UNWTO chief Taleb Rifai Reelected for New Term

United Nations World Tourism Organization secretary-general Taleb Rifai has been reelected to the position for a further four years. The decision was taken at the UNWTO annual general assembly, which is presently being held in Livingstone, Zambia. The event is being co-chaired by Zimbabwe.

Addressing journalists after this reelection Rifai said he had “reservations about running again” but recognized it was his “destiny to do so. I want to thank delegates for re-electing me to be secretary-general for the next four years. We feel this general assembly has been a great event because it left an impact on the hosting communities.”

Delegates attending the conference showered praises on Rifai following his re-election. They said under his administration, the tourism industry was continuing to grow and the sector was starting to be a big revenue earner for many governments, especially developing countries.

Rifai added his job remains challenging, with the role of being both a reformer and consensus-builder often coming into conflict.