The United Nations World Tourism Organization

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

UNWTO encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism to maximize the contribution of tourism to socio-economic development, while minimizing its possible negative impacts.

Within UNWTO, the Ethics and Social Dimensions of Tourism Programme is a specialised agency of the United Nations, and is tasked with the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

Guided by the provisions of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, the programme focuses on issues of child protection, gender equality, accessible tourism, intangible cultural heritage, migrations,  travel facilitation – particularly for persons with HIV/AIDS, consumer and enterprise protection, and the promotion of human rights and non-discrimination.

The Programme further coordinates the activities of both the World Committee on Tourism Ethics and the World Tourism Network on Child Protection.

The IUF’s General Secretary is an appointed member of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics.