Alessandra Priante: From ENIT President to Leading Sport Integrity in Europe

Her tenure at ENIT focused on reinforcing Italy’s position as one of the world’s premier tourism destinations while modernizing the organization’s international outlook and strengthening partnerships across governments, businesses, and global institutions.

She acknowledged the collective effort behind those achievements, thanking the ENIT Board, staff across Italy and international offices, industry partners, and colleagues worldwide.

Yet even as she closed one chapter, Priante hinted that another was already underway. “New adventures are already taking shape,” she wrote.

Those adventures would soon lead her to Lisbon and into an entirely different—but surprisingly connected—world.

Building European Tourism at the United Nations

Long before leading Italy’s tourism promotion agency, Alessandra Priante had already established herself as one of Europe’s foremost tourism policymakers.

As Regional Director for Europe at UN Tourism (formerly the United Nations World Tourism Organization), she became one of the organization’s most recognizable leaders, helping coordinate tourism policy across dozens of countries during one of the sector’s most turbulent periods.

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped global tourism.

Recovery required unprecedented international cooperation, coordinated policy-making, and institutional leadership. Priante became one of the leading advocates for rebuilding tourism not simply to previous levels, but on stronger foundations.

Throughout her tenure, she consistently championed:

• Sustainable tourism development
• Digital transformation
• Innovation
• Cross-border cooperation
• Destination resilience
• Public-private partnerships
• Evidence-based policy

Rather than viewing tourism purely through an economic lens, she repeatedly positioned it as an instrument for diplomacy, community development, and long-term prosperity.

That international outlook would later define her presidency at ENIT.

A Reputation Built on International Leadership

Across successive leadership roles, Priante earned a reputation for navigating complex international environments.

Her work has consistently involved bringing together governments, multilateral organizations, businesses, and civil society around common objectives.

This ability to build consensus has become one of her defining professional characteristics.

Whether representing Europe within the UN system or promoting Italy internationally, her leadership has focused less on individual visibility than on strengthening institutional credibility.

It is perhaps unsurprising, therefore, that her next challenge would involve another sector increasingly concerned with governance, transparency, and public trust.

A New Chapter: From Tourism to Sport

It is assumed that Professor Priante recently relocated from Rome to Lisbon after being appointed Co-Chair of the SIGA EUROPE Advisory Board, which began on June 30.

The appointment, confirmed during SIGA’s General Assembly in April 2026, marked an important evolution in her international career. At first glance, tourism and sport may appear to occupy different worlds.

In reality, the two sectors have become increasingly interconnected.

Major sporting events drive tourism, urban development, investment, international reputation and economic growth.

• Both industries depend fundamentally on public confidence.
• Both require effective governance.
• Both influence how nations present themselves globally.

For Priante, the transition therefore represents continuity rather than change.

The principles that guided her work in tourism—trust, sustainability, accountability and international cooperation—are precisely those she now seeks to strengthen within sport.

Why Trust Has Become Sport’s Most Valuable Asset

In her first major interview as Co-Chair of the SIGA EUROPE Advisory Board, Priante identified trust as the defining strategic challenge facing modern sport.

“Trust is not a crisis management tool,” she explained.

“It is a governance standard.”

Drawing upon decades of experience in international institutions, she argued that organizations capable of sustaining public confidence are those that invest in integrity before crises emerge—not afterward.

She noted that sport possesses extraordinary power.

• It unites communities.
• It inspires generations.
• It transcends politics and borders.

But that influence, she argued, depends entirely upon credibility.

When sporting organizations fail to match their values with their actions, trust rapidly erodes.

In an era characterized by heightened public scrutiny, commercial investment and digital transparency, integrity can no longer be treated as an aspirational value.

It must become an operational framework.

Beyond Good Intentions

One of Priante’s strongest messages concerns the gap between rhetoric and implementation.

Sport, she argues, has never lacked declarations about fairness, transparency, inclusion or sustainability.

What has often been missing is consistent measurement.

She believes independent verification represents the next evolution of sports governance.

Rather than relying upon self-assessment, organizations should demonstrate compliance with measurable international standards.

In this respect, she views SIGA’s Universal Standards as providing precisely that framework.

The organization’s Bronze, Silver, and Gold certification system recognizes that institutions develop at different speeds while ensuring that progress is externally validated rather than internally proclaimed.

“If we don’t change what we measure,” she argues, “we won’t change what we do.”

Lessons from Tourism for Global Sport

Priante’s tourism background offers a particularly valuable perspective on major sporting events.

Having witnessed tourism’s successes—and shortcomings—she believes sporting events should no longer be judged solely by visitor numbers or economic impact.

Instead, their true legacy should be evaluated through long-term community outcomes.

She argues that governments, host cities, and sporting organizations must embed legacy planning from the earliest stages of event preparation.

That includes:

• Independent impact assessments.
• Transparent procurement.
• Community participation.
• Environmental accountability.
• Long-term economic sustainability.

For Priante, international sporting events should create value that remains long after the closing ceremony.

Championing Female Leadership

Another recurring theme throughout Priante’s career has been leadership diversity.

Having occupied senior positions within sectors where women remain underrepresented, she speaks candidly about the structural barriers facing female executives.

She rejects the notion that leadership inequality reflects a shortage of talent.

“The talent exists—in abundance,” she argues.

Instead, she identifies systemic issues including limited sponsorship opportunities, restricted professional networks, and institutional cultures that continue to favor established pathways.

She believes meaningful progress requires measurable accountability rather than symbolic commitments.

Among the reforms she advocates are:

• Gender targets within governance bodies.
• Transparent reporting on leadership progression.
• Active executive sponsorship.
• Expanded international mentoring networks.

She also praises SIGAWomen’s Global Female Mentorship Program for creating practical pathways that help emerging leaders gain visibility and access to decision-making circles.

Governance as Competitive Advantage

One of the most striking aspects of Priante’s thinking is her belief that governance should not be viewed as regulatory compliance.

Instead, she presents integrity as a strategic asset.

Organizations that embrace transparency, accountability, and independent standards are, in her view, better equipped to attract investment, partnerships, public confidence, and long-term sustainability.

• This philosophy mirrors her work in tourism.
• Destinations succeed when visitors trust them.
• Institutions succeed when stakeholders trust them.
• Sport succeeds when fans trust it.

Across sectors, the underlying principle remains the same.

A Career Defined by Institution Building

Looking across Professor Alessandra Priante’s career, a clear pattern emerges.

Whether serving within the United Nations, leading Italy’s national tourism strategy or helping shape the future governance of European sport, she has consistently focused on strengthening institutions rather than merely managing them.

Few leaders successfully navigate careers spanning diplomacy, tourism, international governance, and now sport.

Even fewer manage to remain relevant while industries themselves undergo profound transformation.

Her move from Rome to Lisbon represents more than a change of geography.

It symbolizes the increasing convergence between tourism, international policy, major sporting events, and institutional governance.

As sport faces growing expectations around transparency, accountability and sustainability, Priante’s experience arrives at a pivotal moment.

The same principles she championed throughout European tourism—trust, collaboration, measurable standards and international cooperation—are now becoming essential ingredients for the future of global sport.

For Professor Alessandra Priante, the sector may have changed.

The mission has not.