UNWTO Secretary General visits Uruguay

The Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has concluded his official visit to the Americas with a series of high-level meetings in Uruguay. Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili met with President Luis Lacalle Pou to learn more about his government's work in supporting tourism businesses and workers, and to agree on deepening UNWTO collaboration on the ground. This was followed by meetings with key private sector leaders.

As a long-time UNWTO member and as one of the co-hosts of World Tourism Day 2020, Uruguay has long demonstrated its commitment to harnessing the power of tourism for growth and opportunity. Secretary General Pololikashvili thanked President Lacalle Pou for his strong support for the sector during the pandemic and his efforts to restart tourism in a safe and responsible manner. This includes a focus on the growth of domestic tourism and, in keeping with the theme of World Tourism Day, using it to provide opportunities to rural communities in Uruguay. 

Uruguay shows how resilient tourism is and how it can bounce back and drive recovery when given the right support, benefiting both the broader economy and local communities.

During the last decade, Uruguay has become one of the strongest destinations in the Americas region. In the wake of the 2009 global financial crisis, UNWTO singled out the country as an example of the unique resilience of the sector. Now, in this last official visit to the country, the UNWTO leadership recognized the continued commitment to tourism, the sector being a priority throughout the changes of government.

Pololikashvili said: “Uruguay shows how resilient tourism is and how it can bounce back and drive recovery when given the right support, benefiting both the overall economy and local communities. I thank President Lacalle Pou and his government for their unwavering support to UNWTO and our sector, and I look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen cooperation during the challenging months ahead. "

Collaboration key for recovery
The UNWTO delegation also met with the Minister of Tourism, Germán Cardoso, to learn about his plans to support and restart tourism with a focus on sustainability and inclusion. This also provided UNWTO an opportunity to share the results of the most recent meetings of the World Tourism Crisis Committee, including plans to bring together governments and private sector leaders to increase confidence in international travel, especially through the creation of a first International Code. for the Protection of Tourists.

Further highlighting UNWTO's determination to foster high-level collaboration in order to accelerate the restart of tourism and ensure that innovation and sustainability are at the center of future recovery, Secretary General Pololikashvili brought together Tourism Ministers from Brazil and Uruguay in a special meeting. with President Lacalle Pou. The two Ministers expressed their commitment to work together towards shared goals, which include not only greater sustainability, but also the promotion of investment in tourism to boost economic growth and job creation.