Harry Theoharis Announces Candidacy for Secretary General of UN Tourism

Presents programme for reform and transformation of the key UN agency at FITUR 2025

Gains key endorsement from African Tourism Board

MADRID, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With the slogan "reform to transform, unite to grow," Harry Theoharis officially launched his candidacy for the Secretary General of UN Tourism this week at the FITUR tourism conference in Madrid.

Mr Theoharis, who has an impressive track record in organizational and technological transformation in the public sector, will be presenting his initiatives to improve the transparency, accountability and efficiency of UN Tourism in order to bring more value to member states and to the global tourism community.

Harry Theoharis, Candidate for Secretary-General of UN Tourism

Introducing his candidacy, Mr Theoharis said: "Together we will make UN Tourism prosperous and purposeful: an equitable, inclusive, and regenerative force for good that truly represents its Member States and drives positive change across the sector."

Addressing the issues of transparency and the divisions among Member States that have undermined UN Tourism's work and credibility in recent years, Mr Theoharis presents himself as a bridge-builder determined to return the governance of UN Tourism to its members: "UN Tourism is an agency of the United Nations, and the Secretary General must serve the interests of the members before his or her own. I will ensure that the organs of governance fulfil their role freely, uniting and empowering Member States to pioneer bold policies for shared prosperity and maximize our contribution to reach the Sustainable Development Goals."

Mr Theoharis's first priority as Secretary-General will be to reform the organization to ensure greater transparency and accountability. This will be achieved through a series of initiatives to set clear, measurable governance standards and metrics, publish regular reports, conduct independent audits, and launch a centralized, publicly accessible platform that provides real-time data on project outcomes, financial performance, and progress against goals.

Mr Theoharis's programme and key initiatives have already received enthusiastic support from member states and multilateral tourism organizations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Last week, the African Tourism Board officially announced its endorsement of Harry Theoharis as a candidate for the Secretary-General of the UN Tourism. Theoharis's engagement with Africa has focused on promoting investment, education, and sustainability while enhancing the continent's global tourism market share. As Africa's tourism potential continues to grow, the African Tourism Board sees Theoharis as a pivotal figure to advance the continent's interests globally.

This week, he will continue to meet with tourism ministers from many other countries during FITUR in Madrid: "I am looking forward to meeting many of my colleagues from members states as we celebrate together UN Tourism's 50^th anniversary in Madrid. As a world reference for tourism best practice and home to UN Tourism, Spain has much to offer our global community, and I look forward to increasing the collaboration between UN Tourism and its host member state."