Profile

Luis Nicolas Barrios

Regional Manager Innovation Education and Investments
UN Tourism

Luis serves as the Innovation, Education and Investments Regional Manager at the UN Tourism Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh. In this role, he leads the coordination of the Global Education Programme and regional innovation and investment initiatives, working closely with UN Tourism Member States and partners to advance collaboration, capacity building, and tourism-sector transformation. With extensive experience at the intersection of technology, innovation and tourism, Luis brings nearly two decades of public-sector expertise from SEGITTUR, Spain’s state-owned tourism innovation company under the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. During this time, he contributed to the development and implementation of Spain’s Smart Tourist Destinations Programme between 2012 and 2020, helping position smart, sustainable and data-informed destination management as a national priority. Luis holds a Master’s degree in Project Management from Esden Business School and is a PMI-certified Project Management Professional (PMP). He also holds a Master’s degree in Marketing and Commercial Management from IE Business School, a Master’s degree in Audiovisual Production from IEEA, and a bachelor’s degree in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Málaga.