UNWTO and World Travel and Tourism Council Sign Historic MOU

In an historic first, the world’s two leading organisations representing the global public and private sectors in tourism agreed to work together across a number of key objectives.

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed yesterday by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations (UNWTO) at the G20 Ministerial meeting in the Indian state of Goa, focuses on advancing public-private sector cooperation at the global level while promoting job creation, talent development and business opportunities around the world.

As a result of the MOU, the UNWTO and WTTC will promote tourism in the global and national agendas while working to progress skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment and the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient tourism industry.

It will also see the two parties foster community empowerment and inclusion, and collaborate around crisis preparedness, management and recovery - building on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commenting on the agreement, WTTC President and Chief Executive, Julia Simpson stated “through the signing of an historic new MOU, WTTC and UNWTO embark on a new chapter of collaboration together, uniting our expertise to pave the way for a prosperous future for the travel and tourism sector.

“Together, we can create a powerful synergy that will shape the global landscape, opening doors to endless opportunities and benefiting travellers, businesses and destinations alike."

UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili added “we are only stronger if we work together to respond to the interconnected challenges facing our sector. Strong public-private partnerships are the foundation to transform tourism and build resilience, and consolidating our partnership with WTTC will achieve exactly what we need - joining efforts to build a better future through tourism.”

The MOU was signed by the UNWTO’s Zurab Pololikashvili and WTTC’s Simpson alongside representatives of the public and private sectors.

Image: UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and WTTC President and Chief Executive pose after signing the historic MoU.