Partner to Highlight the Relevance of Tourism
UNWTO and international broadcaster Euronews have signed a new agreement to work together to lead the global tourism recovery by highlighting the heightened economic, development, social and cultural relevance of the sector.
This agreement was signed within the framework of the opening of UNWTO’s first Regional Office in the Middle East in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
According UNWTO release, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has opened its first Regional Office for the Middle East, bringing the United Nations specialized agency closer to its Members and advancing on its commitment to guiding the development of tourism in every global region.
At a ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Princess Haifa Al-Saud, Deputy Minister of Tourism for Strategy and Investment, and the Kingdom’s Minister for Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb to officially open the office, joined UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. Tourism Ministers from also joined them across both Middle East and from every other global region, as well as by leaders from the private sector.
A hub for Growth and Symbol of Hope
The first UNWTO Regional Office will be a centre of conversation, debate and decision-making and bring hope to many people across the region allowing them to enjoy the social and economic benefits only tourism can deliver
The new office will serve as a hub for UNWTO to coordinate policy and initiatives across its 13 Member States in the region. This includes a number of tourism projects and products, among them the new “Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO”, launched on the opening of the Regional Office. Alongside this, Riyadh will also be home to an expanded UNWTO International Tourism Academy, providing opportunities for people of all backgrounds from across the region, including women and youth.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The first UNWTO Regional Office will be a centre of conversation, debate and decision-making and bring hope to many people across the region allowing them to enjoy the social and economic benefits only tourism can deliver. Work on the office began after the start of the pandemic, proof of our determination and the strong support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated UNWTO on the occasion, saying “I believe that this Office will help the Middle East region recover its tourism sector as well as support the growth of rural tourism development worldwide.”
Saudi Minister for Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb added: “We are thrilled to host the new Regional Office in Saudi Arabia. This demonstrates our commitment to working with our partners at the UNWTO to develop a strong industry based on the principles of sustainability and opportunities for all, across the region and globally.”
Restoring Trust in Travel
About agreement — UNWTO and international broadcaster Euronews–, it builds on the existing cooperation between the UN specialized agency for tourism and this leading international broadcaster towards restoring trust in travel and restarting tourism. Europe is the main source market for Middle East, a growing tourism destination and one that is coming of age, as shown by the opening of the UNWTO office there. The partnership will focus on identifying tourism-related news that will inspire and inform viewers and highlight the sector’s importance to drive recovery and sustainable development for all.
“This partnership will showcase tourism’s unique ability to provide opportunity and drive growth and allow us to share UNWTO’s trusted data and tourism insights with a wider audience”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili.
This partnership will show-case tourism’s unique ability to provide opportunity and drive growth and allow us to share UNWTO’s trusted data and tourism insights with a wider audience
Euronews’ CEO Michael Peters says: “For almost three decades, Euronews has worked with the biggest players in the travel & tourism industry, from airlines, hotels to tourism boards, countries, regions and investment agencies, crafting meaningful stories in 15 languages and enabling a 360° communication strategy for our partners to reach over 140M consumers every month.
During the height of the pandemic, we launched a dedicated “Euronews Travel” vertical, rooted in Euronews’ multi-cultural storytelling expertise. Our viewers are passionate about travel, but also in taking an active role in the future of tourism: enthusiasm has not decreased since the beginning of the pandemic, quite the opposite. More than 50% of Europeans plan to travel again in the coming six months. We are excited to work with the UNWTO to offer our viewers a closer relationship with this important industry and to offer our partners in this sector a trusted platform to share their inspirational stories with the world.”
UNWTO and Euronews will collaborate on joint tourism related research projects. Under the agreement, Euronews will also provide ongoing support for several UNWTO’s leading initiatives, including recovery communications, tourism innovation and skills development. *BTNp/e/dwi/unwto
