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World Tourism Organization
The World Tourism Organization �WTO) is the
leading global organisation in the field of tourism.
It serves as a framework of expertise in tourism
policy and a practical source of tourism knowhow
in specific issues. Its membership includes 138
countries and territories and more than 350
members of the WTO Business Council, representing
local government, tourism associations,
educational institutions and private sector companies,
including airlines, hotel groups and tour
operators. WTO is an inter-governmental body
entrusted by the United Nations with the promotion
and development of tourism. Through
tourism, it aims to stimulate economic growth
and job creation, provide incentives for protecting
the environment and heritage of destinations,
and promote peace and understanding among all
the nations of the world.
The World Tourism Organization had its
beginnings as the International Union of Official
Tourist Publicity Organisations, set up in 1925 in
The Hague. It was renamed the International
Union for Official Tourism Organisations
�IUOTO) after the Second World War, and moved
to Geneva. In 1967, IUOTO members approved a
resolution transforming it into an inter-governmental
organisation empowered to deal on a
worldwide basis with all matters concerning
tourism and to cooperate with other competent
organisations, particularly those of the United
Nations system. A recommendation to the same
effect was passed in December 1969 by the UN
General Assembly, which recognised the `decisive
and central role' the transformed IUOTO should
play in the field of world tourism `in cooperation
with the existing machinery within the UN'.
IUOTO was renamed the World Tourism Organization,
and its first General Assembly was held in
Madrid in May 1975. The Secretariat was installed
in Madrid early the following year at the invitation
of the Spanish government.
The General Assembly, as the supreme organ, is
composed of voting delegates representing full
members and associate members. Affiliate members
and representatives of other international
organisations participate as observers. It meets
every two years to approve the budget and
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programme of work, and to debate topics of vital
importance to tourism worldwide. Every four years
it elects a Secretary-General. The Executive
Council is the WTO's governing board. It meets
twice a year and is composed of twenty-six
members elected by the General Assembly in a
ratio of one for every five full members. Associate
members and members participate in Executive
Council meetings as observers.
The WTO has six regional commissions, in
Africa, the Americas, East Asia and the Pacific,
Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. The
commissions meet at least once a year, and are
composed of all the full members and associate
members from that region. Business council
members from the region participate as observers.
Specialised committees of WTO members advise
on management and programme content. These
include the Programme Committee, the Budget
and Finance Committee, the Statistics Steering
Committee, the Environment Committee, the
Quality Support Committee, the Education Centres
Network and the Communications Advisory
Council.
The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General,
who supervises the staff at the headquarters. These
officials are responsible for implementing the
WTO's programme of work and serving the needs
of members. The Secretariat also includes a
regional support office for Asia-Pacific in Osaka,
Japan. The WTO Business Council is supervised
by a full time Chief Executive Officer at the
Madrid headquarters. A Leadership Forum of the
Business Council meets once a year to make
programme recommendations to the Secretariat.
The WTO exists to help all countries to maximise
the positive impacts of tourism, such as job
creation, new infrastructure and foreign exchange
earnings, while at the same time minimising
negative environmental or sociocultural
impacts. Its programmes are grouped into six
broad areas.
The Human Resource Development department
provides education and training that
matches the needs of future tourism professionals
and employers. In cooperation with its network of
nineteen WTO Education and Training Centres
throughout the world, this department sets global
standards for tourism education. Its TEDQUAL