The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will hold the 24th General Assembly in Madrid, Spain, from November 30-December 3. The General Assembly is UNWTO’s main gathering and the platform for member states to approve UNWTO’s programme of work and budget for the coming biennium (2022-2023).

 

The 2021 General Assembly 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. 

 

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

 

Other items on the agenda include proposed reforms to the Affiliate Membership Legal Framework, the finals of the Students’ League and appointment of the Secretary-General for the period 2022-2025. The General Assembly will also see the winners of the Best Tourism Villages competition named.

 

Alongside this, and in line with UNWTO’s emphasis on digital communications and visual storytelling, winners of the 2021 UNWTO Tourism Video Competition, aimed at recognising 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, Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili will present his report to the General Assembly on the implementation of UNWTO’s Programme 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 set to submit bids.-TradeArabia News Service