WTTC & UNWTO Sign Historic MOU to Advance Public-Private Sector Cooperation in Tourism

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson after signing the MOU, alongside representatives of the public and private sectors. Photo source: UNWTO

In an historic first, the world’s two leading Travel & Tourism organisations representing the global public and private sectors – the UNWTO and the WTTC – agreed to work together across a number of key objectives.

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed Wednesday 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 whilst promoting job creation, talent development and business opportunities around the world.

“We are only stronger if we work together to respond to the interconnected challenges facing our sector,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said after signing the MoU.

Together, the two parties 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.

“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,” Pololikashvili added.

WTTC and UNWTO 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.

“Through the signing of an 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,” said WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson.

“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,” Simpson added.