TEHRAN – In the opening session of the Executive Council of UN Tourism, the organization’s Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, asked the attendees to observe a minute of silence in honor of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who was martyred in a helicopter crash last month.

The 121st session of the Executive Council of UN Tourism, on Tuesday, welcomed representatives of 47 countries, including 18 Ministers of Tourism, to advance the Organization’s vision for the sector as it achieves full recovery from the impacts of the pandemic, unwto.org reported.
The session, which included the participation of Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, Deputy Minister of Tourism, showcased images and speeches by the martyred Ayatollah Raisi on the importance of the tourism industry.

Moreover, Pololikashvili highlighted his visit to Iran, praising the country’s hospitality and diverse tourism capabilities.

According to data compiled by the UN body, around 285 million tourists traveled internationally in the first quarter of 2024, 20% more than the same period of last year, while international tourism receipts grew back to US1.5 trillion in 2023. 
Furthermore, Pololikashvili stressed the need to embrace innovation and grow and direct investment into the sector in order to drive its positive transformation. “With tourism having bounced back from the biggest crisis in its history, now is the time to channel our energy into building greater resilience against any future shocks,” he said. “At the same time, we must ensure tourism’s growth benefits people everywhere, above all by expanding access to education and job opportunities and harnessing the power of new technology.”   
The Secretary-General then presented his report to members, summarising the Organization’s achievements since the Council last met, again with a special emphasis on the shared priorities of investments in tourism, education and accelerating innovation across the sector.
The council discussed the optimistic outlook from the latest UN Tourism Confidence Index survey, which indicated that 67% of tourism experts view the prospects for 2024 as significantly better than 2023.
Pololikashvili also referenced the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) January 2024 report, noting that international route seat capacity is only 4% below 2019 levels, while domestic route capacity is 6% higher than the 2019 average.
He emphasized the global economy’s resilience, with the World Economic Outlook forecasting a 3.2% growth in global production for 2024, matching the growth rate of 2023. 

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