site.btaTourism Minister Borshosh Confers with Three Candidates for UN Tourism Secretary General

Over the past month, Bulgarian Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh held meetings in Sofia with three candidates for the position of Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) for the 2026-2029 term—Gloria Guevara (Mexico), Harry Theoharis (Greece), and the current Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili (Georgia), the Tourism Ministry said in a press release on Monday. Bulgaria has voting rights as a member of the UN Tourism Executive Council.

There are six officially announced candidates for the Secretary General position, with the remaining contenders being Muhammad Adam (Ghana), Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais (United Arab Emirates), and Habib Ammar (Tunisia).

During the discussions, besides presenting their visions for the organization’s development over the next four years, Borshosh spoke with the candidates from Mexico, Greece, and Georgia about their perspectives on the future of Europe as a tourist destination and explored new concrete initiatives related to Bulgaria.

Borshosh voiced his desire for closer cooperation within UN Tourism on key priorities for Bulgaria, including sustainable development, diversification of the tourism product, education and training in the sector, better positioning and promotion of this country, and attracting investment in tourism.

Gloria Guevara outlined her vision for the organization’s development, focusing on promoting sustainability, public-private partnerships, and enhancing the competitiveness of the tourism sector in Europe.

Harry Theoharis emphasized strengthening policies for sustainable tourism, fostering cooperation among member states, digitalization, and innovation as key tools for addressing global challenges in the sector.

Zurab Pololikashvili's proposals for the next four years include developing new forms of tourism, such as urban, shopping, and sector-specific tourism, while expanding existing programmes. He also proposed continuing efforts to promote congresses on wine, sports, and gastronomic tourism, along with opening new academies and regional offices.

Bulgaria is an active member of the UN Tourism Executive Council for the 2023-2027 term, with voting rights on key decisions. At the upcoming meeting on May 29-30 in Madrid, the Council will select its preferred candidate for the Secretary General post, with the final vote to take place in November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the General Assembly will elect the new head of the organization.