Georgia participates in 21st Assembly of World Tourism Organisation

Georgian officials are in Columbia this week with representatives from more than 150 nations to attend the 21st Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

A Georgian delegation representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Georgia’s Ambassador to Spain Zurab Pololikashvili, arrived in the South American nation last week to take part in the six-day international tourism conference. 

Georgia’s Ambassador to Spain Zurab Pololikashvili (to the left) leads the Georgian delegation at the UNWTO Assembly in Columbia. Photo by Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. Its membership includes 156 countries, six Associate Members and over 450 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.

In the framework of this year’s Assembly, Georgia has been elected as a member of the UNWTO Statistics and Tourism Satellite Account Program (STSAP) until 2020. 

The program was committed to developing tourism measurement for furthering knowledge of the sector, monitoring progress, evaluating impact, promoting results-focused management, and highlighting strategic issues for policy objectives, said UNWTO on its official website. 

During the conference the Georgian delegation was scheduled to meet high-ranking delegations from different states and take part in numerous tourism-related forums and meetings, said the press service of Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.

This year’s Assembly focused on the topic Fostering Inclusive Development and Social Transformations.

The UNWTO, as the leading international organisation in the field of tourism, promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide, stated its official website. 

The Georgian delegation is due to leave Columbia on Thursday, September 17.