Haris Theoharis, MP for New Democracy and former Minister of Tourism, is the first Greek candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). In an interview on Voice of Greece’s “Our Global Voice” with Dimitris Kontogiannis, he spoke about his candidacy, the mission of the UN agency, and the election process.
Theoharis explained that at the end of May, the UNWTO Executive Council—comprised of 35 countries—will nominate one of six candidates to be approved by the General Assembly of 160 member states in the fall.
He noted that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis encouraged him to run, following a proposal from Italy, which cited Greece’s successful tourism strategy during the pandemic, including the introduction of the EU Digital COVID Certificate. For his efforts, Theoharis was honored by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), a leading global body in the private tourism sector.