September 16, 2015 – Italy was re-elected to the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) during the 21st General Assembly in Medellin: a choice that, according to the Undersecretary for Cultural Heritage and Tourism Francesca Barracciu, rewards the work carried out by the Ministry of Cultural Activities and Heritage and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation “in the past year and a half. Basically, since the Italian Government decided to place at the top of the national political agenda tourism and cultural heritage. Our confirmation in the Executive Council, which received more votes than the required minimum – continues Undersecretary Barracciu – is a result that is even more important in light of the strategic decision of the UNWTO to aim for the union of tourism and culture as an engine for sustainable development and a path to peace. Italy is seen by the rest of the world as a country that thanks to its immense historic and artistic heritage can show the way to maximize these resources. The positive signals coming from the summer season and the triumphant results of Expo Milan should lead us to accelerate the implementation of tourism policies guided by an inter-ministerial central direction.”
