The United Kingdom Government announced its plans to join the World Tourism Organization last Wednesday…
The United Kingdom Government announced its plans to join the World Tourism Organization last Wednesday, which, according to WTO, will demonstrate a historic turning point for the future development of international tourism cooperation.
The decision to join the Organization was made public during the first UK National Tourism Conference in London, by the Tourism Minister Richard Caborn, representing the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
I am truly delighted to announce today that we will be joining the World Tourism Organization by 2005/06, Mr. Caborn said. I am convinced that this is the time to join this United Nations Specialized Agency. Not least because the WTO includes two of our biggest new markets in China and Russia. Its work includes tourism data, knowledge management and IT. And its key international programme – `Sustainable Tourism-Eliminating Poverty` – aims to stimulate economic growth and job creation, while providing incentives for protecting the environment and the cultural heritage, in line with its Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
The honourable minister underlined that that sits well with what we are trying to achieve in tourism. And is in full accordance with our foreign policy and international development agenda – including the Commission for Africa. Membership will give us a real opportunity to be at the heart of international tourism development.
Recent events make this the right time to join. The Asian tsunami demonstrated the value of international co-operation in re-building vital tourism infrastructures. The WTO has been given the international lead in this effort as part of the United Nations` larger reconstruction programme. We need to be part of that. And, from the next WTO General Assembly we will, Mr. Caborn stressed.
The WTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli congratulated the Government for such an important step, which he called “a historic turning point, which demonstrates the value of the Organization for the tourism sector as a whole”. “We shall extend our most heartfelt welcome to the United Kingdom in the WTO family and put in place a mechanism so that the UK plays an adequate role in world tourism and in global economy.”
The membership of the WTO currently comprises 145 Member States, seven territories and over 300 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, destinations and education.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
