Government representatives and officials from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) were urged to recognise the…
Government representatives and officials from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) were urged to recognise the important role that travel and tourism already plays in furthering sustainable development, and its potential to do more. This message was delivered in a speech given by Daniel Desbaillets, Chief Operating Officer for
This one-day event was specifically devoted to travel and tourism and marked the launch of the travel industries sectoral report on tourism to be distributed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) that is due to take place in September 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Desbaillets was speaking on behalf of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (
During his presentation, Desbaillets attributed the truly global challenges to triggers such as globalisation and the information technology revolution. He went on to explain that travel and tourism worldwide contributes over 10 per cent to GDP and around 200 million jobs worldwide. It is amongst the top five export sectors for more than 80 per cent of developing countries. With world travel and tourism forecast to rise by 4.5 per cent per annum, he stressed there is clear potential for the industry to play a major role in the development process and improve the quality of life of millions of people.
The Tourism Industry Report forms one of the 22 reports examined by the conference in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Desbaillets observed that the report demonstrates the delicate balance between sustainable development and the economic growth that stems from tourism. He stressed the importance of including this industry sector on the agenda for the World Summit.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
