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UN Tourism, headquartered in Madrid, has been a specialised agency of the United Nations since 2003. It is the leading international organisation in the field of tourism and a global forum for the discussion of tourism policy issues. Portugal joined UNWTO (formerly known as the WTO) in 1976 and is represented by Turismo de Portugal. This organisation currently brings together 159 countries, 6 associate members and over 500 affiliated members, the latter representing the private sector, industry associations, educational institutions and local tourism authorities.
At the 71st Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe, held on 5 June 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Shaikha Al Nowais was elected as the new Secretary-General of UNWTO, succeeding Zurab Pololikashvili. Her election marks a new phase for the organisation, with a renewed focus on education, innovation and sustainability in global tourism.
UN Tourism promotes the integration of tourism into national and international agendas, highlighting its role in reducing poverty, creating jobs, stimulating innovation and achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It focuses its work on five strategic priorities: accelerating innovation and digital transformation; strengthening the sector’s competitiveness through investment and entrepreneurship; promoting job creation and professional skills development; increasing resilience and ensuring safe and efficient travel; and protecting cultural and natural heritage, whilst supporting local communities.
Main Bodies of the UN Tourism:
// General Assembly
The General Assembly is the main gathering of the World Tourism Organization. It meets every two years to approve the budget, the work programme and discuss issues of vital importance to the tourism sector. Every four years it elects a Secretary-General. It is composed of full members and associate members. Affiliate members and representatives of other International Organisations participate only as observers. The Ethics Committee is a subsidiary body of the General Assembly.
Portugal has been actively participating in the sessions of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organisation, both through the presence of the Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade and Services and through Turismo de Portugal. The 26th UNWTO General Assembly took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 7 to 11 November 2025, bringing together delegations from Member States and leaders from the global tourism sector. The meeting discussed the future of tourism, with a focus on innovation, artificial intelligence and sustainable development. The main outcome was the adoption of the Riyadh Declaration, which sets out strategic guidelines to strengthen international cooperation and promote sustainable growth in tourism over the coming decades.
// Executive Council
The Executive Council is responsible for ensuring that the Organization carries out its work and complies with the budget. The Executive Council is responsible for taking the necessary measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, to implement its own decisions and the recommendations of the General Assembly. It meets at least twice a year and is composed of members elected by the General Assembly (1 member for every 5 full members from each region). As the host country of the UNWTO headquarters, Spain has a permanent seat on the Executive Council. Representatives of Associate Members and Affiliate Members participate in Executive Council meetings as observers.
In 2019, Portugal was elected to the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization, ending its mandate in October 2023.
// Regional Commissions
There are six Regional Commissions (Africa, Americas, East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia, Europe and the Middle East) which meet at least once a year. These meetings allow Member States to maintain contact with each other and with the Secretariat between sessions of the General Assembly, at which they present their proposals and voice their concerns. Each Regional Commission is composed of all full members and all associate members of its region. Portugal is part of the Regional Commission for Europe which currently has 42 Member States + 2 affiliate members (Flanders and Madeira).
// Committees
The specialised committees are subsidiary bodies of the Executive Council (with the exception of the World Ethics Committee, which is a subsidiary body of the General Assembly), and provide advice on the management and content of the programme.
The country, represented by Turismo de Portugal, was recently elected to two important subsidiary bodies of UN Tourism::
_ Working Group on the Agenda for Europe (2025–2027)
_ Chair of the Tourism Online Education Committee (re-election for 2025–2029)
These specialised committees are tasked with supporting the definition of UNWTO’s strategic priorities, ensuring that member states play an active role in the organisation’s decision-making. In addition to these now-reinforced roles, Portugal was already a member of the following committees:
_ Tourism Online Education Committee (2021–2025)
_ Statistics Committee (2023–2027)
_ Tourism and Sustainability Committee (2023–2027)
This participation forms part of a national strategy aimed at consolidating Portugal’s international standing in tourism and supporting a future bid for full membership of the UNWTO Executive Council for the 2027–2031 term.
