U.S., May 11 -- In an interview published by "The Diplomat," a Madrid publication targeting diplomats in the Spanish capital, Zurab Pololikashvili admitted that UN tourism was respected before he took the helm of UNWTO on January 1, 2018.

The identical article was published in El Pais and other Spanish publications, indicating it was a commissioned (earned media) press contribution.

In this commissioned article to help his campaign for a third re-election, UN-Tourism Secretary-General Pololikashvili made many valid points when praising himself, noting the UNWTO's launch of the Tourism Crisis Committee during COVID-19. However, he left out that his committee only met once a month, and issues were moved to the next month.

Compared to a s...