Sheikha Nasser Al Nuaimi, the newly elected Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization for the term 2026-2029, held a bilateral meeting with Darren Tang, the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The focus of their discussion was to explore potential avenues for collaboration in leveraging intellectual property tools to boost growth in the tourism sector, especially in cultural and creative fields, which are key components of sustainable tourism’s economy. They also examined ways to integrate efforts that would contribute to the development of joint policies, programs, and initiatives going forward.
During the meeting, Sheikha Nuaimi emphasized that intangible cultural assets such as music, heritage products, and creative copyrights are central to her vision of fostering responsible tourism. She noted that cultural tourism requires a comprehensive system of legal and commercial protections to safeguard creators’ rights and enhance the quality of tourist experiences worldwide.
She highlighted the significance of collaborating with WIPO to strengthen the capabilities of member states in governing cultural content within tourism activities. This includes developing legal frameworks and operational models related to the management of cultural events and sites, ensuring fair rights protection and increasing the economic and tourism value of heritage.
The two parties discussed cooperative efforts to enhance initiatives related to creative and cultural tourism, emphasizing the incorporation of intellectual property tools and increasing awareness of creators’ rights in the tourism policies of member states, as well as providing technical support to both governmental and private tourism entities.
This meeting is part of a series of bilateral encounters that Sheikha Nuaimi is conducting with various countries and international organizations aimed at establishing sustainable partnerships for global tourism development.