MADRID, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Zurab Pololikashvili, the new secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), on Tuesday highlighted that one in 10 people in the world were directly or indirectly employed by tourism.

In his first official message since replacing Taleb Rifai, Pololikashvili said UNWTO had the "responsibility to ensure tourism benefited each and every community, leaving no one behind."

The sector "also brings in many challenges in adapting to the challenges of safety and security, evolving market changes, growing digitalization and the limits of our natural resources," he added.

Pololikashvili promised to maintain a "focus on building strong partnerships with public and private sector, fostering jobs and opportunities for all, mastering technology and innovation, and advancing sustainability in the fight against climate change."