For further information please
contact us: World Tourism Organization
Capitán Haya, 42 . 28020 Madrid
Phone (34) 91 567 81 00
Fax (34) 91 571 37 33 educa@unwto.org
The UNWTO.EKM Specialized Office in Human Resource Development was established in Andorra in September 2003. The mission of this body is to provide knowledge management in tourism to the Member States of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with particular attention to the Latin American countries, in view of the membership of Andorra in the Ibero-American Secretariat General and the agreement which the UNWTO has established with this entity. Such cooperation can also be carried out in African and Asian countries.
This instrument for development and cooperation will allow UNWTO Member States to develop and implement their tourism policy and strategy, to build the capacity of their officials, and to improve the competitiveness of their destination management organizations, through the creation, transmission and application of knowledge and the use of knowledge management.
OBJECTIVES In view of its mission, the Specialized Office has the following objectives:
Develop programmes to build the human resource capacity of UNWTO Member States.
Use knowledge management for cooperation to provide direct support to UNWTO Member States.
Provide and manage information with respect to the demand and supply of human resource development, both for the benefit of UNWTO Member States and the tourism sector in general.
PROGRAMME OF WORK The programme of work of the Specialized Office includes the following activities:
Provide assistance to UNWTO Member States under the UNWTO Scholarship programme, through which donor countries offer funding or tuition relief for government officials working in tourism.
Provide direct assistance to UNWTO Member States in building the capacity of their government officials through specific programmes, such as the UNWTO.EKM and the UNWTO.TedQual practicum.
Assist Tourism Destination Organizations (DMOs) in optimizing their competitiveness through the UNWTO.Sbest programme.
Collaborate with DMOs not yet prepared to fulfil the standards defined by the UNWTO.Sbest initiative through the UNWTO TedQual Volunteers project.
Facilitate professors from TedQual certified institutions to teach at institutions in developing countries through the UNWTO Knowledge Corps exchange programme.
Assist tourism education institutions so as to fulfil the quality standards defined by the UNWTO.Tedqual initiative and/or to improve their curricular contents through the TedQual Mentoring programme in which TedQual certified institutions mentor institutions in developing countries, essentially providing consulting services at minimal cost.
Host international seminars on governance in tourism or related issues, such as the First Joint International Knowledge Management Seminar on for United Nations system officials and UNWTO Member States. Global Issues in Local Governance: Tourism Policy Approaches
Develop and implement other activities which may be possible through additional funding received from donors.
