MADRID: United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili praised Kuwait’s key role in advancing regional tourism through strategic cooperation and dialogue among Middle Eastern countries, promoting shared goals and collective ambitions.

In a special interview with KUNA on World Tourism Day, he added that Kuwait’s leadership of the UNWTO Middle East Regional Committee for 2025-2027 represents a strategic responsibility, especially in a region proven as a global tourism transformation driver.

Pololikashvili explained that this chairmanship is not only recognition of Kuwait’s  commitment to tourism but also an opportunity to enhance regional collaboration and translate common priorities into tangible, practical, and actionable steps across multiple sectors.

He highlighted that Kuwait has been a founding member of UNWTO since 1975, reflecting its long-standing commitment to tourism development aligned with the strategic axis of the National Development Plan (New Kuwait 2035), focusing on international standing.The Georgian secretary-general expressed confidence in Kuwait’scapacity to lead in shaping and coordinating regional strategies focusing on sustainability, digitalization, innovation, education, and connectivity improvements across tourism and related sectors in the Middle East.

Pololikashvili noted that during the 51st meeting of the Middle East Regional Committee held recently in Doha, UNWTO observed strong political will among member states to enhance cooperation in sports tourism, educational tourism, and luxury tourism.He emphasized that Kuwait is qualified to lead this momentum, creating synergy between GCC countries and the wider region, contributing to addressing common challenges such as climate change, economic diversification, specialized training, and high-quality job creation.

Pololikashvili confirmed that UNWTO will provide full support to Kuwait in this new role, including reinforcing regional cooperation, achieving shared priorities, while the Middle East regional office in Riyadh will continue playing a key technical role in facilitating initiatives.Regarding Gulf presence on the global tourism stage, he said Gulf countries have gained increasing influence and activity within UNWTO, reflected in stronger political representation and the launch of strategic initiatives in priority areas for sector development.

He added that the UNWTO General Assembly will approve in its upcoming meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the appointment of Emirati entrepreneur Sheikha Al-Nuaimi as Secretary-General in early 2026, making her the first woman to lead the organization in fifty years.Pololikashvili highlighted the Gulf?s serious focus on human capital development, noting that the region has advanced educational and professional initiatives, already demonstrating tangible results across training programs, tourism education, and sector capacity-building projects.

He stated that the UNWTO Online Tourism Academy has registered over 30,000 students, with more than fifty percent women, supported by regional partners, and that secondary school tourism education programs are being implemented in multiple Gulf countries.Pololikashvili further emphasized that the region’s commitment to innovation and digitalization is evident in the continuous improvement of training platforms and integration of tools such as artificial intelligence in UNWTO e-learning programs.He confirmed that the launch of the Middle East regional office in 2021 enhanced UNWTO operational capacity, enabled smoother collaboration, and facilitated project design aligned with local priorities while strengthening connections to the regional tourism ecosystem.

He said active Gulf participation not only strengthens UNWTO?s regional dimension but also contributes tangibly to the organization’s global agenda, with leadership in luxury tourism, sports tourism, education, and digital transformation driving innovation and sector resilience worldwide.Pololikashvili noted that GCC countries establish tourism as a primary driver for economic diversification, high-quality job creation, and international presence, praising strategic commitment to flexible, innovative, long-term tourism development models that promote sustainability and global competitiveness.

He explained that despite ongoing global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, Gulf countries have demonstrated remarkable adaptability and dynamism in advancing the tourism sector, supporting growth, resilience, and positioning the region as a strategic tourism hub internationally. Pololikashvili stated that Kuwait achieved an unprecedented milestone in 2023, leading global tourism growth with a 151 percent increase in revenues compared with pre-pandemic 2019 levels, reflecting the country’s strong recovery and effective strategic tourism planning.

He added that Saudi Arabia led international tourism expenditure growth in 2024 with a 17 percent increase, strengthening its position as a major tourism source market globally, reflecting a more competitive, resilient tourism system supported by sustainable strategy and infrastructure investment. Pololikashvili highlighted that major events like the FIFA World Cup, Formula 1 races, and Dakar Rally played a central role in positioning GCC countries as leading hosts for global events, combining investment, innovation, and sustainability to transform the Gulf tourism image internationally.

He confirmed that UNWTO will continue supporting GCC countries through technical assistance, collaboration platforms, and institutional support, ensuring tourism remains an effective tool for inclusive, sustainable development across the region and achieving broader socio-economic benefits.

Regarding 2025 performance, he said tourism in GCC countries continues to show notable positive trends, strengthening the recovery momentum achieved in previous years and reflecting strategic investments, innovative offerings, and improved regional connectivity across destinations.Pololikashvili noted that early in the year, destinations such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar registered significant increases in international arrivals and tourism expenditure, driven by diverse tourism offerings, improved air connectivity, and a rich calendar of global events.

For instance, Saudi Arabia maintained its status as one of the fastest-growing tourism markets globally in expenditure, Kuwait strengthened its position as an emerging regional destination, while Qatar continues benefiting from momentum generated by hosting major international sporting events, enhancing global presence. Based on the latest UNWTO Tourism Barometer data, Pololikashvili highlighted that the Middle East received 101 million international tourists in 2024, an eight percent increase from 2023, and 41 percent above pre-pandemic levels, reflecting strong recovery and robust tourism leadership in the region.

He noted that the Middle East was the first region globally to surpass pre-pandemic tourism levels, demonstrating resilience and emerging leadership in innovative sectors such as medical tourism and luxury travel, setting benchmarks for global tourism recovery and growth strategies.Pololikashvili said UNWTO views 2025 and 2026 with optimism, as the region benefits from sustained demand locally and internationally, supported by strategies focused on diversifying tourism products and attracting new visitor segments across multiple countries.

He indicated that GCC countries are expected to maintain or exceed global average growth rates in coming months due to focus on quality, innovation, and sustainability, with tourism increasingly recognized as a strategic driver for economic and social development regionally. UNWTO celebrates World Tourism Day this year in Malacca, Malaysia, under the theme ?Tourism and Sustainable Transformation,? highlighting tourism?s transformative potential as a driver of positive change requiring governance, strategic planning, monitoring, and alignment with long-term sustainability objectives.

The celebrations will highlight how tourism, as one of the most interconnected sectors in economic and social value chains, contributes to addressing major global challenges such as climate change, social transformation, and inclusive economic development.For this purpose, UNWTO, headquartered in Madrid, issued a clear, urgent call for commitment to making tourism a platform for systematic, sustainable transformation and a catalyst for promoting peace, cooperation, and intercultural understanding among nations globally. The world welcomed approximately 690 million international tourists between January and June, a five percent increase over 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by four percent, demonstrating continued recovery despite lingering global travel challenges and uncertainties across multiple regions.

Despite ongoing challenges such as rising transport and accommodation costs, persistent inflation in tourism, geopolitical tensions, tariffs, and travel restrictions affecting traveler confidence, UNWTO anticipates international tourist arrivals to grow between three and five percent in 2025, sustaining sector momentum worldwide. — KUNA