Organización Mundial del Turismo

Can you imagine a world without travel? Here, at the Organización Mundial del Turismo headquarters in Madrid, that very question fuels everything. The Organización Mundial del Turismo, or UN Tourism, is the United Nations agency dedicated to promoting responsible, sustainable, and accessible tourism worldwide. Its presence here in Madrid underscores Spain’s pivotal role in global tourism. The organization was founded on November 1, 1975, originally as the World Tourism Organization. It later became a specialized agency of the UN. Before the pandemic, tourism was booming. It represented one in ten jobs worldwide. International tourist arrivals hit a staggering 1.5 billion in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic drastically reshaped the tourism landscape, and the Organización Mundial del Turismo played a critical role in guiding the sector through this turbulent time. The UN Tourism headquarters in Madrid served as the nerve center for this global response. It established the Global Tourism Crisis Committee to navigate the unprecedented challenges. Interestingly, the organization even simplified its name in 2023, becoming UN Tourism, perhaps symbolizing a renewed focus on accessibility and collaboration. It publishes resources like the World Tourism Barometer and the UNWTO Annual Report, offering valuable data and insights into global tourism trends. Beyond statistics, UN Tourism champions tourism’s potential for positive change. It addresses ethics, culture, social responsibility, and the power of tourism to drive economic growth and development. The organization also works towards investments and digital transformation in the tourism sector. UN Tourism’s six official languages reflect its global reach: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Here at its headquarters in Madrid, the Organización Mundial del Turismo works tirelessly towards a future where travel enriches lives and connects the world responsibly.