MADRID, 19 January 2021: UNWTO hosted its first ‘hybrid’ meeting of the year bringing together leaders from across the public and private sectors on Monday 18 January for the UNWTO Global Tourism Crisis Committee meeting.
Under the hashtag #RestartTourtism, the committee says it will advance concrete plans to prepare for tourism recovery worldwide. Key issues on the meeting agenda included exploring how Covid-19 vaccines can be part of a harmonised approach to restarting tourism, including through the potential use of health passports and other measures. UNWTO also called on committee members to join forces for a global campaign aimed at restoring confidence in tourism.
During the 113th session of the UNWTO Executive Council due to open 19 January, representatives of the 35-member Council will explore current tourism trends, including the impact of the ongoing pandemic on the sector and what this means for livelihoods and tourism’s contribution to sustainable development. The hybrid event should attract around 150 in-person participants.
The Executive Council meeting will also include the election for the position of UNWTO Secretary-General for the term 2022-2025. Incumbent Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili has made himself available for re-election for a second term, while the Kingdom of Bahrain has nominated Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa to contest the election.
