The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has appointed Dario Item as Antigua and Barbuda’s new Permanent Representative to the organization.
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with the Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda for the first time since the country became the 160th member of UNWTO.
The Caribbean destination became UNWTO’s newest Member State and the eighth in the Caribbean region when its candidacy was approved by the 24th Session of the General Assembly in December 2021.
The government appointed Dr. Dario Item, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Spain, as its Permanent Representative to UNWTO and Head of the Permanent Mission to the Organization.
H.E Dr. Dario Item Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to UNWTO with Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization
Dr. Dario Item, attorney-at-law, is a member of the Swiss Federation of Lawyers and Notaries. Since 2000, he has been working together with the multidisciplinary law firm I&P Law Office SA from Lugano.
He is also a member of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the international professional association for advisers who specialize in inheritance and succession planning.
He has extensive experience and currently works in multiple facets of the law profession.
Over the years, Dr. Dario Item has developed an extensive knowledge of interdisciplinary aspects of his career, particularly in the economic and international fields.
He currently serves as the Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the Kingdom of Spain, the Principality of Monaco, and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
Secretary General Pololikashvili welcomed Ambassador Dario Item and accepted his credentials at UNWTO headquarters in Madrid.
Given the importance of tourism to the islands, restarting tourism will bring economic growth and social opportunity. In 2020, Antigua and Barbuda welcomed 125,000 international arrivals and tourism revenues totaled $ 349 million.
Speaking about his appointment, Item said: “I am extremely honored to have been given this opportunity to represent my country at such a prestigious international organization. I look forward to working with all UNWTO member states to promote tourism as a force for good across the world.”
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili added: “I am delighted to welcome Ambassador Item to the UNWTO family. I am confident that he will make a valuable contribution to our work in the years ahead and I look forward to working closely with him to promote the role of tourism in achieving sustainable development.”
As a member state, UNWTO and the government of Antigua and Barbuda will now work together to strengthen the sector’s importance as a pillar of sustainable development, with shared priorities in innovation and tourism.
