The UN World Tourism Organisation has denied it has made Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe an official ambassador for tourism.
But Mugabe, 88, who is under a travel ban, has been honoured as a "leader for tourism" by the UNWTO, along with his political ally, Zambian president Michael Sata, 75.
Sandra Carvao, UNWTO’s co-ordinator of communications, said, "UNWTO has presented both presidents with an open letter which calls for them to support tourism as a means to foster sustainable development in their countries to the benefit of their people and consequently ask them to support the sector in this respect."
She added, "UNWTO does not have an ambassadors programme and the receiving of the UNWTO/WTTC [World Travel and Tourism Council] open letter implies no legal commitment or title attribution to the country or the head of state or government in question."
The UNWTO move to embrace Mugabe has raised eyebrows and, according to the UK’s Guardian newspaper, the decision questions "the organisation’s credibility".
"Improbable as it seems," the Guardian reported, "the Zimbabwean president, who is widely accused of ethnic cleansing, rigging elections, terrorising opposition, controlling media and presiding over a collapsed economy, has been endorsed as a champion of efforts to boost global holidaymaking".
The presidents of Zimbabwe and Zambia signed an agreement with UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai at Victoria Falls this week.
Mugabe and his allies are subject to EU and US sanctions preventing them from travelling to EU countries, although he does attend the UN general assembly in New York.
