Harry Theoharis announces candidacy for secretary general of UN Tourism

Harry Theoharis announces candidacy for secretary general of UN Tourism
Edited by Travel Weekly


Harry Theoharis has announced his candidacy for the secretary of UN Tourism with the slogan ‘reform to transform, unite to grow’ at the FITUR tourism conference in Madrid.

A member of the Hellenic Parliament and former Greek tourism minister, he will be presenting his initiatives to improve the transparency, accountability, and efficiency of UN Tourism in order to bring more value to member states and to the global tourism community.

“Together we will make UN Tourism prosperous and purposeful: an equitable, inclusive, and regenerative force for good that truly represents its member states and drives positive change across the sector,” Theoharis said upon introducing his candidacy.

“UN Tourism is an agency of the United Nations, and the secretary general must serve the interests of the members before his or her own,” he added.

“I will ensure that the organs of governance fulfil their role freely, uniting and empowering member states to pioneer bold policies for shared prosperity and maximise our contribution to reach the sustainable development goals.”

His first priority will be to reform the organisation to ensure greater transparency and accountability. This is achieved through a series of initiatives to set clear, measurable governance standards and metrics, publish regular reports, conduct independent audits, and launch a centralised publicly accessible platform that provides real-time data on project outcomes, financial performance, and progress against goals.

The Theoharis program and key initiatives have already received enthusiastic support from member states and multilateral tourism organisations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Last week, the African Tourism Board officially announced its endorsement of Theoharis as a candidate for the position.

Theoharis’s engagement with Africa has focused on promoting investment, education, and sustainability while enhancing the continent’s global tourism market share. As Africa’s tourism potential continues to grow, the African Tourism Board sees Theoharis as a pivotal figure to advance the continent’s interests globally.

“I am looking forward to meeting many of my colleagues from member states as we celebrate together UN Tourism’s 50th anniversary in Madrid,” Theorharis said.

“As a world reference for tourism best practice and home to UN Tourism, Spain has much to offer our global community, and I look forward to increasing the collaboration between UN Tourism and its host member state.”

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