Following an open vote among more than 500 Affiliate Members of UN Tourism, twenty entities have been elected to form the new Board, which will serve from November 7, 2025, until the end of 2029. NECSTouR will hold one of the eight global seats, representing international organisations, while the remaining seats are allocated to two members from each of the six regions represented in the body: Africa, the Americas, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia.

After the election of the new Board, members voted to appoint the Presidency and two Vice Presidencies for the next four years. NECSTouR has been elected to the Presidency, which will be held by NECSTouR’s Vice President Mr. Patrick Torrent. The Saudi Tourism Authority and the Cámara Argentina de Turismo have been elected as Vice Presidents.

NECSTouR’s President Elena Baena noted that “The election of NECSTouR represents international recognition of the role of the Association, whose mission focuses on data-driven tourism management, environmental sustainability as a driver of transformation, and governance of the model for conscious tourism and the well-being of global communities.  NECSTouR’s Presidency of the Board of Directors will enable it to actively contribute to the definition of global strategies for the tourism sector and strengthen Europe’s position in multilateral decision-making forums, sharing best practices and establishing new alliances with key players in global tourism at a time of transformation for UN Tourism, when Affiliate Members will see their position strengthened.”

Mr. Patrick Torrent, President of the UN Tourism Affiliate Members Board and Vicepresident of NECSTouR commented that “The appointment of NECSTouR as President of the Affiliate Members comes at a moment of change within UN Tourism, creating an opportunity to promote the role of public-private partnership as a driving force in transforming tourism towards sustainability and competitiveness.”

The new UN Tourism Affiliate Members Board was officially presented during the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly, held from 7 to 11 November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Assembly gathered representatives from governments, international institutions, and key stakeholders in the tourism sector. During the Assembly, the election of the new Secretary-General, Ms. Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, was ratified. Her appointment will take effect on 1 January 2026.