Sustainable Travel

Lisbon, Portugal (eTN) – The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Think-Tank where officials, experts and entrepreneurs from Europe, the Americas and the Middle East gathered here to discuss the opportunities and challenges for tourism as a leading socio economic driver. The event was held on the occasion of the United Nations´ World Tourism Day and hosted by Portuguese Tourism Secretary Bernardo Trindade,..

It was concluded at the The Think Tank that tourism represents 40 percent of all exports of services; revenues have grown far stronger than international trade, that tourism has spin-off effects ranging from construction over to agriculture or telecommunications, creating quality employment for developing countries; and that tourism has to be included in the policy and development agenda of governments, donors and financing institutions.

According to the UNWTO, investing in tourism infrastructure, information communications technology (ICT) and education can create long term employment which benefits local communities.

Governments and development agencies need to become aware of this added value chain provided by tourism. Only then tourism will be included as a strategic element in policies targeting job creation, sustainability and poverty alleviation, UNWTO said in a release.

On a socio-cultural level, tourism can promote a culture of peace and understanding thanks to direct contacts between visitors and host communities "How can we feel enmity towards someone we know personally; someone whom we have received or who has received us," asks UNWTO Secretary General Francesco Frangialli.

The participants endorsed the view that the linkage of tourism and ICT as catalytic sectors could provide significant leverage in managing growth and bridging the digital divide.

UNWTO said it has recently initiated a long term partnership with Microsoft Corporation to expand ICT in the tourism sector, providing ICT systems and tools for emerging tourism economies to improve their export competitiveness, product quality and support skills. Its primary focus will be on Africa.

Meanwhile, the consolidation of tourism over the past decades "constitutes one of the most positive socio-economic developments of our time," Frangialli said. The UNWTO claims international tourist arrivals grew from 25 million in 1950 to 808 million in 2005. This expansion rate by 6.5 percent "continues unabated and there is no evidence of saturation of demand despite wars, terror, tsunamis and other crises," the UNWTO secretary general added.

The revenues generated by these arrivals have risen at an average rate of 11.2 percent per year (adjusted for inflation) over the same span of time, outgrowing the world economy as a whole, UNWTO said.

UNWTO contends the perception of tourism has to evolve towards the corporate identity of a robust and sustainable sector. Tourism is in fact one of the fastest growing sectors in the world and can provide longstanding and high quality employment, it said.

“Too little research is yet done on the linkages which demonstrate the economic multiplier effect of tourism. Decision makers at all levels have to understand the economic and socio-cultural benefits of tourism. This will help establishing public-private partnerships to finance and promote sustainable tourism initiatives in developing countries.”

The Think Tank was moderated by UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General Geoffrey Lipman.

Source: eTurboNews