Shaikha Al Nowais is working a lovely marketing campaign to develop into the Secretary-Normal for UN Tourism. Her platform is LinkedIn, and a few of the world’s costliest PR and advertising and marketing firms put up her movies and quotes, making her the star – she could not but be. My vote would go to a girl as the primary secretary common of UN-Tourism, and she or he wouldn’t but be Shaikha Al Nowais.
Shaikha Al Nowais has the burden, affect, and energy of the Authorities of the United Arab Emirates behind her in her ambition to guide UN-Tourism from 2026.
Sadly, this sympathetic, well-dressed, humbled, and almost definitely well-meaning girl with a smile has little expertise. Her expertise is along with her father, who owns the Rotana Resort group within the UAE.
Shaikha Al Nowais appears to be guided by increased forces. She hardly talks and by no means debates something concerning world tourism. She doesn’t seem at occasions the place she may face her opponents, Gloria Guevara or Harry Theoharis.
Shaikha Al Nowais doesn’t like media interviews except questions are submitted prematurely, and her ambition and expertise will not be questioned. All severe journalists get no response.
A lot of Shaikha Al Nowais’s marketing campaign is run on LinkedIn and contains skilled movies with lovely Arab music and scenes, however Shaikha doesn’t reply to LinkedIn requests, and her PR company isn’t responding, so communication isn’t a privilege for Shaikha however a risk.
The world, nevertheless, must be grateful for the UAE’s convincing the Republic of Georgia to disqualify its candidate, who had been main UN-Tourism for 2 phrases and was attempting to control to run for a 3rd time period as secretary common.
The opposite wild card on this combine is Saudi Arabia, which overtly helps a extra open and outspoken Harry Theoharis from Greece. This relationship was primarily based on a gathering between the Kingdom’s Crown Prince and the prime minister of Greece in Alula. Behind the scenes, there appears to be a troublesome battle between the UAE and KSA over who ought to have probably the most affect over the worldwide journey and tourism trade.
Tourism Politics, geopolitical implementations, and competing pursuits not associated to journey and tourism are in play on the upcoming election at UN-Tourism Madrid, going down on the finish of this week on Could 29 and 30. The choice of the Govt Council member nations will form the way forward for world tourism for this UN-affiliated company. This 12 months, nevertheless, there’s extra in play.
This election will even provide an opportunity to reposition UN-Tourism as an company that urgently wants to achieve belief in nations that aren’t a part of UN-Tourism, such because the U.S., Canada, and Australia and regain the help of those that actually form the enterprise of journey and tourism, such because the Marriotts, the Hyatts, or cruise line firms of the World.
Let’s hope probably the most sincere and skilled candidate will win. Ten % of the world’s inhabitants and a few whole nations depend on this trade. They deserve a much less politically motivated determination primarily based on somebody who understands politics, understands and is revered within the non-public sector, understands what it takes to have nations which can be lacking in UN-Tourism rejoin, and somebody who loves and understands this journey and tourism trade. There are extra components, resembling variety within the candidate and the nation the candidate is from, however the principle motive must be qualification.
My greatest recommendation for all Hon. Ministers voting on Friday is to think about the pursuits of tourism and the folks behind this lovely trade.
For a UN company rotation, equality, expertise, and most of all love for this trade are necessary components. In any case, tourism will be political; it’s the custodian of peace and understanding, however it’s additionally a enterprise that whole nations and thousands and thousands of individuals depend on instantly or not directly.
All of this is the reason my vote would go to Gloria Guevara.
