Ambassadors to Spain from the region of Europe gathered today for a high-level meeting with the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The virtual meeting with Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili focused on the timely and responsible restart of tourism across the continent.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will work alongside the Expedia Group to strengthen ties between the public and private sectors and drive tourism’s recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see them collaborate on a range of topics, with the common goal of driving recovery and making the sector more resilient and sustainable.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has appointed two new Special Ambassadors as it leads the restart of the sector across Europe. On the occasion of a visit of the Secretary-General to Italy, the first official delegation to travel since the closure of borders in response to COVID-19, UNWTO has named renowned fashion designer Giorgio Armani and celebrated chef Gino Sorbillo its latest Special Ambassadors for Tourism.

The leadership of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is on its first official visit to a Member State since restrictions on travel were introduced in response to COVID-19. The four-day trip to Italy (1-5 July) comes as the United Nations specialized agency for tourism guides the sector’s restart and destinations across the Schengen Zone open their borders to tourists once again.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has welcomed Spain’s readiness to lead the way in restarting tourism. The head of the United Nations specialized agency attended a meeting with Spanish President Pedro Sánchez in Madrid today to learn about his government’s work to ease restrictions on travel introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili was invited to speak during the presentation of the restart plan as Spain looks to harness the power of the tourism sector to drive wider economic recovery.

In light of the impact of COVID-19, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) and the Government of Flanders have announced that the 6th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, scheduled to take place 1-3 June in Bruges, Belgium, will now be held in June 2021 (date to be announced).