UNWTO and Georgia to Partner on South Caucasus Tourism Initiative
The President and Prime Minister of Georgia met separately with the Secretary-General, welcoming his visit and presenting a further opportunity for UNWTO to increase recognition of tourism as a key driver of job creation, economic growth and development.
Mr. Rifai also met with major representatives of the national tourism industry during discussions on how to best harness the tourism potential of the country.
UNWTO and Georgia took an important step towards better responding to the needs of the South Caucasus tourism sector when the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the South Caucasus Tourism Initiative. The MoU, signed by Mr. Rifai and the Minister of Economic Development of Georgia, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, commits the parties to combine efforts to develop the Tourism Initiative through joint activities and strategies promoting the competitiveness and sustainability of tourism in the region.
In particular, the initiative aims to foster the adoption of best practices in tourism destinations in view of issues such as strategic positioning, climate change and overall sustainability. Joint strategies will be developed and carried out by a regional Tourism Think Tank composed of universities, research centers, members of the public sector, the private sector and civil society.
Georgia has been a member of UNWTO since 1993 during which time it has actively participated in numerous UNWTO programmes and events, in particular the Silk Road Project.
