At the 71st Meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for Europe, which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 5 June 2025, Portugal reinforced its institutional presence in the sector's main international organisation. Represented by Turismo de Portugal, the country was elected to two important subsidiary bodies of UN Tourism:
_ Agenda for Europe working
group (2025–2027)
_ Tourism Online Education Committee (re-election for 2025–2029)
These specialised committees are responsible for supporting the definition of UN Tourism's strategic priorities, ensuring member states are able to take an active part in the organisation's decisions. Apart from these functions, which have now been reinforced, Portugal was already involved in:
_ The tourism online education committee (2021–2025)
_ The statistics committee (2023–2027)
_ The tourism and sustainability committee (2023–2027)
This active participation significantly reinforces Portugal's role as an international benchmark in the sector.
The same meeting also saw the election of the new Secretary-General of UN Tourism, Shaikha Al Nowais, succeeding Zurab Pololikashvili. Her appointment marks a new phase for the organisation, with a renewed focus on education, innovation and sustainability in global tourism.
