United States to explore rejoining UNWTO
Travel Biz News —
The United States will begin negotiations with United Nations World Tourism Organization and its member states to seek terms to rejoin that are advantageous to the United States and will maximize benefits to the American tourism sector.
White House Principal Deputy Chief of Staff Emma Doyle announced the Administration’s intent to explore rejoining the organization at Executive Council meeting of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 17, according to a press statement issued by State Department.
“The Administration believes that UNWTO offers great potential to fuel growth in that sector, create new jobs for Americans, and highlight the unmatched range and quality of U.S. tourist destinations.”
According to UNWTO statement, the 110th Session of the UNWTO Executive Council welcomed the move as a sign of the United States’ commitment to UNWTO’s mandate.
Ms. Doyle headed the US delegation to the UNWTO Executive Council together with Ambassador Kevin E. Moley, Assistant US Secretary of State.
A founding member of UNWTO, the United States is currently one of the world’s biggest tourism markets, both as a destination and as a source of international tourists. USA welcomed more than 60 million tourists in 2018.
UNWTO members welcomed the presence of the United States at the meeting in Baku as recognition of tourism’s growing relevance to global economic growth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as an endorsement of UNWTO’s leadership.
The 110th Session of the Executive Council comes as UNWTO is undergoing a period of significant restructuring and streamlining.
Key priorities of Secretary-General Pololikashvili include closer alignment with the wider United Nations system, financial sustainability and a focus on the role innovation, digital transformation and entrepreneurship can play in the global tourism sector.
June 18 , 2019
Photo : UNWTO
