Bangkok--Sep 30--eTurbo news
International tourism is facing some serious challenges in the coming years deriving from its growing contribution to the global economy. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) should strengthen its guidance in economic environment, tourism technologies and redefine international tourism within its most positive character, but especially continue on pursuing the public-private partnership, stressed the Leadership Forum of Advisers in its recommendations made public on Tuesday.
The lV Leadership Forum was held from 24-25 September in Palma de Mallorca, Spain in organization of the WTO Business Council, a part of the WTO Affiliate Members. The Conference's aim was to "gather leading personalities from the private sector, analyze the current situation in international tourism and address these issues to the WTO to contribute to the configuration of its general programme of work 2006/2007", explained the President of the WTO Business Council Alain-Philippe Feutri, who holds the post as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH&RA).
Participants at the conference defined major challenges in which they called on the WTO to strengthen its leading role in the international tourism community. "Tourism is facing dramatic changes in the economic environment," stressed Mr. Feutri, listing "emergence of new destinations, new source markets, especially China, India, Brazil and Eastern Europe and new consumer preferences". Trends in new monetary systems and exchange rates importantly impact on tourism, the demographic picture is changing on both sides of the market, among tourists as well as among employees in tourism. This influences tourism routes, marketing, advertising and price policy require new operational procedures, including no-frills service not only in the airline but also in the hotel business."
"Changes in technology impact every area of tourism, health, transportation, energy-saving, engineering, sewerage, architecture, security, sales, distribution, promotion, information and hospitality," Mr. Feutri added. Increasing contribution of information and communication technologies can especially boost business tourism. "We should take into account that 'new technologies' are not only the Internet, but the satellites, broad-band, new sources of energy for transport, etc. A modern business traveller can now carry his whole office in his pocket, that is in his mobile phone," he said. "New technology is now accessible to almost everybody, which gives a historic chance and challenge for the small and medium-size enterprises". A cutting-edge area in the field of technology is the educational role in terms of broadest impact and roles of technology, not only e-business, but also energy management and transportation.
The issue of safety and security should not be strictly limited to the threats of terrorism, but to the health and disease-prevention issues, to broaden tourism standards, the prevention of criminality and to the ease of obstacles for border crossing and visa facilitation. The latter may increase the user-unfriendly access that affect the shape and direction of global tourism. "Safety and security has become a new, however permanent issue in global tourism."
In such circumstances, the WTO more than ever has a task to underscore its proactive leadership role of highlighting the benefits of tourism through the public awareness campaign "Tourism Enriches" and the Tourism Satellite Accounts and promote tourism less as an industry, but as the most prospective economy at the global level, the Leaders concluded. The image of tourism among consumers, investors and staff is especially vital in the light of barriers to tourism, in particular travel advisories, visas, availability of staff, economic means, lack of funding agencies, consumer protection and transport infrastructure.
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