UNWTO is the UN's specialised agency in the field of tourism. It provides leadership and support to the tourism sector in the advancement of sustainable policies, practices and actions. Through the promotion and development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, UNWTO endeavours to maximise tourism's contribution to socio-economic growth, job creation, development, environmental conservation, cultural enrichment and international understanding, while minimising negative social or environmental impacts. It pays particular attention to the interests of developing countries.
Five regional programmes (Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East)
Sustainable Development of Tourism
Ethics and Social Dimensions ofTourism
Technical Cooperation and Services
Statistics and Tourism Satellite Account
Market Trends and Marketing Strategies
Education and Training
Risk and Crisis Management
Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization
Special field programme/fairs
Information Resources and Archives
UNWTO acts as an executing agency for the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and has cooperation agreements with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN regional commissions, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and other UN specialised agencies- the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and World Health Organization (WHO).
In the framework of the UN commitment of 'delivering as one' to ensure effective development assistance and accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), UNWTO is leading an initiative with nine other UN agencies and programmes to coordinate their tourism-related work under the UN Steering Committee on Tourism for Development (SCTD). The other organisations are: the International Labour Organization (ILO), International Trade Centre (ITC), UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), UNDP, UNESCO, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), World Trade Organization (WTO) and UNEP.
UNWTO was established on 2 January 1975 on the entry into force of statutes adopted on 27 September 1970 in Mexico City. Following a resolution adopted by its first General Assembly in May 1975, UNWTO established its headquarters in Madrid in January 1976, at the invitation of the Spanish Government. In GA res. 32/156 (1977), the General Assembly adopted an agreement on the relationship between the UN and UNWTO. The Organization became a UN specialised agency in December 2003 (GA res. 58/232).
World Tourism Day (WTD) has been commemorated on 27 September each year since 1980. The date marks the anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes in 1970. WTD's purpose is to foster international awareness about the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the MDGs and highlight the contribution the tourism industry can make in reaching these goals. The 2011 theme is Tourism- Linking Cultures.
Committees of the Executive Council and of the General Assembly
Affiliate Members (UNWTO Business Council)
The General Assembly, UNWTO's supreme body, has established six Regional Commissions covering Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, East Asia and the Pacific, and South Asia.
The Executive Council is UNWTO's governing body, and has one member elected on the basis of equitable geographical distribution for every five full members of UNWTO. There are currently 31 countries elected to the Council. The other Council participants are a representative of the UNWTO associate members and a representative of the affiliate members (Business Council). Neither has voting rights. Spain, the Organization's host country, sits on the Council as a permanent voting member.
The subsidiary bodies of the Executive Council are the: Programme Committee, Committee on Budget and Finance, Sustainable Development of Tourism Committee, Committee on Statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account, Market and Competitiveness Committee, and Committee for the Review of Applications for Affiliate Membership. The World Committee on Tourism Ethics is a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly.
Affiliate Members participate in UNWTO's activities, make recommendations to its bodies and carry out, by means of studies and seminars, their own activities within the framework of the UNWTO general work programme. The Secretariat, headed by UNWTO's Secretary-General, is responsible for implementing the work programme.
UNWTO has three categories of members:
Full members: 154 Member States
Associate members: seven territories or groups of territories not responsible for their external relations but whose membership is approved by the state assuming responsibility for their external relations
Affiliate members: some 403 non-governmental entities with specialised interests in tourism, and commercial and non-commercial bodies and associations with activities related to the aims of UNWTO or falling within its competence.
Permanent Observer status, with the right to speak but without the right to vote, was given to the Holy See at the General Assembly in 1979. Palestine has Special Observer status, granted in 1999.
Full members Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Belarus Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Iran Poland Burkina Faso Iraq Ponugal Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Congo Costa Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic DPRK DR Congo Djibouti Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Fiji France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Honduras Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao PDR Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Libyan AJ Lithuania Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nepal Netherlands Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar ROK Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Swaziland Switzerland Syrian AR Tajikistan Thailand The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Timor-Leste Togo Tunisia Turkey Tukmenistan Uganda Ukraine UR of Tanzania Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
Associate members Aruba Flemish Community of Belgium Hong Kong, China Madeira Puerto Rico
Permanent Observer Holy See
Special Observer Palestine
The UNWTO General Assembly meets every two years to approve the Organization's budget and work programme. The 19th session is scheduled to be held from 8 to 14 October 2011 in Gyeongju, ROK. Regional commissions normally meet once a year. The Executive Council meets at least twice a year.