Toledo, Spain — TANZANIA has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening global tourism cooperation following its participation in the 126th Executive Council Meeting of the United Nations Tourism (UN Tourism), where member states deliberated on the organisation's strategic direction for the coming four years.

Dr Ashatu Kijaji, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, represented the country at the convention, which brought together tourism ministers, ambassadors, and senior sector leaders from 35 member countries. The key highlight was the presentation of the 2026-2029 management vision by the newly appointed UN Tourism Secretary-General, Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais.

The new strategic vision prioritises strengthening institutional foundations, enhancing transparency and accountability, and ensuring the organisation delivers measurable results for member states.

According to her, the organisation will be guided by three core principles; which include reinforcing institutional capacity, placing member states at the centre of decision-making and implementation, and improving the quality of service delivery.

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The strategy further outlines four priority areas for the 2026-2029 period, such as institutional foundations, partnerships, skills development, and sustainability.

She emphasised that strengthening the organisation's foundation is essential for progress, noting that no priority can be effectively achieved without transparent systems, sound financial management, and strong accountability mechanisms.

She further underscored the importance of tourism, saying it remains one of the world's most significant economic sectors, contributing about 10 per cent of global GDP and supporting millions of jobs globally.

She is of the view that sustained growth of the sector depends on strong institutions, effective governance, and enhanced cooperation among member states.

Ends.