WTTC launches ‘sustainable tourism development’ declaration

BTN News
Wednesday, 18 January 2017

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched its Declaration for the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, expressing the organisation’s full commitment to the priorities of the year and setting out its vision of how to maximise the contribution of Travel & Tourism to sustainable development around the world.


Travel and Tourism is identified in three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is a valuable contributor to all 17. But WTTC says tourism is a complex and fragmented sector, and maximising its contribution to sustainable development will require deeper commitments and collaboration between businesses, public sector authorities and the international development community.


In order for Travel and Tourism to function sustainably three things are needed: People travelling, successful businesses and responsible practices. WTTC is therefore calling for:


Freedom to Travel: It is the responsibility of governments and private sector providers to ensure that both the economic and human rights imperatives are met, while ensuring national security requirements are adhered to through:


Promoting openness and welcoming all travellers, regardless of nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation or age.
Ensuring travel and tourism is accessible to everyone regardless of social status, wealth, physical or mental ability.
Facilitating entry and exit processes and using enhanced systems which balance the needs of travellers and security services.


Policies for Growth: It goes on to say that it is the responsibility of governments to put in place the conditions that allow travel and tourism businesses to operate effectively and for private sector and governments to work together to ensure the sector’s resilience through:


Taking a cross-government approach, where travel and tourism requirements and impacts are considered throughout.


Implementing appropriate policies and regulations that support the sustainable growth and resilience of the sector.


Increasing investment in infrastructure, people, and systems which support travel and tourism development.


Tourism for Tomorrow: It is the responsibility of the whole sector to ensure that it benefits the people, places, and environments in which it operates, through:


Protecting people and places through committing to a growth model which is inclusive of all stakeholders, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable.


Reducing the sector’s contribution to climate change in line with international agreements and preparing for climate change impacts.


Measuring, monitoring, and managing negative and positive impacts at destination and company level.


David Scowsill, president and chief executive WTTC, who launched the declaration in Madrid said: “As a global community, we have to re-think how we define economic growth and success, to ensure that the benefits of globalisation, of which ‘Travel & Tourism’ is an integral part, are spread more equitably across societies and nations.


“The designation of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development will provide the opportunity for us all to expand our role as an engine of job growth and economic development. This sector is a vehicle for sharing cultures, building mutual understanding and driving a more peaceful world. WTTC will play its part in ensuring a sustainable future, and in making our world a better place.”

WTTC launches ‘sustainable tourism development’ declaration

BTN News
Wednesday, 18 January 2017

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched its Declaration for the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, expressing the organisation’s full commitment to the priorities of the year and setting out its vision of how to maximise the contribution of Travel & Tourism to sustainable development around the world.


Travel and Tourism is identified in three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is a valuable contributor to all 17. But WTTC says tourism is a complex and fragmented sector, and maximising its contribution to sustainable development will require deeper commitments and collaboration between businesses, public sector authorities and the international development community.


In order for Travel and Tourism to function sustainably three things are needed: People travelling, successful businesses and responsible practices. WTTC is therefore calling for:


Freedom to Travel: It is the responsibility of governments and private sector providers to ensure that both the economic and human rights imperatives are met, while ensuring national security requirements are adhered to through:


Promoting openness and welcoming all travellers, regardless of nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation or age.
Ensuring travel and tourism is accessible to everyone regardless of social status, wealth, physical or mental ability.
Facilitating entry and exit processes and using enhanced systems which balance the needs of travellers and security services.


Policies for Growth: It goes on to say that it is the responsibility of governments to put in place the conditions that allow travel and tourism businesses to operate effectively and for private sector and governments to work together to ensure the sector’s resilience through:


Taking a cross-government approach, where travel and tourism requirements and impacts are considered throughout.


Implementing appropriate policies and regulations that support the sustainable growth and resilience of the sector.


Increasing investment in infrastructure, people, and systems which support travel and tourism development.


Tourism for Tomorrow: It is the responsibility of the whole sector to ensure that it benefits the people, places, and environments in which it operates, through:


Protecting people and places through committing to a growth model which is inclusive of all stakeholders, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable.


Reducing the sector’s contribution to climate change in line with international agreements and preparing for climate change impacts.


Measuring, monitoring, and managing negative and positive impacts at destination and company level.


David Scowsill, president and chief executive WTTC, who launched the declaration in Madrid said: “As a global community, we have to re-think how we define economic growth and success, to ensure that the benefits of globalisation, of which ‘Travel & Tourism’ is an integral part, are spread more equitably across societies and nations.


“The designation of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development will provide the opportunity for us all to expand our role as an engine of job growth and economic development. This sector is a vehicle for sharing cultures, building mutual understanding and driving a more peaceful world. WTTC will play its part in ensuring a sustainable future, and in making our world a better place.”