UNWTO: 24th General Assembly to Focus on Innovation and Education for Tourism’s Restart

Photo source: @UNWTO

The World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) 24th General Assembly, scheduled to take place in Madrid, Spain, from 30 November – 3 December, will focus on the significance of innovation and education for tourism recovery.

The General Assembly is UNWTO’s main gathering and the platform for member states to approve UNWTO’s program of work and budget for the coming biennium (2022-2023).

The event will place a special emphasis on the importance of innovation, education and rural development, as well as tourism’s role in inclusive growth, the theme of World Tourism Day 2021.

In addition, delegates will be presented with the International Code for the Protection of Tourists, a landmark legal instrument designed to restore trust in international travel.

Other key items on the agenda for the General Assembly include proposed reforms to the UNWTO Affiliate Membership Legal Framework, the finals of the UNWTO Students’ League and appointment of the UNWTO Secretary-General for the period 2022-2025.

The General Assembly will also see the winners of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages competition named.

Alongside this, and in line with UNWTO’s heightened emphasis on digital communications and visual storytelling, winners of the 2021 UNWTO Tourism Video Competition, aimed at recognizing promotional videos of member states and affiliate members that highlight the sector’s resilience and its contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will also be announced in Madrid.

Following protocol, the Secretary-General will present his report to the General Assembly on the implementation of UNWTO’s Program of Work, actions and new initiatives since it last met in 2019. The agenda includes the selection of the UNWTO Executive Council Members for 2022, the World Committee of Tourism Ethics, as well as choosing the location and dates of the next session of the General Assembly, with Egypt, Portugal and Uzbekistan all set to submit bids.

Members will also be provided with updates on the opening of regional offices, including a first Regional Office for the Middle East, to work alongside the UNWTO Secretariat in Madrid, Spain, and planned themes for World Tourism Day in both 2022 and 2023.