International Relations
109th session of UNWTO Executive Council
- 01 Nov 2018
- 3 min read
Indian delegation attended the 109th session of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council in Manama, Bahrain. The three-day session started on 30th October 2018.
- The Executive Council discussed several topics on the agenda that are related to the development of the global tourism sector.
- The UNWTO is responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
- As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development, and environmental sustainability.
- UNWTO’s membership includes 158 countries, 6 Associate Members and over 500 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations, and local tourism authorities.
- Structure of UNWTO
- General Assembly
- The General Assembly is the principal gathering of the World Tourism Organization. It meets every two years to approve the budget and programme of work and to debate topics of vital importance to the tourism sector.
- Regional Commissions
- UNWTO has six regional commissions-Africa, the Americas, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. The commissions meet at least once a year
- Executive Council
- The Executive Council is UNWTO's governing board, responsible for ensuring that the Organization carries out its work and adheres to its budget. It consists of 35 members elected by the general assembly. India is the second-vice chair at the council.
- Committees
- Specialized committees of UNWTO Members advise on management and programme content.
- General Assembly
Few initiatives by UNWTO
- World Tourism Day: 27th September
- Silk Road initiative: Silk Road initiative functions as a collaborative platform designed to enhance sustainable tourism development along the historic Silk Road routes.
- ST-EP: The UNWTO Sustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty Initiative (ST-EP) promotes poverty alleviation through the initiative which focuses to encourage sustainable tourism.
- World Tourism Barometer
- The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer monitors short-term tourism trends on a regular basis to provide global tourism stakeholders with up-to-date analysis of international tourism.
- The report is published six times a year and includes an analysis of the latest data on tourism destinations.