UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili made the announcement on his official Twitter account. He said it was the first UN body to address Russia's membership.

The organization went ahead and approved the suspension at a special meeting in Madrid on Wednesday, where the organization has its headquarters.

``(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's military offensive is an attack on the founding principles of the United Nations and on the values that tourism represents, such as peace, prosperity and universal respect, and the observance of human rights,'' Spanish Industry, Trade, and Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said in a statement following the decision.

The assembly resolution included a clause that said the suspension could be reversed if a change in the politics of the Russian Federation were noted.

Spain was one of 22 European nations that had promoted the motion.