Tourism after Zurab: allegations, investigations, and a “new era” still seeking a start
UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO) enters 2026 with a change at the top and high expectations from members and the tourism sector. After eight years of the Georgian Zurab Pololikashvili's mandate, the organization has received its first female Secretary-General in history – the Emirati Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, whose selection was first proposed by the Executive Council and then formally confirmed by the General Assembly in Riyadh at the end of 2025, with the mandate beginning in 2026. In the first weeks of her mandate, part of the industry expected a quick change of tone: more openness, clearer rules, and a stronger response to the grievances that had been accumulating in the background for years.
But instead of “resetting” the agenda, the public space was again filled with stories related to the period of the previous administration: from questions of management and internal organizational culture to claims that, according to media reports, appear in the context of Spanish judicial investigations regarding a network of intermediaries and business interests related to the case known as “Koldo”. UN Tourism has not been accused as an institution, but its name and the leadership's contacts from the earlier period appear in media reconstructions that stimulate discussion about the standards and accountability of international organizations.
What has changed: UNWTO became UN Tourism, and the selection of the new leader was confirmed in Riyadh
The renaming of UNWTO to UN Tourism in January 2024 was presented as a symbolic step into a “new era” of global tourism, with an emphasis on sustainability, investment, innovation, and education, and a clearer identity for the UN's specialized agency for tourism. The rebranding was intended to simplify communication and strengthen the organization's visibility, but it also opened the question of whether only the visual identity would change or the management style as well.
The leadership change at the top came shortly after. The Executive Council of UN Tourism nominated Shaikha Al Nowais for Secretary-General from 2026 at its 123rd session, and the General Assembly ratified her nomination in Riyadh. The selection is historic on several grounds: she is the first woman at the head of the organization in its 50 years of existence, and the candidate comes from the private sector, with a career in the hotel industry. It is precisely this combination – symbolism and an “outsider” profile – that created an expectation in the industry that priority would be given to internal consolidation, labor standards, and more transparent procedures.
Why the discussion returns to the “Zurab era”
Zurab Pololikashvili headed the organization from January 2018, and members gave him a second mandate for the period 2022–2025 at the end of 2021. In that period, UN Tourism was, objectively, under the pressure of the pandemic and the recovery of international travel, but simultaneously, the number of complaints from part of the employees and industry observers about the management method and internal culture grew.
The issue of the attitude towards ethical standards and grievance mechanisms is particularly sensitive. In the publicly available documents of the General Assembly from 2021, there is also an addendum to the personnel report dealing with “concluding observations” regarding the Ethics Officer's report, which shows that the topic was then serious enough to lead to official discussions within the institution. This trace in official documentation is being read again today in light of a broader question: were the oversight mechanisms strong, independent, and effective enough.
Controversies surrounding the third mandate and withdrawal of candidacy
Ahead of the election of the new leadership in 2025, the possibility of a third mandate for the then-Secretary-General was intensely discussed in public and professional circles. Part of the media and commentators claimed that such a move would be contrary to established practice and the spirit of the statutes, while others emphasized continuity and “stability” in the sensitive period of tourism recovery. Ultimately, Pololikashvili withdrew from the race, and a series of media reports state that the Georgian government withdrew his candidacy, after which the election process continued with the remaining candidates. The very fact that the question of a third mandate caused public controversy further strengthened the impression that the organization needs a clearer management framework and more trust among members.
Investigations in Spain and the “Koldo” context: what is known and what remains unclear
The key source of new media reports is not tourism itself, but a broader Spanish political-business affair regarding procurement during the pandemic and alleged intermediary networks. In this story, elements related to the tourism and aviation sectors also appear, including questions about state aid for companies and allegations of mediation and influence. Spanish media, including El País, reported on documents and messages that are, according to claims, part of the material collected in the investigation led by the judiciary, with the involvement of investigative bodies such as the UCO (Central Operating Unit of the Civil Guard).
Individual media texts claim that UN Tourism also appears in the reconstructions of contacts and meetings as an international platform where public and private actors met. In such interpretations, the organization is not described as a subject of criminal proceedings, but the question arises as to whether certain projects and partnerships from previous years sufficiently clearly demarcated the public interest from private agendas.
It is important to emphasize: information published in the media so far does not represent court judgments about UN Tourism as an institution. They do, however, create reputational risk and pressure on the new leadership to explain what the institutional policy was, how decisions on collaborations were made, and who supervised the processes. Part of the industry, especially in Europe where the organization's headquarters are in Madrid and where the media spotlights are strongest, expects a response that will be not only communicative but also procedural.
Why “platforms” become a problem: partnerships, events, and access to leaders
UN Tourism is by its nature a meeting place for member states, the private sector, and international initiatives. Such a position has value, but also risk: access to leaders and the UN brand can be perceived as “legitimation” of a project or actor, even when the organization is formally not financially involved nor has it signed a binding contract.
That is precisely why in discussions about management, the issue of protocols, criteria for partnerships, and disclosure of information comes to the fore. When claims about influence, mediation, or favoritism appear in media reports, the first public demand is usually simple: show the rules and show the decision-making traces. If they do not exist or are insufficiently clear, suspicion spreads faster than facts.
Documents, ethics, and oversight: what is in the official materials
UN Tourism's official archive and its publishing platform (e-unwto) contain General Assembly documents and financial reports with audited accounts. They show how the organization formally functions: according to financial rules, with international public sector accounting standards (IPSAS), and with external auditing of financial statements. This infrastructure is important because it shows that oversight exists, but in itself, it does not solve the issue of “soft” risks: organizational culture, management practices, and ethical standards in personnel and partnership processes.
In that sense, the addendum to the personnel report from 2021, which refers to observations related to the Ethics Officer's report, represents one of the rare official signals that at a certain point there were serious objections within the system. Without going into details that are not publicly available or are subject to different interpretations, the message is important: members were aware that there are questions requiring an institutional response.
What the new leadership can do without changing the statutes
The new Secretary-General does not have to wait for formal changes to the statutes to make a shift. In practice, there are three levels where transparency can be quickly improved:
- Publication of clear criteria for partnerships, sponsorships, and access to events under the UN Tourism brand, including registers of meetings and sponsorships where possible.
- Strengthening internal ethical mechanisms and whistleblower protection, with an emphasis on the independence of the process and protection from retaliation.
- Standardization of communication towards members: timely answers to states' questions, consistent reporting, and publicly available summaries of key decisions.
Such steps would not “judge” the past, but they would change the future standard. At a moment when reputational risk comes from outside – from media and judicial stories in national frameworks – the institutional reaction is often more important than the truth of each individual claim itself.
“New Era” between expectations and reality
In the tourism industry, there is a real need for strong international coordination: from climate goals and sustainability standards to crisis management and investment promotion. UN Tourism finds itself in a specific position because it is simultaneously a political body of member states and a professional agency trying to define the sector's development direction.
But for that mandate to be credible, the organization must be resistant to the perception of closedness. That is precisely where the problem arises: even when the institution is not legally “guilty,” reputation can be damaged if the impression is created that questions remain unanswered. A recent report by a specialized tourism portal states that journalists repeatedly sought comment and clarification from UN Tourism regarding claims and management issues, but answers did not arrive in the period when most of the apparatus was still under the previous administration. Such an image – silence or slow response – in international organizations often becomes as important a story as the content of the allegations.
What is currently known about Shaikha Al Nowais's direction
Official UN Tourism announcements about the confirmation of the new Secretary-General emphasize the support of members and the symbolism of the selection, with the expectation that the mandate will focus on development, sustainability, and inclusion. However, an institutional “transition” is rarely instantaneous: personnel changes, revision of internal procedures, and redefinition of priorities usually require months, and sometimes the entire first part of the mandate.
That is precisely why in February 2026, the question being repeated in the industry in various formulations arises: will the new leadership first close the open topics from the past – at least through clear, verifiable procedures – or will it try to “turn the page” without facing the reputational burden. If the second option is chosen, the risk is that every new media story will automatically be read as a continuation of old problems.
Broader context: trust in international organizations and a lesson for tourism
The discussion about UN Tourism's transparency is not taking place in a vacuum. In recent years, public and state pressure has been growing in the UN system in general to strengthen accountability standards, especially when institutions work at the intersection of public money, private capital, and political interests. Tourism is a sensitive sector in this regard: it includes large investments, infrastructure, aviation, and state aid, and often develops through public-private partnerships where the boundaries of responsibility are thinner than in classical administration.
That is why allegations and investigations, even when not directly aimed at the organization, are an important test. They show how easy it is for international platforms to become a stage for “networking” that later looks questionable. In that sense, UN Tourism in 2026 does not only need a new tourism strategy but also a new trust strategy: clear rules, quick response, verifiable procedures, and a culture that encourages reporting irregularities.
If such a turnaround succeeds, the “new era” will not just be a rebranding slogan, but a concrete change in the way of working. If it fails, the organization will continue to lead global campaigns on sustainability but will simultaneously spend energy defending against suspicions that return every time a familiar name or institutional logo appears in national investigations.
Sources:- UN Tourism – official announcement on the rebranding of UNWTO to UN Tourism ( link )- UN Tourism – 123rd session of the Executive Council and nomination of Shaikha Al Nowais for the 2026 mandate ( link )- UN Tourism – confirmation of Shaikha Al Nowais at the General Assembly in Riyadh ( link )- e-unwto – personnel report of the 2021 General Assembly, addendum with reflections on the Ethics Officer's report ( link )- e-unwto – financial report and audited financial statements of UN Tourism ( link )- El País – reporting on UCO documents and alleged irregularities regarding aid to Air Europa within a broader investigation ( link )- Cinco Días (El País) – report on the election of Shaikha Al Nowais at the 123rd session of the Executive Council in Spain ( link )- eTurboNews – article on the state after Pololikashvili and claims reopening in the industry ( link )
Find accommodation nearby
Creation time: 3 hours ago