It’s so simple that it becomes puzzling and frustrating for delegates representing countries in UN-Tourism who want progress. It’s not only about awards and fancy events; it’s not about one person’s greedy ambition. It’s about the livelihood of millions working in this sector, entire nations’ economies, and a world that wants peace and cultural understanding.
UN-Tourism member countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Namibia, and Nigeriaseemed to have a nonchalant attitude. Why?Is there more to the story?
Unbelievable!Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Namibia, Nigeria, and others may still support a third term for Zurab Pololikashvili as UN Secretary-General of Tourism.
Why is rotation in global tourism management good and bad?
BAD:Perhaps the problem is that ministers in member countries change often. One minister may not remember what the previous tourism leader did and will follow what is reported from sources who don’t know or understand the situation. In some countries, the president or the foreign minister has other agendas “above” tourism, ordering questionable decisions and making tourism collateral damage for the greater good of their country.
NOTE: The most influential countries for UN-Tourism are not necessarily the most important in this industry, but they can be members of the Executive Council. Members in this group rotate every two years. The reason for this rotation is apparent. The system is designed to be fluent with people and leaders from various countries—it’s a United Nations agency. The same rule should, of course, count for the Secretary-General leading the agency. Therefore, a two-term clause is in the rules, also for UN-Tourism, but with a twist.
BAD:Why do some UN-Tourism Executive Council members not respect the system, namely, restrict the top executive of UNWTO to serve beyond the allowed two terms?
NOTE:Executive countries have a big responsibility. They represent themselves and have the trust of the other 80% of all member countries worldwide, which are not members of the executive council. If some of the 20% of countries are corrupt, love favoritism for their nation, or delegate, it becomes a BADsituation, and highly unfair to the remaining 80% in the world tourism family.
BAD:Executive council member countries are precisely the countries Zurab included during his term to do favors for, giving out awards, regional centers, and events. Next month is the month Zurab wants to cash in on his favors.
He wants those ministers of countries “he took care of” to vote for him, even if it is for a third term, which some call illegal.
UNESCO,UN-Tourism’s sister agency, knows this is illegal, as UN-Tourism should. However, due to a well-intended technical discrepancy based on his maneuvering the rules surrounding an intentionally left-out verbiage, having a confusing vote at a general assembly, there may be a legal path for Zurab to justify his attempt to run the agency for another four years.
Why is it so crucial for Zurab to be re-elected?
Most likely, it’s also straightforward; Money and he don’t want to get caught.
The money
It certainly cannot be tourism that Zurab loves, looking at Zurab’s track record.
Unfortunately, suppose it weren’t for those researchers who were either paid by UN-Tourism or used the branding to become profitable, and events designed to be in the spotlight, what results are there at UN-Tourism directly pointing to Zurab, except for rubber stamp support. If the agency made some positive impact, it was for those who introduced their innovation to the tourism industry, and ministers with a vision for this sector.
EXCELLENT:UNWTO includes patrons, the Honorable Secretary General Francesco Frangialli, and one of the most respected and loved former Secretary Generals, Dr. Taleb Rifai. Both have been more than outspoken and repeatedly warned countries not to accept manipulation at Zurab’s previous election in 2021. They have now even more urgently warned the world against this upcoming third-term attempt for Zurab in next month’s elections.
2025 Election
2021 Election
Tourism Resilience is Hope
After the 2021 manipulation by Zurab Pololikashvili, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, pushed for a tourism resilience day to be officially approved by the United Nations. Most likely, this was for a reason, and his drive for tourism to remain resilient enough to overcome current challenges.
Here is a simple solution – follow UNESCO:
The UNESCO rules state that the Director-General is appointed initially for four years and may be re-appointed for a further four-year term (voting procedure). The Executive Board of UNESCO considers all candidates for appointment to this function.
Rule 102 – Nomination by the Executive Board for UNESCO is very similar to UN-Tourism The Director (Secretary)-General is appointed initially for four years, and may be re-appointed for a further four-year term (voting procedure). The Executive Board of UNESCO considers all candidates for the appointment to this function.
Even if a third term was legal (certainly not ethical), the second violation is making UN-Tourism appear like a failing organization. If Zurab had one bone of fairness and love for tourism in his body, he would have given the helm to his deputy when he decided to run for another term. He didn’t do this in 2020, and certainly is not doing it now. He keeps using all UN-Tourism money and resources to travel the world, spread favors, and ignores that he was campaigning for himself.
What makes UNWTO different from UNESCO?
According to the procedures of another UN agency, UNESCO, which governs similar processes in international organizations, using official resources for electoral campaigns violates all standards of impartiality.
UNESCO’s rules request candidates who are UNESCO staff members to ensure a clear separation between their UNESCO functions and their electoral activities, and invite them to avoid any overlap or potential conflict of interest between their campaign activities and UNESCO business.
UNESCO requests candidates who exercise within UNESCO’s official functions that involve the use of UNESCO resources to avoid any conflicts of interest between such functions and their electoral activities;
Certainly, UN-TOURISM members who pay the bill for the organization would most likely not authorize Zurab to use the organization’s resources to campaign and do favors. Zurab travels on UN funds, campaigning for himself and offering positions to ministers of countries where he needs a vote. He has been hosting events and opening regional centers, but only in countries that are executive council members.
Warnings of a takeover
In certain industry circles, there are warnings of a gradual takeover of UN Tourism, which has become a network of mutual favors between Pololikashvili and several complicit governments.
“His corrupt scheme includes countries and ministers,” they claim. According to this version, the primary beneficiary would be Pololikashvili himself. “If a new secretary-general comes in, ZurabPololikashvili would have a big problem,” they point out, referring to the supposed need to avoid leaving loose ends or compromising documents – a good reason for a third term from a perspective of the accused.
UN-TOURISM and the new US Administration
When major countries such as the United States of America no longer support these two UN-affiliated agencies, the reason is not only because of a rebellious Trump administration. The U.S. has not been a member of UNWTO under many administrations, but it still plays one of the most critical roles in the global travel and tourism industry. It’s time to come together in tourism, which counts for every nation with access to an airport. There is more to the story, specifically regarding tourism.
There are active choices: Gloria Guevara or Harry Theoharis
THE CHOICES:Two out of five candidates competing against Zurab to interrupt his ambition for a third term are working hard and have a chance to win this election against all odds.
Gloria Guevara, the former minister of tourism for Mexico, former CEO of WTTC, and the first woman to campaign to become secretary-general, has circled the globe numerous times and will be at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai today. She undoubtedly has the longest experience in tourism among all candidates.
She not only has the support of many countries on every continent, according to her spokesperson, but she also enjoys the written support of the most prominent private industry players in the world, with billions of euros in possible investments ready to take tourism to a place where the sky is just the limit. She knows that Africa was on the short end of the stick and is committed to changing this.
Before winning this election, she heard from African leaders daily and discussed relevant issues in her dedicated Africa WhatsApp group. In Indonesia, she went behind the scenes to get a deep understanding of that country’s needs and current tourism situation. She also has an ongoing discussion on the Indonesia chat group she started.
With the full support of all branches of her government and backed by her private financial resources, she recently recorded a video in seven languages laying out her detailed plans for UN-Tourism if she were to win the election.
Harry Theoharis , the former minister of tourism for Greece during COVID-19 and who worked in the financial sector, is another candidate for the UN Tourism post. He has also been reaching out to tourism ministers around the world.
His idea is not a WhatsApp group but a last-minute European-African investment conference in his country. He will be the keynote speaker at the conference in early May, before the May 25 election, and wants to attract ministers from the 11 African voting countries to Greece.
The Europe-African Investment Conference
Ibrahim Ayoub organizes the event. He is the founder of the Mauritius-based ITIC UK and a member of the African Tourism Board . He conducted an investment summit in London before the last World Travel Market. His company also organized the UNWTO resilience conference in Jamaica in March.
With Dr. Taleb Rifai and Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Bartlett on his Board of Advisors, ITIC counts on the Hon. Minister from Jamaica, Edmund Bartlett, to attend as a speaker.
African Tourism Board Executive President Cuthbert Ncube, who endorsed Theoharis in the early days of his campaign, also became a member of the ITIC Advisory Board.
When eTN asked, Minister Bartlett had not yet confirmed his participation. HE Ahmed bin Aqil al-Khateeb, the minister from Saudi Arabia, is listed as a speaker. According to a ministry spokesperson in Riyadh, the ministry has not yet confirmed this. Saudi Arabia will host the General Assembly this year, where the new secretary-general for UN-Tourism will be confirmed.
Ayoub told eTurboNews that some speakers may participate via live stream video. It appears that speakers with money for African investments are not yet part of this last-minute event, which is not promoted or openly listed.
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