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The Sheikha who wants to lead world tourism: “Women have better managed the pandemic”

Sheikha Mai Al Khalifa says that if she is elected today as the new secretary general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the first thing she will do when she takes office will be to create a museum in part of the space of the Palacio de Congresos de Madrid, a building that was partially ceded to this organization, based in the Spanish capital. It will also create a fund to revive the sector.

Former Minister of Culture and Tourism and current president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, she is the only rival candidate to the current Secretary of UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili. If she wins, she would be the first woman to lead this organization at the worst time in history for tourism.

Tourism is going through a critical moment What are your short-term objectives?

The important thing for tourism is mobility, but in many countries it is complicated and you have to work on this issue. Second, another major problem is that there is no special fund to help the countries most affected by this crisis. This is one of my main proposals. We have to have a new vision to be able to face this situation.

How would this fund be articulated?

It would be an assistance fund destined to the crisis, aimed at facilitating the recovery of tourism, it would be managed by the UNWTO and it would help the countries that need it most.
Like Spain, for example?

For example. There are many destinations, and specifically the islands, that make a living from tourism and that could benefit from this fund.

Now that the countries are already vaccinating the population, when do you think the activity could start? When could the expected recovery come?

It is not easy to give deadlines or dates, because there is not enough data to predict when a recovery of the activity will take place. This 2021 has started with a virus mutation, so there is still a lot of uncertainty and things change from one day to the next, but the most important thing right now is that people get vaccinated to try to solve this problem.

The sector has criticized from the beginning the lack of coordination between the different states, which each took restrictions on their own. What has been done wrong?

The problem we had at the beginning is that there were very quick reactions from some countries to try to contain the virus, as is the case of China. But if we decide to close the borders we have to try to balance health and the economy, because if the necessary precautions are taken, one can lead a relatively normal life and travel.

If elected, you would be the first woman to head this organization. This is another challenge …
I do not distinguish between the sexes, but it must be recognized that women can play different roles at the same time, at home, at work … What we ask is to give women also the power they deserve and at the UNWTO it’s time to renew. With the pandemic, it has been shown that women who lead some countries, such as Germany or New Zealand, have managed to better manage the situation.

Which countries do you think will recover first?

The markets that can recover earlier are cultural and nature-related destinations, including sun and sand.

What is the role of Spain in this context of recovery?

Spain is known for its tourism and as soon as this pandemic ends it will regain the activity it had before the crisis, because it has the foundations to be a power. In this country tourism will return quickly. People always return to the sites that work. I myself, despite the snow, have discovered Madrid in a different way. That is what people look for when traveling. If I am elected, one of the first things I will do will be to renovate the building that was destined for the UNWTO (the conference center) to create a museum of the history of tourism, which is so important for this country. This place had not been renovated because there were no funds but it will be the first thing I do in my term.

Will this crisis change the way we travel?

Without a doubt there will be changes in the sector, nothing will be the same as before and above all we will be much more selective when choosing a destination. Closeness will prevail, we will no longer seek to go so far.

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