US, May 26 -- The call for a dedicated thematic office within UN Tourism focused on small island tourism economies is gaining momentum across the global tourism community, following renewed debate sparked by a recent report from eTurboNews on an advocacy initiative by the World Tourism Network.

The initiative, titled "Beyond SIDS: Why UN Tourism Needs a Thematic Office for All Small Island States," has reopened longstanding discussions over how island tourism economies are represented within the international tourism governance system.

At the center of the proposal is a growing recognition that no permanent coordination mechanism currently exists within UN Tourism to address the unique realities faced by small-island tourism economies a...