As the race to elect the next Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) intensifies, candidate Shaikha Al Nowais is making headlines for her bold call to reposition Africa not just as a destination but as a driver of the global tourism agenda. Her platform, rooted in digital inclusion, equity, and regeneration, offers a compelling vision for a sector long in need of systemic reform.
Al Nowais, a business leader and the first Arab woman ever nominated for the UNWTO’s top post, is using her campaign to spotlight the untapped potential of Sub-Saharan Africa’s youth, tech sector, and cultural innovation. With over 70% of the region’s population under 30, she argues that Africa should have a strong say in shaping the future of tourism. The continent also is a solution to many of the industry’s current shortcomings.
“Africa deserves not only to benefit from tourism, but to lead in shaping its governance,” said Al Nowais in a recent statement. “I see Africa as a market and as a movement rich in solutions, knowledge, and leadership.”
Her remarks come amid growing calls for South-South cooperation and decolonial governance in tourism, themes central to her candidacy. Al Nowais is advocating for reforms that elevate local innovation, redirect funding to underserved regions, and modernize global tourism policy through smart digital infrastructure.
Rewriting the Rules of Engagement
Al Nowais’s Africa agenda rests on three pillars: elevating local values, investing in digital transformation, and ensuring tourism is a tool for inclusive growth rather than extraction.
Her campaign has emphasized the need to bring control back to the people and away from bureaucrats who only care about getting elected for another term. She views her role as essential to help change the narrative in one term.
She is advocating to “decenter the tourism strategy from only focusing on the West”, to shift global attention away from legacy power centers and toward underrepresented destinations. She is calling for a co-authored future in which African ministries of tourism, local-led operators, and young entrepreneurs play a central role in global policymaking.
She has cited initiatives like the EU’s Spaces of Culture 2025, which fosters cultural cooperation between Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, as examples of the kind of storytelling ecosystems that tourism must fund and scale. “It’s about strategic storytelling,” Al Nowais noted, “and building cultural ecosystems that bring responsible tourism and deepen local impact.”
Africa’s Digital Moment
In Al Nowais’s vision, digital infrastructure is not a luxury, it’s a human right. Her platform includes a dedicated focus on Africa-based tourism tech and training programs to help local operators harness the power of AI, data analytics, and mobile platforms.
“Africa’s young people are already digital leaders. What they need now is access to infrastructure, funding, and global visibility,” she said. “If we get this right, we don’t just boost tourism, we build a bridge to shared prosperity.”
Her digital inclusion pillar aligns closely with the African Union’s priorities and speaks to a broader push to democratize access to the global tourism economy. Under her proposed leadership, the UNWTO would support small and medium-sized operators through regional innovation hubs, mentorship networks, and cross-border investment in digital tools.
Beyond Recovery: A Regenerative Mandate
Al Nowais also champions regenerative tourism. She believes it is the industry’s duty to go beyond “recovery” toward models that restore both ecosystems and cultural heritage. Her campaign calls for embedding sustainability into procurement systems, supporting local supply chains, and measuring tourism success by community wellbeing and environmental stewardship, not just visitor numbers.
“Regeneration, not just growth, must be our North Star,” she said, referencing projects like TUI Group’s local partnerships as models of responsible investment.
She advocates for tourism that aligns with climate adaptation goals, especially in regions vulnerable to environmental degradation. In this way, her campaign bridges the gap between climate justice and economic opportunity, themes often sidelined in mainstream tourism dialogue.
A Reformist at the Helm
Al Nowais insists her approach is grounded in equity.
“My candidacy is about listening, co-creating, and delivering,” she explained. “This is a long-term push for global reform with local impact.”
In recent months, she has met with stakeholders across georgraphies to look to establish regional roundtables. It is all about ensuring continuous input from African governments and civil society organizations.
With the UNWTO election set for later this year, Shaikha Al Nowais’s campaign is increasingly seen as a catalyst for change, one that promises desirable tourism that reflects 21st-century values: climate resilience, digital inclusion, and inclusive governance.
As she puts it, “Africa is not just a destination. It is the future of global tourism, and I intend to help the world see that.
