Toledo will host on June 10 and 11 the meeting of the 126th executive council of UN Tourism, which will feature the participation of the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez, who will address the media, along with the Secretary-General of the United Nations agency, Shaikha Al Nowais.
Thus, Spain once again becomes the venue for a major international tourism event at the highest level, just one year after the one held in La Granja (Segovia) in May 2025, where the 123rd meeting of this body took place.
For the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, the designation of Toledo represents "a great opportunity to showcase the cultural values of our country," as the Ministry stated in a previous press release.
At the time, the Minister of Economy, Business and Employment, Patricia Franco, also highlighted the relevance of hosting a meeting of this caliber, which will concentrate international attention on tourism in Castilla-La Mancha.
Throughout the two days, three executive council sessions are planned at the Eurostars Palacio Buenavista hotel, along with meetings of the Committees on Matters Relating to Affiliate Members, Programme and Budget, and the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism 2027.
On the agenda, the executive council will analyze various reports related to the preparations for the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism (2027), the functioning of regional and thematic offices, and the situation of affiliate members. Likewise, the financial status of the organization for 2026 will be studied.
Among the most notable matters is also the setting of the dates and venues for the next council meetings, from the 127th to the 129th.
World tourism conditioned by the conflict in the Middle East
The celebration of this international forum takes place at a time of global uncertainty that fully affects tourism, conditioned by the impact and negative consequences of the military conflict in the Middle East.
As a result, UN Tourism forecasts that the increase in international tourist arrivals will moderate by one to two percentage points compared to its initial forecast for 2026, which was between 3% and 4%, depending on how long the war continues and extends.
In addition to flight cancellations and diversions to, from, and within the Asian region, the rise in oil prices and the lack of aviation fuel in certain markets are driving up ticket prices and reducing air capacity in other parts of the world as well, the organization has pointed out.
Nevertheless, Al Nuwais recently highlighted the resilience of tourism after closing the first quarter with 307 million international travelers, which represents a 2% increase compared to the same period last year.