About UN Tourism
UN Tourism’s leadership vision acknowledges the most pressing challenges facing tourism and identifies the sector’s ability to overcome them and to drive wider positive change, including the opportunities responsible tourism offers for the advancement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UN Tourism members have endorsed the Management Vision of the Secretary-General which seeks to position tourism as a policy priority, lead in knowledge creation, enhance the Organization’s capacity through building new and stronger partnerships, and offer better value for existing Members while also expanding membership.
To realize the Management Vision, UN Tourism’s work is based around five distinct pillars:
- making tourism smarter through celebrating innovation and leading the digital transformation of the sector;
- making tourism more competitive at every level through promoting investment and promoting entrepreneurship;
- creating more and better jobs and providing relevant training;
- building resilience and promoting safe and seamless travel; and
- harnessing tourism’s unique potential to protect cultural and natural heritage and to support communities both economically and socially.
As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.
UN Tourism encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, to maximize tourism’s socio-economic contribution while minimizing its possible negative impacts, and is committed to promoting tourism as an instrument in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), geared towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development worldwide.
UN Tourism generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training, and works to make tourism an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in over 100 countries around the world.
UN Tourism’s membership includes 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members and over 500 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.
Basic Documents
Our management
Our management
The management team works towards a comprehensive vision for development of the tourism sector. This includes positioning tourism as a policy priority, establishing thought leadership in knowledge and policy creation, increasing resources and strengthening UN Tourism’s capacity through meaningful partnerships.
UN Tourism managementGoverning Bodies
Member States
Member States
An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers
List of the 160 Member States of the UN TourismWorking With the Private Sector
Working With the Private Sector
Bringing together over 500 companies, educational and research institutions, destinations and NGOs, the UN Tourism Affiliate Members provides a space for members to engage in dialogue, share information and take further action.
Affiliate MembersUN Tourism Liaison Office in Geneva
UN Tourism Liaison Office in Geneva
As part of the UN Tourism Geneva Liaison Office (GVLO) scope of work to represent UN Tourism to the UN System and Diplomatic Missions in Geneva and in building strategic partnerships for increased capacity, GVLO has participated in numerous United Nations System led activities.
Geneva Liaison OfficeUN Tourism Tourism Ambassadors
UN Tourism Tourism Ambassadors
UN Tourism’s Ambassadors for Sustainable Tourism are drawn from the worlds of sport, entertainment, business, gastronomy and more.
Ambassadors