The biennial General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) being held in Korea this week has voted in CQUniversity as its newest Australian-based Affiliate Member.

The two senior lecturers who will develop and deliver CQUniversity's new Bachelor of Tourism and Bachelor of Business with a Tourism Major, Dr Scott Richardson (Noosa Campus) and Steve Noakes (Mackay Campus) have both been appointed to the UNWTO World Panel of Tourism Experts.

Steve Noakes (left) and Dr Scott Richardson are pleased the UNWTO membership bid has been accepted

As part of strengthening Australia's relationship with the UNWTO, CQUniversity's membership application process was endorsed by the Australian Government's Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. The Department submitted the required formal letter of support for CQUniversity's candidature for Affiliate Membership of the world's largest inter-governmental tourism organisation.

With a membership of 161 countries, the Madrid, Spain based UNWTO is a specialised agency of the United ‎Nations and the leading international organisation in the field of tourism.

It serves as a ‎global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.‎ It plays a central and decisive role in promoting the development of responsible, ‎sustainable and universally accessible tourism, paying particular attention to the ‎interests of developing countries.‎

The Organisation encourages the implementation ‎of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, with a view to ensuring that member ‎countries, tourist destinations and businesses maximise the positive economic, ‎social and cultural effects of tourism and fully reap its benefits, while minimising its ‎negative social and environmental impacts.‎

CQUniversity Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman says the "new UNWTO Affiliate Membership is at the core of the University's purpose and on our ability to help future tourism management students be what they want to be through local relevance, regional commitment, national leadership and international standing".

The University's Dean of the School of Management & Marketing, Professor Roger March says "we see our new engagement with this United Nations agency as a strategic opportunity for CQUni in our new Tourism undergraduate and postgraduate programs, being delivered from 2012".

"The UNWTO Affiliate Membership for CQUniversity would result in direct student and staff benefits by being able to access and contribute to a wide range of tourism resources and research which will add value to the tourism degree courses offered by the University.

"It also sends out the strong message that CQUniversity has the capacity to deliver internationally relevant and competitive tourism degrees for our Australian and international students."

The new Tourism degrees will be available from 2012 at Mackay and Noosa campuses, as well as by distance education.