Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais is an Emirati enterprise chief with over 16 years of expertise in international hospitality.
In keeping with the Could 2025 World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism, over 300 million vacationers traveled internationally within the first three months of 2025, about 14 million greater than in the identical months of 2024. On the again of this optimistic information, Member States got an summary of the progress made in key areas designed to construct a extra innovation, resilient and sustainable sector.
Secretary-Common Zurab Pololikashvili stated: “Over the past eight years, UN Tourism has embraced a transformative imaginative and prescient. Now we have put tourism on the forefront of the worldwide agenda to boost its competitiveness and financial worth. And we’ve by no means overlooked our key priorities: training, investments, sustainable and rural growth, girls empowerment, new applied sciences, and worldwide growth.”
Shaikha Al Nowais nominated to make historical past as first feminine UN Tourism head
Following protocol, the Council elected Shaikha Al Nowais as the following Secretary-Common, to start in January 2026. Her nomination will likely be put to the UN Tourism Common Meeting for his or her approval. The nomination represents a landmark first for the sector, as the primary lady chief of UN Tourism in its 50-year historical past.
Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais is an Emirati enterprise chief with over 16 years of expertise in international hospitality. As Company Vice President at Rotana Resorts, she has overseen proprietor relations throughout the Center East, Africa, Jap Europe, and Turkey. A graduate of Zayed College in Finance, she additionally chairs the Abu Dhabi Chamber’s Tourism Working Group and serves on the boards of the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council and Les Roches Hospitality Academy.
Celebrating shared progress
In Segovia, Secretary-Common Pololikashvili introduced a complete report reviewing the outcomes of his eight-year mandate. The report was constructed round the principle outcomes of the authorized Program of Work, specifically:
- Tourism Insights, together with Key information tendencies shaping the trade’s future.
- Tourism Know-how, together with the event of tourism merchandise.
- Investments and Innovation, supporting the core drivers of development
- Sustainability, with a give attention to initiatives aligning with the SDGs.
- Schooling and Human Capital growth to construct a powerful, expert workforce.
- UN Tourism on the bottom and its help to Member States.
- Finances allocation and Human Assets.
Highlights included strengthened tourism information programs, expanded rural tourism initiatives (together with the Finest Tourism Villages and STAR device), new programming in gastronomy, sports activities, and concrete tourism, and the mixing of Synthetic Intelligence and social innovation into the Group’s broader agenda. Member States had been additionally up to date on the numerous development within the UN Tourism On-line Academy, new Worldwide Academies in Affiliation with UN Tourism, and report overseas direct funding figures.
Strengthening international presence and new Innovation Workplace for Africa
The Council additionally welcomed updates on the event of Thematic and Regional workplaces. On the eve of the Government Council Secretary-Common Zurab Pololikashvili and Tourism Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco Fatim-Zahra Ammor and UN Tourism formalized an settlement to create he first UN Tourism Thematic Workplace on Innovation for Africa in Rabat. The workplace will advance UN Tourism’s 2030 Agenda for Africa, and goals to place tourism as a key driver of growth by way of innovation throughout the area.
