The World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) has met again to advance its work around inclusive and decent work in tourism, environmental sustainability, intercultural dialogue, and digital transformation.
Building a more ethical sector
- The World Committee on Tourism Ethics – a subsidiary body of the UNWTO General Assembly – is an independent and impartial body responsible for interpreting, applying and evaluating the provisions of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
- The current World Committee on Tourism Ethics is made up of: Chair: Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; Full Members: Meyada Belal, José Ignacio Besga Zuazola, Luis Fernando Jiménez Guzman, Sue Longley, Lawal Mohammed Marafa, Hiroaki Matsuura, Daniela Otero, Gabriela Tigu and Alternate Members: Gunnur Diker, Shahid Hamid Fih and Marina Novelli.
Opening the meeting, WCTE Chair, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said: ¨Yesterday we celebrated World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. What a better way to celebrate it than by highlighting the big role of ethical tourism in the promotion of cultural identity and expression?”
UNWTO Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic added: “This month, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 global health emergency over. The tourism sector is set to consolidate its recovery reaching 80 to 95% of its pre-pandemic international tourist arrival figures. This reflects that, while the world faces a global crisis, everything is temporary, and challenges, can be turned into opportunities.”
From an ethical perspective, the Committee called attention to the social impact on tourism employment and migrant workers, worldwide and especially on the Black Sea region, resulting from the current security unrest.
Looking ahead
With a view to ensure continuity of the work of the Committee, the membership of the Committee will be renewed by half every two years. The 25th UNWTO General Assembly to be held in October 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, will be called upon to appoint 4 WCTE full members. UNWTO Member States, Associate Members and Affiliate Members can send in the nomination of their candidates by 9 June 2023.
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