ZAGREB, MAY 39 – During the 64th Meeting of the Regional Commission for Europe of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Italy was re-elected to sit on its Executive Council for the 2019-2023 term. The United Nations Agency deals with the international coordination of tourism policies and is responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
The meeting was attended by 40 representatives of government, of the private tourism sector and of the academic world and was opened by the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, at the presence of the Minister of Tourism Gari Cappelli and the Secretary General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili.
The Italian delegation included representatives of the Foreign Ministry (MAECI) and of the the Ministry of Tourism (MiPAAFT) and was led by the Italian Ambassador in Zagreb, Adriano Chiodi Cianfarani.
The meeting’s agenda included voting for the partial renewal of the Executive Council of the International Organization for the 2019-2023 four-year term. The vote was expected to be highly competitive because of the large number of candidacies submitted – 8, including Italy – for the four seats available.
Thanks to the joint action of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies and Tourism (MiPAAFT), Italy was elected with 25 votes in favour to sit for another four-year term on the Governing Body of the UNWTO together with Turkey, Portugal and France.
UNWTO’s membership includes 158 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. 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 serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism knowledge.
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. (@OnuItalia)
