Jordi Hereu calls for strengthening the role of UN Tourism as a reference body to lead the transformation of the sector

The Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, during his speech at the 123rd Executive Council of UN Tourism

The Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, has urged the strengthening of the role of UN Tourism, the United Nations reference body for international tourism, to lead the global transformation of the sector towards a model that prioritises sustainability and the equitable distribution of benefits.

In his opening speech prior to the start of the plenary session of the 123rd Executive Council of UN Tourism, which is being held at El Real Sitio de San Ildefonso, in La Granja (Segovia), the minister referred to the election of a new secretary general of the organisation - to be voted on during the course of the day - as the "beginning of a new stage" that should serve to "look forward".

In this sense, Hereu once again stressed that the Government's objective in tourism is clear: to move towards a model based on triple sustainability - economic, social and environmental - that makes tourism an engine for the creation of wealth, prosperity and cohesion, and that puts people at the centre of the system. The new candidate elected at today's meeting, the minister said, "must share and defend these values."

In his speech, Hereu had a message of gratitude for the outgoing secretary general, Zurab Pololikashvili, whom he thanked for his work at the head of the organisation over the years - including the hard times experienced during the pandemic - and for his dedication to strengthening and modernising tourism as a global phenomenon.

The 123rd session of the Executive Council of UN Tourism, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, comes at a historic moment for international tourism which, despite geopolitical and tariff uncertainties, has managed to almost fully recover pre-pandemic tourist flows. According to the UN agency's own forecasts, international tourist arrivals in 2025 are expected to grow between 3% and 5% over the previous year.

The Executive Board is responsible for ensuring that UN Tourism carries out its work and stays within budget. It meets at least twice a year and is composed of members elected by the General Assembly. The new secretary general proposed at the La Granja meeting will have to be ratified by the assembly at the end of the year in Saudi Arabia.

Non official translation