Barbados, Samoa Join UNWTO

The 21st UNWTO General Assembly has welcomed Barbados and Samoa as new Full Members of the Organization, bringing its member count to 158 (Medellín, Colombia, 14 September 2015).

As for the majority of their fellow Small Island Developing States (SIDS), tourism is the main economic activity for both Barbados and Samoa, creating a significant amount of job opportunities and bringing in important income and foreign exchange earnings.

“We very much welcome Barbados and Samoa as UNWTO Full Members. Their decision to join is a clear testimonial of the importance of tourism for island states, and I look forward to working even closer together to raise awareness of the unique relationship between sustainable tourism development and socio-economic prosperity in SIDS”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.