The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has rebranded as simply UN Tourism, to increase the agency’s visibility as well as make its mission clearer. Under the new name, the organization aims to reaffirm its status as the United Nations specialized agency for tourism and the global leader of tourism for development, driving social and economic change to ensure that “people and planet” are always centre stage.
Besides changing the name, which should increase the agency’s visibility on google searches, as it puts an end to the confusion between UNWTO and WTO – the World Trade Organisation, the agency also crafted a new brand that “seamlessly aligns with UN Tourism’s central mission and priorities”. The narrative pivots around three main messages: the UN as a global altruistic organization, the notion of connecting humans around the world and the concept of proactivity and movement.
“Transitioning from UNWTO to UN Tourism marks a significant new phase for the organization. The revised nomenclature offers several advantages, including simplicity, enhanced comprehension, improved legibility and memorability. It also serves to clarify the agency’s sphere of influence within the global tourism industry”, said Borja Borrero, Executive Director at Interbrand, the global branding agency engaged for the rebranding process.
The new elements of the brand are the foundations of a distinct and proprietary image – one that is direct, relatable, and relevant for diverse audiences.
Borja Borrero, Executive Director at Interbrand
The new brand expression is not only limited to words and messages but also expands into a reinvented visual discourse. UN Tourism has a new design language starting from its symbol. “Bringing the world closer” is the new tagline that inspires the concept of a Pangea shaping a human figure in action. This drastic evolution from the former globe symbols reflects the Organization’s emphasis on the dynamic nature of tourism and on putting people first.
Beyond the symbol, the rebrand also includes a revamp of the entire visual system, which is now based on a grid of geographical coordinates meant to help people navigate the brand’s touchpoints, both offline and online, such as events, website, reports, social media channels and campaigns. This system unlocks a rich universe of elements including imagery, fonts, colours and pictograms all designed to personalize social media campaigns, events, posts, and videos.
“As society progresses, the tourism sector, much like many other sectors, needs to transform to serve as a catalyst for prosperity at a universal scale”, said UN Tourism Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili. “Enhancing the well-being of individuals, safeguarding the natural environment, stimulating economic advancement, and fostering international harmony are key goals that are the fundamental essence of UN Tourism. The organization takes on the role of driving a sustainable force that is now central to many economies.”
With 160 Member States and hundreds of private sector affiliates, UN Tourism has its headquarters in Madrid, Spain and Regional Offices in Nara (Japan), covering Asia & Pacific, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), for the Middle East, as well as forthcoming Regional Offices for the Americas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Africa (Morocco). Its priorities centre on promoting tourism for sustainable development in line with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Global Goals.
UN Tourism’s goal is to promote quality education, support decent jobs in the sector, identify talent and drive innovation and accelerates tourism climate action and sustainability by working, at the same time, with: Member States – both as recipients of its services, assistance and as active stakeholders in the Organization’s Programme of Work, individuals – specifically travellers and local communities whose lives flourish through the empowerment of the economy through tourism and private, semi-private and public organizations – all engaging with UN Tourism’s work, including its data and insights, events and products.
