Regional Department for Europe
In close collaboration with its Members, the Regional Department for Europe identifies and coordinates the development and delivery of targeted services to support the evolving needs of the tourism sector across a geographically and culturally diverse region, spanning from the Atlantic Coast to Central Asia. Simultaneously, the Department engages with non-Member States and forges synergies with regional and international organizations to broaden cooperation and advance shared objectives.
The Department’s approach is guided by two strategic pillars:
- Membership-Based Engagement: Core membership functions include facilitating active participation in the Organization’s statutory bodies and maintaining continuous dialogue with national focal points. These efforts aim to enhance the visibility and relevance of UN Tourism’s work at the national level and strengthen the value of membership.
- Content-Driven Programming: In collaboration with Members, the Department develops and implements initiatives centred on sustainability, resilience, innovation, and the green and digital transitions. Programmes are aligned with national and regional priorities, with flexible delivery adapted to subregional contexts.
Contact Information
World Tourism Organization
Regional Department for Europe (RDEU)
Calle Poeta Joan Maragall, 42
28020 Madrid, Spain
E: rdeu[at]unwto.org
RDEU Team
Cordula Wohlmuther joined UN Tourism in 2006, initially serving as a Regional Officer before becoming the Deputy Regional Director for Europe. In 2012, she took special leave to conduct research on tourism and peace at the Centre for Peace Research and Peace Education in Austria, resulting in two publications, including the International Handbook on Tourism and Peace, which won the 2015 ITB Special Management Award.
After returning in 2015, Cordula was appointed Head of UN Tourism Institutional Relations and Partnerships Department. In this role, she successfully, inter alia, contributed the implementation of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism 2017 and the development of the Organization´s first Resource Mobilization Strategy, which was endorsed by the UN Tourism General Assembly the same year.
In 2020, Ms. Wohlmuther transitioned to the role of Coordinator in UN Tourism Department of Sustainable Tourism and Resilience. Here she has been responsible for implementing sustainability and monitoring initiatives at the destination level, in particular through managing the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO). At the same time, she served as one of the lead authors of twelve reports on COVID-19 related travel restrictions for international tourism 2020-2023, which include analysis related to sustainability aspects. Cordula is also one of the lead authors of UN Tourism 2023 Tourism Visa Openness Report.
Before joining UN Tourism, Cordula worked from 2000 to 2006 in the Organization of Cooperation and Security (OSCE) Project Coordinator`s Office in Kyiv, Ukraine. As a Senior Programme Manager, she was responsible for projects on fighting against trafficking in human beings, initiatives on anticorruption and rule of law, and the re-training of former military personnel.
Cordula has a master’s degree from the University in Vienna. She has been involved in freelance tourism work since 1988. Ms. Wohlmuther is fluent in English, Russian and Spanish, with some knowledge of French, Italian and Ukrainian, while her first language is German. She is a national of Austria.
Matilde Duran is a Programme Officer in the Regional Department for Europe. She has previously held positions in the Organization’s Affiliate Members and Human Resources Departments. Prior to joining UN Tourism, she gained international experience working in Canada, France, the Dominican Republic and Spain.
She holds a Bachelor’s in Social Sciences, with Honours in Political Science from the University of Ottawa (Canada), a Licenciatura in Political Science from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) and completed additional studies in European Union affairs at the Spanish Diplomatic School. She is fluent in English, Spanish, French and German.
Nina Kušar joined UN Tourism in 2020, initially supporting the Department as a Project Specialist, later transitioning through the position of a Senior Project Specialist before assuming the position of Programme Officer.
Before joining UN Tourism, Nina worked at the Embassy of Slovenia in Madrid and with UNICEF Slovenia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Law and a master’s degree in International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. She is fluent in English, Spanish and Slovene, with limited working knowledge of French and German.
Mariam Giorgadze joined UN Tourism in 2018 as an intern in the Institutional Relations and Partnerships department through her studies at Leiden University. She rejoined in 2021 as an intern in the Regional Department for Europe, and later transitioned into other roles within the Department.
Mariam holds a Bachelor's degree in International Studies from Leiden University. She is fluent in English, Georgian, and German, has basic proficiency in Russian, and is learning Spanish and French.
Azar Abasaliyev joined UN Tourism in 2020 as an official on loan from the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Prior to joining UN Tourism, he worked on a joint project between UNDP Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Youth and Sport of Azerbaijan.
Azar holds a bachelor's degree in Interpretation and an MBA in Management. He is fluent in Azerbaijani, English, Spanish, Russian and Turkish.
Davronbek Tokhtiev is a Senior Project Specialist, a position he has held since 2020.
Previously, he served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, within the Department of International Cooperation, and at the State Committee for Tourism Development of Uzbekistan.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in World Politics and a Master's degree in International Relations and Foreign Policy from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (Uzbekistan).
His native languages are Uzbek and Russian. He is fluent in English and has working proficiency in Spanish.
Nedim Jašić joined UN Tourism in 2021 and currently serves as a Senior Project Specialist in the Regional Department for Europe.
Before joining UN Tourism, Nedim was one of the youngest department heads at the IFRC where he led the Volunteer and Youth Department of the Italian Red Cross. This position followed his early engagement in international development, during which he managed EU funded projects.
Nedim has university education in International Relations, with a specialization in European and public funding. He is fluent in Bosnian, English, Italian, Croatian, Serbian and Spanish.
Nodar Kasradze joined UN Tourism in 2019, beginning his journey as an intern before progressively taking on roles of increasing responsibility. From Administrative Associate to Project Specialist, he currently serves as a Senior Project Specialist in the Regional Department for Europe.
Prior to joining UN Tourism, he pursued his studies in Budapest, earning degrees in Tourism and Catering, as well as International Business. He is fluent in English and Georgian, proficient in Russian, and is currently learning Spanish.
Jacopo Bordignon has been working in the Regional Department for Europe since November 2021, when he joined as a Junior Professional Officer, after which he assumed the role of Senior Project Specialist.
He previously worked as a Policy Officer and Project Manager in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation. A graduate of the London School of Economics & Political Sciences, he is fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish.