Note to Correspondents

GUIDED TOUR OPERATION RECEIVED 39 MILLIONTH VISITOR IN MAY

 

In early May, the 39 millionth visitor went on a guided tour of the United Nations in New York.  The visit of the Organization’s Headquarters dates back to November 1952 when ten young women started working as guides.  The traffic on the tour route grew quickly, reaching its peak in 1964, during the year of the World Fair when over 1.2 million visitors came to the United Nations, making it one of New York’s most popular attractions where world politics, history, renowned architecture and art converge to this day.

Over the past five years, attendance has increased steadily, numbering nearly 500,000 visitors a year.  The benchmark for the 38th millionth visitor was reached in February 2005.

The guides are the most direct link between the United Nations and the general public.  The “spring rush” sees thousands of school groups descending upon the United Nations on their field trips.  “The guided tours operation is a key tool in our outreach strategy.  During one hour, guides explain the role and work of the Organization adapting, the message to the interests of their international audience and leaving them with a good memory of the house that belongs to all visitors, to all of us,” said Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

The current team of guides is composed of 65 people from over 30 countries who give tours in over 20 languages.  They receive daily in-depth briefings on the history and current activities of the United Nations.  These guides are the Organization’s “ambassadors to the public”.  They have highly diverse academic, cultural and professional backgrounds.  All are fluent in English and at least one other language.  Many are multilingual, and some give tours in three or four languages in the course of a single day.  One-hour tours are conducted every day, with few exceptions (see www.un.org/tours).

For more information, please contact Isabelle Broyer, Chief of the Guided Tours Unit, broyer@un.org, tel.:  212 963 9480.

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For information media • not an official record