Twenty chief executives from the global travel, tourism and hospitality sectors have been featured in a new book on leadership previewed at the UNWTO General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The book, called The Call To Leadership: Unlocking The Leader Within In Times Of Crisis, has been written by UNWTO special advisor Anita Mendiratta and focuses on approaches to business leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mendiratta previewed the publication at the 25th session of the UNWTO, which welcomed more than 1,500 participants from more than 150 countries this week for a three-day summit.
Executives featured include Iata director general Willie Walsh, WTTC chief executive Julia Simpson, Abercrombie & Kent founder Geoffrey Kent, TTC Tour Brands chief executive Gavin Tollman and Intrepid founder Darrell Wade.
UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili said: “I extend my deepest appreciation to Anita for ensuring that lessons learned are not lost.
“This book will inspire and empower leaders around the world to answer their call to leadership, while at the same time inspiring global youth, enabling a stronger and more resilient future not just for tourism but for humanity.”
Mendiratta added: “In one of the most humbling moments in my life, today the secretary general of the UNWTO brought to life a project that simply seeks to ensure that the time that we as a global community spent at the mercy of Covid-19 does not pass without pausing to honour what we have all lived through, celebrate the ability to persevere and overcome, and salute those who guided us through.”
Speaking at the General Assembly, Pololikashvili said: “Tourism has weathered the biggest storm in its history, and we are now well on course to a return to pre-pandemic levels of international arrivals by the end of this year.
“At the same time, however, we must urgently face up to new challenges, most notably a mounting climate crisis, economic uncertainty and persisting geopolitical tensions.
“It is up to us, as the world’s leading people-to-people socio-economic activity, to be part of the solution. We can and must fulfil our duty to deliver on tourism’s potential as a source of sustainable development, opportunity, and understanding.”