVERDIS / SAFE
- JABIR RAZAK Environmental Reporter AFRICA PARROT ONLINE NEWSPAPER, RADIO AND TV
- JOHN Momoh CHAIRMAN/CRO CHANNELS MEDIA GROUP
- JOHN HYANATOR ASSISTANT EDITOR AFRICA PARROT ONLINE NEWSPAPER, RADIO AND TV
- Joseph Chinagorom Kalu Correspondent INDEPENDENT TELEVISION AND RADIO STATION
- Kenenna Ugochukwu Nwaeze Reporter INDEPENDENT TELEVISION AND RADIO STATION
- kouasssi Michel Bernadin KOUADIO responsable logistique et photo voyagesafriq
- MANUELA INES GRESSLER External Collaborator Folha de São Paulo // Zero Hora (brazilian newspapers)
- MATTHEW KOFI ESSAH SENIOR EDITOR AFRICA PARROT ONLINE NEWSPAPER, RADIO AND TV
- Nikolai Mironenko Press center Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation
- Nkemgika John Ozoagu Reporter Daily Independent Newspapers
- Noemi Gragera Journaliste Agence France Presse
- Okechukwu Johnbosco Okoye Photographer Daily Independent Newspapers
- Oluwatobi Momoh Corporate Strategist Channels Television
- Onyedikachi Anthony Ezekiel Senior Reporter Daily Independent Newspapers
- Osawaru Lucky Ohenhen Camera Person INDEPENDENT TELEVISION AND RADIO STATION
- Paschal Chukwuemeka Oparaocha Camera Person INDEPENDENT TELEVISION AND RADIO STATION
- PAUL AYINDENABA ANAAFO SENIOR CAMARA MAN AFRICA PAROT ONLINE NEWSPAPER, RADION AND TV
- RAMON DE ISEQUILLA Corresponsal en España Portal de América
- ROTIMI IJIKANMI REPORTER FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE
- SARAH AKOSUA BAIDOO ASSISTANT CAMARA WOMAN AFRICA PARROT ONLINE NEWSPAPER RADIO AND TV
- SOLOMON CHUNG REPORTER FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE
- Sopiko Beridze Journalist Imedi TV
- Stanislav Zalesov Press center Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation
- Stanislav Solodkin Press-secretary Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation
- STANLEY NWOSU REPORTER FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE
- Symphorien Tano KOUABILE Content Director VoyagesAfriq
- valery jojishvili cammeraman Imedi TV