New Board elected at UNWTO

In line with a new electoral process, 23 members were elected to the UNWTO Board of Affiliate Members.

In line with a new electoral process, 23 members were elected to the UNWTO Board of Affiliate Members. The Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE), represented by its Director General, George Drakopoulos, was elected to Chair the Board.

Commenting on his election, Mr. Drakopoulos said: โ€œIt is an honor to chair such a distinguished group of tourism businessmen/women and professionals. Being involved in UNWTO affairs for almost 15 years, I know the potential of the organization and particularly the potential of the Affiliate Members.โ€

โ€œWhile the members represent different countries and different sectors, the main issues we address should be of worldwide relevance. For example, issues like mobility in travel and visas, taxation in tourism services, creation of employment and sustainability, are of worldwide interest with obvious regional impacts,โ€ he continued.

UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai, welcomed the new Board and Chair of the Affiliated Members, highlighting the importance of the Affiliate Members to the work of the Organization. โ€œUNWTO is among the few UN agencies to include in its constituency, representatives of the private sector, academia, and civil society. Given tourismโ€™s multifaceted nature, their contribution in the design and implementation of our Program of Work is critical, as it brings the different views of tourism development to the very heart of our work,โ€ he said.

The Affiliate Members are companies, organizations, destinations, NGOs, educational institutions, or bodies whose activities are related to tourism and which contribute their knowledge and expertise to UNWTO to promote the development of responsible, sustainable, and accessible tourism.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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