Julia Simpson and Zurab Pololikashvil appear to be speechless when confronted by eTurboNews about the cynical part of an MOU signed in Goa, India, last week.

Julia Simpson, CEO of WTTC, and Zurab Pololikashvil, Secretary General of the UNWTO, proudly showed a document folder last week with an MOU taking credit for bringing the public and private travel and tourism industry together.

This MOU was signed on the sideline of the G20 Ministerial meeting in Goa, India. The MOU only showed the UNWTO logo, and there may be a reason for this.

It appears this was a publicity stand to steal credit from the hard work of former UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai and David Scowsill, the former CEO of WTTC, in 2016/2017.

In 2016 and 2017 eTurboNews called the cooperation between UNWTO and WTTC the work of Siamese twins.

In May 2017, the head of these two organizations jointly delivered an open letter about the importance of tourism to 89 heads of state, speaking with one voice, the voice of global tourism to the world.

When Zurab took the helm of the World Tourism Organization in January 2018, he destroyed this win/win relationship with WTTC while on a mission to destroy the legacy of his predecessor Dr. Taleb Rifai.

Dr. Taleb Rifai was not invited to attend the 23rd General Assembly of UNWTO in St. Petersburg, Russia, in September 2019. The newly appointed CEO of WTTC, Gloria Guevara, did attend the General Assembly in Russia but did not prominently speak and was seated in the back of the room.

Without a doubt, the close cooperation between the two organizations was history then, but a massive success by the previous leadership for both organizations.

Ironically the person who destroyed this vital link between the private and public sector cooperation now wants to get the credit for signing an MOU he dictated to WTTC.

Ironically both organizations are going through tough times and are weakened. Showing the UNWTO logo only on the MOU document’s cover speaks for itself.

The official media pitch to interview WTTC CEO Julian came from Margot Delville, representing WTTC through her New York-based PR agency NJFPR. She said in her letter Observer recognized her PR agency as one of the 50 most powerful PR Firms.

The news pitch said: If you’re interested in speaking with the WTTC about initiatives underway or projections on economic development, please let me know.

There was no response from Margot or anyone from this powerful PR agency when writing, leaving two phone messages, and even calling the company headquarters. There was no response when reaching out to WTTC and UNWTO directly.

NJFPR painted the following official picture in its press release for eTurboNews:

Amid conversations about the importance of the travel & tourism segment to economies worldwide and the continued growth of the sector, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and UNWTO signed an MoU to advance public-private sector cooperation.

This is a significant moment as the tourism industry continues to recover post-pandemic.

eTurboNews received this story pitch from the WTTC PR agency and repeatedly responded without further action.

Attached is the press release talking about a historical event. In no word was the MOU referring to the achievements of the two leaders who brought together the most prominent private and significant public sector organizations in the first place.

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

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations (UNWTO) at the G20 Ministerial meeting (Goa, India), focused on advancing public-private sector cooperation at the global level while promoting job creation, talent development, and business opportunities around the world.

Together, WTTC and UNWTO will promote tourism in the global and national agendas while working to progress skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment and the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient Travel & Tourism sector.

The two parties will also foster community empowerment and inclusion and collaborate around crisis preparedness, management, and recovery, building on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said, “Through signing a historic new MOU, WTTC, and UNWTO embark on a new chapter of collaboration together, uniting our expertise to pave the way for a prosperous future for the Travel & Tourism sector.

“Together, we can create a powerful synergy that will shape the global landscape, opening doors to endless opportunities and benefiting travelers, businesses, and destinations alike.”

Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, underscored, “We are only stronger if we work together to respond to the interconnected challenges facing our sector. Strong public-private partnerships are the foundation to transform tourism and build resilience, and consolidating our partnership with WTTC will achieve exactly what we need – joining efforts to build a better future through tourism.”

The MOU was signed by WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvil, alongside representatives of the public and private sectors.