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Indonesian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Spain Muhammad Najib. (Antara / Documentation of Indonesian Embassy in Madrid) - 

Indonesian Ambassador to Spain Muhammad Najib submitted his letter of credentials as Indonesia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili at the Madrid-based UNWTO headquarters, Feb 17.

Ambassador Najib officially assumes office as Indonesia’s Permanent Representative to the UNWTO, according to a statement from the Indonesian Embassy In Madrid  on  Saturday.

During his meeting with the secretary general of UNWTO, Ambassador Najib conveyed five issues of importance.

First, appreciation to the work of the UNWTO secretariat and its member states' trust to elect Indonesia as host of World Tourism Day 2022.

Secretary General Zurab is expected to attend World Tourism Day in person, to be held in Bali on September 27, 2022.

Second, Ambassador Najib expressed gratitude over Nglanggeran Village, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, being placed on the list of Best Tourism Villages 2021 by UNWTO.

This acknowledgment in turn would offer an added value to Yogyakarta in addition to its existing tourist destinations.

Third, the UNWTO is expected to play an active role in discussing tourism within the G20 forum.

Under the chairmanship of Indonesia, UNWTO is also expected to support community development around the world through efforts to restore the tourism industry, being strongly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Fourth, as Permanent Representative to the UNWTO, Ambassador Najib emphasized his readiness to cooperate and support the work of the UNWTO. Various UNWTO programs have benefitted the world tourism industry, a mainstay contributor for foreign exchange, Indonesia included.

Fifth, Ambassador Najib conveyed his support to the work of the UNWTO to establish a universally applicable health protocol specifically for cross-country travel.

The initiative could be used as reference for various countries to revive world tourism.

The secretary general of UNWTO congratulated Indonesia for its work in advancing the Indonesian tourism industry and its efforts to revive tourism during the pandemic.

UNWTO also sought support and participation of a pair of young Indonesians in the age bracket of 12-16 years for the Youth Meeting on Tourism held in Italy in July.

Indonesia is also expected to actively participate in the Joint Meeting Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the Commission on South Asia, set to take place in Maldives, on July 5-7, 2022.

The secretary general of UNWTO again highly lauded Indonesia as the first member state to sign the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics on October 2, 2020.

The secretary general is optimistic that other member states would take the same steps in adopting the convention.

Indonesia and the UNWTO have worked closely through workshops on reopening Bali tourism in 2020.

The tourism sector and Indonesia's creative economy have implemented the globally standardized CHSE (Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability) in the same year.

Indonesia also became a barometer of global tourism when it became the first signatory to the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics risk-based approach//ANT