Tourism - Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne attending the World Tourism Organization’s General Assembly (Madrid, Dec. 1, 2021)

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State for Tourism, French Nationals Abroad and Francophonie, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will attend the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Madrid on December 1. This meeting will include more than 70 tourism ministers, representatives of international organizations and civil society, and private sector leaders.

The minister will reaffirm France’s support for the UNWTO, a privileged international forum facilitating discussions on support for the tourism sector and the diversity of its actors. He will bring up the priorities of the Destination France plan to rebuild and transform tourism unveiled by the Prime Minister on November 20. Mr. Lemoyne will reiterate France’s desire to showcase tourism and its sustainable transformation during the French presidency of the Council of the European Union.

UNWTO General Assembly participants will discuss the crisis that has strongly affected international tourism for almost two years now. They will adopt the WTO’s budget and work program for 2022-2023, which provides for helping destinations and businesses with the consequences of the crisis, with the recovery, and with the sector’s transformation to sustainability. Innovation, education and rural development are the three major priorities set by the organization’s member states.