UN tourism agency slams US travel ban on nationals of seven countries

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the UN specialized agency for tourism, on Tuesday expressed ‘deep concern and strong condemnation’ over the recently announced travel ban by the US on nationals of seven countries  - Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.
The travel ban, based on nationality, is contrary to the principles of freedom of travel and travel facilitation promoted by the international tourism community and will hinder the immense benefits the tourism sector brings in terms of economic growth and job creation to many countries, including the US, the agency said in a statement.
“Global challenges demand global solutions and the security challenges that we face today should not prompt us to build new walls; on the contrary, isolationism and blind discriminatory actions will not lead to increased security but rather to growing tensions and threats,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.
“Besides the direct impact, the image of a country which imposes travel bans in such a hostile way will surely be affected among visitors from all over the world and risk dumping travel demand to the US,” he said.