Comparing Candidates for UN-Tourism Secretary General Election

All three candidates bring much-needed excitement and change to the organization that could lead to travel and tourism worldwide. Travel and tourism is one of the largest businesses in the world, seen as a bridge to peace and understanding between people and countries in a troubled world.

URGENT ALERT:Still, only one candidate brings the necessary seniority and widespread experience from the public and private sectors into the mix.

Who are the three front-running candidates?

Gloria Guevara is in Good Trouble Over Endorsements for UN-Tourism Secretary General

Gloria Guevara, Mexico

Gloria Guevarahas 35+ years of experience across the industry and has held leading positions in the private, public, and association sectors.

She was the Minister of Tourism for Mexico and worked as the top advisor to the Minister of Tourism for Saudi Arabia, helping to jumpstart Saudi Tourism in many ways. She led the most influential travel and tourism association, the World Travel and Tourism Council, during COVID-19. She was known as the most powerful woman in tourism and relaunched the MICE industry, bringing the WTTC summit to Cancun, Mexico.

Gloria led the G20 agenda for tourism. She lived and worked on 4 continents working in the travel and tourism industry.

This explains why the largest tourism companies in the world openly endorse Gloria for this post. The post of UN Tourism Secretary-General is a public industry assignment. Still, without the support of private leaders, it would remain a more bureaucratic assignment with few results for the sector.

UN Tourism Candidate Harry Theoharis Named ‘Person of the Year’ at ITB Berlin

Harry Theoharis, Greece

Harry Theoharisis a likable politician who brings experience as a tourism minister of Greece and an EU country to the mix, having maneuvered his country through the COVID-19 crisis. His Prime Minister has lobbied for Greeks interested in this fight for these UN posts, making deals with powerful heads of state around the world. However, the support from leading private industry players is missing, and so is the experience across the wide spectrum of the travel and tourism industry.

Who is Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, the UAE Candidate for UN-Tourism Secretary General?

Shaikha Al Nowai, UAE

Shaikha Al Nowaiscomes from an influential family that owns the Rotana Hotel chain in the United Arab Emirates. Until recently, she was unknown; her only experience in this industry was her family business. However, she has powerful friends in the UAE government who use their influence and money after Zurab was disqualified from running. As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, the UAE is powerful enough to bring last-minute changes to the elections for political reasons.

A famous news anchor told eTurboNews, “There are many really good people in the UAE who could lead tourism, but Shaikha is not one of them.”

The UAE is interested in positioning BRICS countries to move away from the U.S. Dollar and economic dominance. The UAE is competing with Saudi Arabia for global dominance in tourism, both playing the Islamic card.

Comparing Candidates:

My Endorsement – and why

Juergen Steinmetz, publisher of eTurboNews, and Chairman of the World Tourism Network, who launched the fairness in UNWTO campaign, which helped to remove Zurab Polikashvili as a candidate successfully, said:

Ideally, I would like to see Gloria and Harry, or even all candidates sit down and agree on a plan for the future of UN-Tourism together. We have three motivated individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and parts of the world who care about our sector and who could contribute to its success together.

However, when I consider the three candidates as competitors, Gloria Guevara is the best and only logical choice, given her experience, vision, standing in the industry (endorsements), and seniority to lead this organization as the first woman secretary-general.

My appeal to the ministers of the Executive Council, who will vote on the future of this organization and the global travel and tourism industry, is to vote in the spirit of international cooperation for a sector that is critical for so many on this planet.

My appeal is to not only look at national interests. As a voting member of the Executive Council, you represent not only your country but also the interests of many other countries.

WARNING:I sincerely hope this election will not be about deal-making, also by your foreign ministry or Prime Miniister, will not be unrelated to travel and tourism, but about electing a qualified leader who can restore this organization’s importance, standing and acceptancce and make UN-Tourism a true global voice for the industry. I also hope personal gain will not play a role in this upcoming election.

WTTC, UN Tourism: Are They Still Leading World Tourism?