UNWTO Expands Its Affiliate Membership
Fourteen major tourism players from the private sector and academia have been admitted as UNWTO Affiliate Members, bringing the total number to a record 418.
The addition of these new Members to UNWTO represents another step towards the reinforcement of the relationship between the public and private sectors for the development of tourism; a strengthening assumed during the 1st Meeting of Latin American UNWTO Affiliate Members and the International Seminar on Private and Public Cooperation (Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, 8-9 June).
Following the decision of the 88th session of the UNWTO Executive Council, fourteen new tourism entities joined the Organization as Affiliate Members. These new Members are based in fourteen countries, across five continents, representing a wide array of tourism enterprises.
Among the new Members are the Association of British Travel Agencies (ABTA), the United Kingdom’s largest travel trade association; the Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA), a leading tourism organization in Africa; and LAN Airlines, one of Latin America’s leading airlines. Prestigious universities and research companies working at the forefront of tourism education have also joined, as well as two additional tourism agencies from the African continent, increasing the representation of the private sector from this emerging region in world tourism.
The new Members will be able to actively participate in the activities of the Organization, including its General Assembly Meetings and other events to promote public-private partnerships (PPP) in tourism. The 1st Meeting of Latin American UNWTO Affiliate Members in Brazil, the first time Affiliate Members have gathered to discuss topics related to their region, was a key platform for fostering PPPs. Participants, including the Minister of Tourism of Uruguay, Mr. Hector Lescano, and several UNWTO Affiliate Members from the region as well as from Spain, concluded that joint strategies between the public and private sectors must be created in order to face the economic crisis and develop local tourism destinations.
The meeting was followed by an International Seminar on Public and Private Cooperation as a Driver of Integration and Development in Tourism Destinations. Discussions revolved around how to develop joint strategies and projects to improve tourism competitiveness, as well as how to best organize public-private dialogue. The Seminar brought together the Latin American Affiliate Members as well as delegates from UNWTO Member States, local authorities and other representative from the private sector.
