The cabinet has approved the Russian Foreign Ministry’s proposal to withdraw the Russian Federation from the World Tourism Organization UNWTO. The decree authorizing this step was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Friday, June 10, and the document was published in the official legal information portal.
“Please accept the proposal of the Russian Foreign Ministry with the relevant federal executive authorities on Russia’s withdrawal from the World Tourism Organization in accordance with Article 36 of the Federal Law on International Treaties of the Russian Federation,” the head of government stated in the decree.
Russia had signaled its intention to leave UNWTO on April 27, 2022, citing the politicization of the organization’s activities, the ongoing military operation in Ukraine, and the sanctions imposed on Russia.
On that same day, the UNWTO General Assembly, in an extraordinary session, decided to suspend Russia’s membership due to the ongoing military action in Ukraine. Russia has been a member of the World Tourism Organization since 1991 as the legal successor to the USSR. TASS reports.
How did Russia’s UNWTO membership become suspended?
Towards the end of April, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Guatemala initiated steps to suspend Russia’s UNWTO membership.
The World Tourism Organization later estimated that Russia’s military operation in Ukraine could lead to tourism revenue losses of up to $14 billion.
In response, Rostourism head Zarina Doguzova urged not to politicize tourism and not to suspend Russia’s UNWTO membership, stressing that issues of territorial integrity and sovereignty fall outside the jurisdiction of the UNWTO.
“Russia’s exit will be noticed by global media”
Industry experts say that Russia’s departure from UNWTO is unlikely to trigger fundamental changes. The organization has been viewed by Russian authorities and businesses mainly as a platform to promote regions, destinations, and projects and as a conduit for new connections and investments. Some observers question whether UNWTO initiatives have had a measurable impact on domestic tourism indicators in Russia. In Madrid, the UNWTO headquarters sits far from the country’s tourism day-to-day realities, and regional networks in Europe are often stronger, according to market analysts quoted by Gazeta.ru.
The editor of a leading travel portal concurs, noting that many states have left the organization for various reasons. In the 1990s the United States and Belgium withdrew, and Singapore, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia later separated from the body. Some, like Thailand or Malaysia, left for a time and returned. The Netherlands and Ireland did not participate at all. Motivations ranged from political factors to considerations about financial contributions relative to expectations from membership.
Indeed, the UNWTO does not directly promote individual tourism destinations and holds limited powers over national tourism policies. Its impact on a country’s tourism market can thus be seen as largely symbolic. Consequently, Russia’s withdrawal is expected to be more visible in media coverage than in immediate shifts within the Russian tourism sector, according to market observers quoted in industry reports.
Nevertheless, some market participants contend that severing ties with the world’s leading tourism organization could carry consequences. UNWTO develops key tourism concepts and provides internationally recognized methodologies, including data dashboards that track visitor flows, tourism-related GDP, and hospitality metrics. The loss of access to these tools may challenge the Russian tourism sector, where analysts have repeatedly noted gaps in official statistics and methods. The absence of participation in UNWTO sessions has limited high-level government-to-business engagement with the international tourism and hospitality community, leaving some voices in the industry with fewer opportunities to leverage global standards. This point was echoed by several industry observers who spoke to news outlets about the situation.
In summary, while the formal move to exit from UNWTO is unlikely to trigger immediate changes in Russia’s tourism market, experts and market players suggest that the broader implications for international cooperation and data accuracy could unfold gradually as Russia redefines its position on the world stage. Marked citations: official decree from the Russian government; UNWTO statements; industry analyses from TASS and Gazeta.ru.