"I have confirmed votes on every continent," says Gloria Guevara, candidate for Secretary General of UN Tourism.

Less than two weeks before the May 30 elections to select the person to fill the post of Secretary-General of UN Tourism, Georgia withdrew the nomination of Zurab Pololikashvili, who was seeking a third term in the position.

This means that there are now five candidates seeking to fill this role. One of them is former Mexican Minister of Tourism Gloria Guevara, who has more than 35 years of experience in the public and private sectors. In addition to the Mexican, the following are also in the running: Harry Theoharis of Greece, Sheikha Al Nowais of the Emirati Republic, Muhamad Adam of Ghana, and Habib Ammar of Tunisia.

Guevara served as president and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, the world's largest private tourism organization). She also served as a senior advisor to the Saudi Arabian Minister of Tourism.

On May 16, the Mexican shared an overview of the actions she has undertaken during her campaign. “I am fully confident that I will win this campaign and that Mexico will, for the first time, have a woman as Secretary-General of UN Tourism. The last few months have been intense because I have been able to develop a schedule of activities in which I have presented my candidacy to more than 50 ministers,” she explained.

According to Guevara, his candidacy has received confirmed votes and support from all continents , not only from governments and local authorities, but also from business leaders and universities. "My focus has always been on uniting and building this sector to make it stronger and more resilient," he added.

For the past three years, UN Tourism has "found itself at a crossroads." According to the Mexican, there are two paths: harnessing the sector's potential in a different way or maintaining the status quo . She added: "Without a doubt, this is a very important moment due to the great potential this sector has. I am convinced that it requires leadership based on experience, integrity, and a deep commitment to the values ​​of transparency and cooperation. This will allow us to move the sector into a new era and unleash its potential."

Guevara's candidacy is based on four pillars: resilience, related to crisis management; generating opportunities for both young people and women; biodiversity; and innovation.

He also noted that multilateralism in the region is essential because it allows for consensus, justice, negotiations, and rotation among the different regions, which is why he has always expressed his opposition to Pololikashvili's third term.

The candidate stated that if elected, the first thing she will do is develop a work plan aligned with the needs of the member states. "We have to create a bottom-up work plan, in which we can meet the different requirements and needs. (...) Based on that plan, a structure will be defined to implement it," she stated.

Guevara also addressed Pololikashvili's withdrawal as a candidate. "The Secretary-General has served two terms, and there was great concern that a precedent would be created for a third because this had never happened in any United Nations agency. In a time of many challenges and questions, it was essential for multilateralism not to create a precedent by forcing a third term ."

And she emphasized that the arrival of a Latin American to this position will be a great benefit and opportunity for a region she knows, understanding the needs and tourism potential of Latin America. "Latin America has the potential to grow enormously in international visitors, and that's where we can benefit definitively and directly. Furthermore, I would invite Latin America to help me jointly trigger these investments we can bring to the region to attract more visitors and greater well-being for our people."

Regarding the role of local communities, Guevara noted that supporting them requires identifying their attributes so they can be translated into a tourism product. He highlighted Mexico's work with Magical Towns (Pueblos Mágicos) in empowering communities and developing tourism from the population itself, so that they have control over their territory and are directly involved in the process.

“It's not enough to grant an appointment, as is done in other countries, but it has to be done both ways for it to be successful and sustained over the long term ,” he said.

Guevara concluded by thanking those who have been closely involved in her campaign, which "has been well received" for its experience. "I am very grateful for this outpouring of support from the global sector, which recognizes my career, recognizes Mexico as a tourism powerhouse, recognizes everything we've accomplished in our country, and I hope we can take this knowledge to other regions of the world. But above all, I see the potential to boost the sector, generate more jobs, and take the organization to the next level."

ANGIE RODRÍGUEZ - TRAVEL EDITORIAL - @ANGS0614