Shaikha Al Nowais takes over UN Tourism at a time when global tourism is being weighed down by security and geopolitical risks

New UN Tourism chief enters office at a sensitive moment for global tourism

Shaikha Al Nowais has taken over the leadership of UN Tourism as the first woman to head that United Nations agency in its 50-year history, but the start of her term comes at a time when international tourism is facing a new layer of uncertainty. On the one hand, the sector continues to show a strong recovery and high resilience, and according to official UN Tourism data, 2025 brought a record 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals. On the other hand, the same official documents warn that economic pressures, more expensive travel, security challenges and geopolitical tensions are increasingly affecting traveller behaviour, carriers' business decisions and destination planning. That is precisely why part of the expert public, as well as actors from the tourism sector, is increasingly raising the question not only of which long-term reforms the new administration will address, but also of how quickly and clearly it will respond to the immediate risks that are already shaping the global tourism map.

Formal confirmation and the symbolism of the first female term

Shaikha Al Nowais was formally confirmed as Secretary-General of UN Tourism at the organization's General Assembly held in Riyadh in November 2025, after earlier that same year the Executive Council had recommended her for the 2026 to 2029 term. Her selection thus gained a strong symbolic dimension as well, because UN Tourism is being led by a woman for the first time, and by a person coming from the private sector and the hotel industry. The organization's official biographical information highlights her experience at Rotana and in bodies connected with the development of tourism and the economy in Abu Dhabi, which at the time of her selection was presented as a combination of business experience, development vision and international cooperation. The organization itself describes her arrival as a new phase in which tourism should further strengthen its role in economic growth, sustainability and the connecting of states. But precisely because expectations are high, any weaker public visibility of the new chief is immediately read as a test of the organization's political and institutional strength.

Tourism is growing, but so is the level of risk

At first glance, the figures look encouraging. UN Tourism states that 2025 brought growth in international tourist arrivals of four percent, with nearly 60 million more travellers than the previous year. Such a result confirms that international demand for travel has not been exhausted even after the strong post-pandemic recovery. People are still travelling, air traffic is growing, and many destinations are recording a strong return of revenue and investment. However, the same set of official analyses warns that this growth is not the same as stability. On the contrary, for months the organization has been stating that geopolitical tensions, high prices, more expensive transport and reduced consumer confidence could seriously limit further momentum.

That is the core of the problem facing the new leadership. Under normal circumstances, the leadership of a global tourism organization can afford to place the emphasis on investment, education, innovation and long-term development programmes. In a period of heightened security risks, expectations change. Then the market, destinations, hoteliers, airlines and travellers seek much more direct communication: clear assessments, coordinated messages, recommendations for resilience and visible leadership that will not act only as an observer of trends, but also as a reference point in times of crisis.

Why the question of visibility is no longer just a question of style

It is common for new leaders of international organizations to use the first months of their term to consolidate the team, set priorities and align work with member states. But in the case of UN Tourism, this transition is taking place at a time when security and uncertainty have become an integral part of the tourism business. When air corridors become more sensitive, when part of the market depends on political relations between states, and when the price of fuel and insurance directly affects the price of tickets and packages, the public presence of a leader ceases to be a protocol issue. It becomes an instrument of managing confidence.

That is precisely why part of the industry expects the new Secretary-General to be more frequently present in the public sphere with concrete messages about how UN Tourism sees the current threats and how it wants to help members. This does not mean that the organization should take over the role of aviation regulators, security agencies or national governments. But it does mean that, as the specialized United Nations agency for tourism, it should offer a coordinated framework for understanding risk, strengthening preparedness and protecting confidence in international travel. Without that, even the highest-quality strategic documents leave the impression of a disconnect from reality.

Official priorities exist, but the sector is seeking a faster operational message

In its programme documents and public statements, UN Tourism emphasizes several constant priorities: investment, education, data, sustainability, innovation, accessibility and strengthening the resilience of the sector. The documents for the 2026 and 2027 work programme also state that the organization wants to align long-term goals with the sector's “burning issues” and the rational use of resources. This shows that at the top of the organization there is awareness of the weight of the moment. The problem, however, lies in the perception that there is still a gap between strategic formulations and the current public performance.

For the tourism sector, communication is not a secondary matter. If an international organization publicly acknowledges that geopolitical tensions can undermine traveller confidence and change demand patterns, then part of the industry also expects the next step: a more visible interpretation of those risks, faster reactions and stronger messages on how to remain resilient. Otherwise, the organization can appear to be talking about the tourism of the future while operational problems are piling up in the present. This is particularly sensitive at a time when tourism is measured not only by the number of guests, but also by the ability of the system to absorb shocks without undermining confidence.

The security of destinations is no longer a marginal topic

The organization itself has already launched initiatives that show it is aware of the changing context. Among them, SAFE-D stands out in particular, an initiative aimed at strengthening the preparedness, response and recovery of tourist destinations in crisis situations. In explaining that programme, UN Tourism openly states that safety and security are the foundation of the sustainable development of tourism in an increasingly complex and unpredictable world. This is an important message because it confirms that today's tourism can no longer be viewed only through the prism of promotion, investment and figures, but also through risk management.

That is precisely why part of the sector believes that the new Secretary-General could more strongly connect such initiatives publicly with current events. When the organization already has conceptual and programme tools for crisis resilience, the expectation is that it should present them not only as long-term projects, but also as a practical response to security challenges that are already affecting the market. In other words, the industry is not seeking alarmism, but a credible sense that there is an international institution monitoring developments, understanding the implications and knowing how to address them politically and communicatively.

Air transport shows resilience, but also vulnerability

IATA data show that global demand for air transport continued to grow at the start of 2026, with demand in January increasing by 3.8 percent year on year. This is an important indicator, because air transport remains the bloodstream of international tourism. Nevertheless, in its analyses IATA simultaneously warns that 2026 is burdened by a series of risks that can strongly affect airline operations and indirectly the entire tourism chain. Among those risks, geopolitical instability, macroeconomic uncertainty and disruptions affecting costs, routes and the availability of capacity stand out in particular.

This means that tourism is still growing, but according to an ever more expensive and sensitive pattern. Travellers may still want to travel, but the question is at what price, by which routes and with what sense of security. In such circumstances, international institutions can no longer communicate exclusively through optimistic statistics, because the market is simultaneously following the other side of the equation: unstable corridors, longer flights, more expensive operations and the growing importance of crisis planning. Tourism can be strong and yet vulnerable, and it is precisely at that point that convincing leadership is being sought.

The Middle Eastern corridor and the wider consequences for the tourism industry

Additional weight to the entire debate is given by the security context in parts of the Middle East, where during March 2026 serious air and operational difficulties connected with regional escalation were recorded. Specialized systems for monitoring airspace security state that disruptions in the central Middle Eastern corridor have already affected rerouting, increased uncertainty and additional pressure on alternative routes. For travellers, this can mean longer journeys, more expensive tickets and greater schedule sensitivity. For the tourism industry, this means that security events are no longer distant geopolitical news, but an operational fact that can change traffic flows, profitability and demand in the short term.

Of course, UN Tourism is not responsible for managing airspace or issuing security bans. But that is precisely why its role should be different: to bring members together, warn of the consequences for destinations, promote preparedness and help ensure that risks do not spill over uncontrollably into a loss of confidence. In times of crisis, it is often not decisive whether an international organization can solve the problem on its own, but whether it can clearly explain what is at stake, who needs to act and how the sector can prepare. When such messages are absent or too weak, the space is taken over by fragmented market interpretations, individual interests and media nervousness.

Between the investment agenda and crisis management

In Shaikha Al Nowais's appearances and positioning so far, the emphasis has often been on investment, institutional strengthening, sustainability and linking economic growth with social responsibility. These are legitimate and necessary topics, especially for an organization that wants to influence public policies and destination development in the long term. However, the political reality of 2026 also demands something else: the ability to keep the investment agenda from being separated from crisis management. Investors, hoteliers, tour operators and national tourism administrations cannot plan several years ahead if they do not feel that institutions are ready for next week as well.

In other words, tourism today seeks not only a vision of growth, but also an architecture of resilience. This includes security, the legal protection of travellers, the quality of data, coordination with transport and clear communication in uncertain circumstances. UN Tourism already has some of these elements in its projects and normative initiatives, including work on tourist protection and on strengthening institutional preparedness. But the real political capital of the new chief will be measured by whether she will make those tools visible and understandable at the moment when the market needs them most.

What will determine the success of the new term

For Shaikha Al Nowais, the first months at the head of the organization will not be important only because of their symbolism, but above all because of the tone they will set for the rest of the term. If she succeeds in linking official development priorities with more convincing public communication about risks, she could strengthen UN Tourism as a relevant reference point at a time when tourism is seeking both stability and direction. If, however, the impression prevails that the organization mainly talks about long-term plans while the sector is going through security, logistical and cost shocks on a daily basis, dissatisfaction in part of the industry could grow.

For now, it is clear that a dual task lies before the new Secretary-General. The first is to preserve the optimism and development potential of a sector that is still enormous, as confirmed by the record figures for international travel. The second is to show that tourism resilience is not an abstract slogan, but an operational and political obligation. At a time when traveller confidence can be shaken faster than ever, the leadership of a global tourism organization is no longer assessed only by strategic ambitions, but also by the ability to be present, clear and credible when the industry needs it most.

Sources:

• - UN Tourism – official confirmation of Shaikha Al Nowais as Secretary-General and confirmation that she is the first woman to head the organization (link)
• - UN Tourism – official announcement on the nomination and the start of the term from 2026 (link)
• - UN Tourism – biographical profile of Shaikha Al Nuwais and description of her professional experience (link)
• - UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer – data on 1.52 billion international tourists in 2025 and growth of 4 percent (link)
• - UN Tourism – documents and analyses stating that geopolitical and economic challenges remain an important risk for tourism in 2025 and 2026 (link)
• - UN Tourism SAFE-D – initiative to strengthen crisis preparedness, response and recovery of destinations (link)
• - IATA – data on the growth of global air demand in January 2026 and an assessment of risks for the aviation sector in 2026 (link)
• - IATA – analysis of the key risks that will shape 2026 in air transport and related sectors (link)
• - Safe Airspace – summary of disruptions and heightened instability in Middle Eastern airspace during March 2026 (link)