UNITED Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary-general Taleb Rifai was yesterday re-elected to the post at the general assembly meeting held in Livingstone, Zambia.
REPORT BY OBEY MANAYITI IN LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA
Rifai, a Jordanian, would be in charge of the UNWTO for another four years.
Zimbabwe and Zambia are co-hosting the general assembly.
Addressing a Press conference, Rifai said he was excited to be re-elected. “I want to thank delegates for re-electing me to be secretary-general for the next four years,” he said. “We feel this general assembly has been a great event because it left an impact on the hosting communities. It is also the best attended (UNWTO conference).”
Several delegates attending the conference showered praises on Rifai following his re-election.
They said under his administration, the tourism industry was continuing to grow and the sector was starting to be a big revenue earner for many governments, especially developing countries. President Robert Mugabe and his Zambian counterpart Michael Sata were last night scheduled to officially close the general assembly.
