UNWTO Secretary General Welcomes Delegates to the 23rd General Assembly

Saint Petersburg (Russia) – September 10, 2029 (travelindex.com) – Ahead of the General Assembly, Zurab Pololikashvili offered a warm welcome to all delegates and outlines his hopes and expectations for the days ahead.

In his message he said “Our General Assembly comes at a pivotal time for global tourism. Now that the sector has firmly established itself as not just a major economic force but also a key part of the global sustainability agenda, it is becoming increasingly important that this continued growth is managed responsibly.
Consequently, this is also a pivotal time for UNWTO.

Our mandate is to manage this growth for the benefit of the many, not just the few. This means harnessing technology and innovation to create more and better jobs. It also means working with our Member States to ensure the positives that tourism undoubtedly bring are shared as widely as possible, while any possible challenges are identified and met with cooperation and determination.

This General Assembly is the biggest and most important high-level meeting of sector leaders in the world. It is UNWTO’s chance to share with you the progress we have made towards making tourism a key part of sustainable development and economic growth. And it’s a chance for you to contribute to the discussions as we look to the future.”

The Acting Governor of Saint Petersburg, Alexander Beglov in his welcome message said “I am pleased to welcome participants, organizers and guests of the 23rd session of the UNWTO General Assembly! For the first time this major tourist forum will be held in Russian Federation. Our city was honored to be chosen to host the event.

The Plenary Sessions of 23rd General Assembly of the UNWTO officially will take place on September 11 and 12 with presence of delegations from over 160 countries.