For the first time, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)
says, the G20 world leaders have recognised the importance of travel and
tourism as a driver of jobs, growth and economic recovery.
The Annual Meeting of the G20’s Leaders’ Declaration states: “We recognise the role of travel and tourism as a vehicle for job creation, economic growth and development, and while recognising the sovereign right of States to control the entry of foreign nationals, we will work towards developing travel facilitation initiatives in support of job creation, quality work, poverty reduction and global growth.”
The Annual Meeting was held in Los Cabos, Mexico from 18 to 19 June 2012.
The WTTC says this statement was the first time travel and tourism had been included in the declaration and is the culmination of long-term efforts
by the industry to encourage world leaders to see the potential of the
sector to create millions of new jobs and billions of dollars of GDP.
According to WTTC, the industry directly will contribute US$2tn in GDP and 100m jobs to the global economy in 2012. When the wider economic impacts of
the industry are taken into account, it says travel and tourism is forecast to contribute some $6.5tn to the global economy and generate 260m jobs, or one in 12 of all jobs on the planet.
Research by UNWTO and WTTC, released at the T20 Ministers Meeting last May, showed that the G20 could boost their international tourist numbers by an additional 122m, generate an extra $206bn in tourism exports and create over five million additional jobs by 2015 by improving visa processes and entry formalities.
Findings showed that of the 656m international tourists who visited G20
countries in 2011, an estimated 110 million needed a visa, many of whom
were deterred from traveling by the cost, waiting time and difficulty of
obtaining a visa. Facilitating visas for these tourists, many from some
of the world’s fastest growing source markets such as the BRICs, could
stimulate demand, spending and ultimately create millions of new jobs in the G20 economies.
UNWTO
Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai and WTTC President and CEO, David Scowsill, released a statement following the G20 declaration: “We commend the G20 world leaders for recognising the importance of travel and tourism as a driver of economic growth and job creation for the first time and stand ready to support all efforts by the G20 countries in this respect. This is a significant success for the industry,
facilitated by the relationship between our two organisations and widely
supported throughout the industry.
“By facilitating visas, the G20 countries stand to gain five million jobs at a time of rampant unemployment across the world. These are in
addition to the hundreds of millions of direct and indirect jobs already being supported every day by the sector.”
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