UN Tourism celebrated its 50th anniversary at FITUR 2025, the leading international tourism trade fair in Madrid, reaffirming its commitment to advancing the sector through accessibility, innovation, and investments. The milestone event brought together high-level delegates, including tourism ministers, business leaders, and representatives from member states, to reflect on the past five decades and outline priorities for the future.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili remarked, “As UN Tourism celebrates 50 years, FITUR meets for the 45th time. Together, we have shaped global tourism by building bridges between the public and private sectors, promoting dialogue, and advancing shared priorities around innovation, sustainability, and resilience.”
Investment Breakfast and New Guidelines
A key highlight of FITUR 2025 was a special Investment Breakfast hosted in collaboration with the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF). The event explored opportunities and challenges for boosting tourism investments in the region. UN Tourism also unveiled new additions to its “Tourism Doing Business” Investment Guidelines, focusing on Panama and Brazil, the partner country for this year’s FITUR.
Advancing Accessible Tourism
UN Tourism and AccessibleEU hosted a side event titled “Accessible Tourism: Harnessing the Benefits of Inclusive Destinations for Companies and People,” in partnership with the ONCE Foundation and the European Network for Accessible Tourism. The session celebrated progress in making tourism inclusive and discussed challenges related to infrastructure and innovation. The event emphasized the economic and social benefits of creating destinations that cater to visitors of all abilities.
Strengthening Global Partnerships
UN Tourism welcomed new Affiliate Members at a dedicated “Affiliate Members Corner,” focusing on “Targeting Traveler Segments” to explore potential growth areas and diversification strategies for destinations. The organization also signed new Memorandums of Understanding with Affiliate Member CIFFT (Audiovisual Tourism Advertising) to promote creativity and innovation in tourism advertising.
As UN Tourism and FITUR continue their collaborative efforts, the event underscored the importance of innovation, inclusivity, and investments in shaping the future of the global tourism sector.
