Sheikha Al Nowais Highlights Private Sector Leadership at IHIF 2025 in Berlin

UNWTO Secretary-General Candidate Emphasizes Execution, Partnership, and Regional Investment

BERLIN, April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Speaking at the prestigious International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, Sheikha Al Nowais, candidate for Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), underscored the critical role of private sector leadership in shaping the future of global tourism.

In a series of high-level meetings with CEOs, institutional investors, and senior public officials, Ms. Al Nowais noted the overwhelming alignment around one central idea: the tourism industry needs leaders who bring real-world operational experience and the agility to navigate increasingly complex global market dynamics.

"The feedback I received—especially from long-standing champions of public-private collaboration—was clear," said Al Nowais. "Now more than ever, tourism needs leadership with both vision and execution. The sector cannot afford to rely on bureaucracy alone—we must infuse policy with practical, commercial insight."

Ms. Al Nowais, who has spent two decades in the private sector building sustainable tourism ventures across the Middle East and beyond, emphasized the importance of frameworks that are both innovative and grounded in delivery. She called for expanded investment partnerships in high-growth regions such as MENA, where tourism represents both a strategic economic lever and a vehicle for global cooperation.

The IHIF platform, which brought together hundreds of global hospitality leaders, offered a timely backdrop for Al Nowais's candidacy, which champions regeneration, digital modernization, and inclusive governance as pillars of the next phase in tourism development.

"IHIF was an energizing reminder that this journey is not one we take alone," she added. "What I saw in Berlin was a shared willingness to co-create the future of tourism—one built on resilience, opportunity, and partnership."

ABOUT Sheikh Al Nowais

Sheikha Al Nowais is the only candidate in the current UNWTO Secretary-General race with deep private sector credentials and a track record of delivering on sustainability, crisis resilience, and inclusive growth. Her campaign is grounded in a reformist platform and seeks to reimagine tourism governance through equity, innovation, and action.

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