Season of Hope Dawns
UNWTO Says Global Tourism Will Recover in 2010
The world tourism has started showing signs of recovery if the preliminary international tourism figures until August this year is anything to go buy. All signs are that the worst is over for global tourism but an imminent recovery is not yet assured. The United Nations World Tourism Organizations (UNWTO) says data shows some moderation in declining international arrivals by air for the first half of this year. It said conditions in the market were starting to indicate stronger prospects for a recovery in 2010. The organization said international arrivals declined by 4 per cent in July, a relative improvement when compared with a 10 per cent decrease in May and 7 per cent in June.
These observations were made at a meeting of tourism leaders from 142 countries who met in Kazakhstan in early October to endorse a road map for recovery in a bid to boost global travel. The World Tourism Organizations’ forum coincides with the worst slump in tourism history. The meeting called on world leaders to prioritise tourism in their economic agendas and use it as a vehicle to create and sustain jobs.
"The message is that our sector can make a significant contribution to the international efforts to sustain and stimulate global recovery and ultimately to move to the green economy," said Jeffrey Littman, Assistant Secretary General of the UNWTO.
UNWTO has presented a Roadmap for Recovery at its General Assembly, highlighting the contribution tourism can make to the ongoing global efforts to tackle the economic crisis, positioning tourism as a primary vehicle for job creation and economic recovery, and the transformation to the Green Economy.
“Long- term prospects remain positive if the sector is able to address its challenges in a coordinated and effective manner,” said Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. “Today, world leaders are working together in ways that would have been unimaginable at any time in the past, to coordinate and collaborate on economy, climate response and the development agenda. The tourism sector should do the same on the road to recovery and towards a more sustainable industry,” he added.
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