New UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili has appointed Shanzhong Zhu as executive director of UNWTO for a two-year term starting January 1, 2018.
A Chinese national, Zhu also served as UNWTO executive director in the team of the former secretary-general Taleb Rifai.
He was previously the vice chairman of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) from late 2008 to 2013, overseeing international relations, marketing and promotions in domestic and overseas markets, tourism information centre, tourism security and the establishment of a public service network. .
Joining CNTA in 1989 to 2008, he has served the Chinese NTO in different capacities, namely as director of CNTA Sydney Office, director of CNTA New York Office, deputy director-general of international marketing department and director-general of the marketing and communication department of CNTA.
Prior to that, he was department manager of China International Travel Service.
