Meeting of the President of the General Assembly with the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili

The President of the General Assembly, H.E. Abdulla Shahid, met with the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization on 11 February.

The President and the UN-WTO Secretary General exchanged views on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world economy, and on the tourism sector.

The President of the General Assembly expressed concern regarding the impact on developing countries that are heavily dependent on tourism, including many vulnerable Small Island Developing States and countries in Africa. He recalled the Houlhuashi Dialogue held in November, during which several Ambassadors called for dialogue in the General Assembly between Member States and other key stakeholders to ensure the tourism sector is given due consideration as a key driver for a sustainable and green recovery from the pandemic.

The President and the UN-WTO Secretary General agreed to work jointly on a special high-level thematic event on recovery of the tourism sector, focused on sustainability and resilience, which the President of the General Assembly will convene during the resumed part of the seventy-sixth session.

11 February