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WTTC Welcomes EU Initiative to Restart Travel and Tourism

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WTTC Welcomes EU Initiative to Restart Travel and Tourism

The World Travel & Tourism Council WTTC welcomes EU initiative of a new and major level to restart travel and tourism, initially aiming to help restart summer holidays across Europe in 2020 and then beyond.

The European Commission’s Tourism & Transport Package has been designed to ensure a coordinated approach at a European level, to ease restrictive measures and restore mobility.

The move by the European Commission is hoped to herald a phased restart of travel across Europe this summer, while ensuring the safety and health of travelers and those who work in the Travel & Tourism sector.

The initiative follows a similar drive by WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, which on Tuesday launched global “Safe Travel” protocols for travel in the ‘new normal’.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO commented:

“We are delighted that the European Commission recognizes the strategic importance of the Travel & Tourism sector, not only to the European economy, but also to boost jobs. Its initiative acknowledges the sector is in a critical situation, which needs a long-term pathway to recovery.

“WTTC has been in constant discussions with the European Commission and we encourage all member States to follow these important guidelines. Strong coordination and cooperation across Europe will avoid unilateral and fragmented measures which would only lead to confusion and disruption for travelers and businesses alike.

“We fully support the European Commission’s stance on quarantines and agree these should not be necessary if appropriate and effective containment measures are in place at departure and arrival points for flights, ferries, cruises, road and rail transport. We urge Member States to carefully reflect before deciding whether arrivals need to self-isolate as this would be a major deterrent to travel and put those countries at a competitive disadvantage. We call on governments to find alternative solutions rather than maintaining or introducing arrival quarantine measures, as part of post-pandemic travel restrictions.  Once a traveler is tested and confirmed as safe to travel, further restrictions such as quarantines should not be necessary.

“Our research shows at least 6.4 million jobs are impacted across the EU, and in order to save these jobs and protect the livelihoods of millions of people, we must learn from the past and ensure a coordinated approach between the public and private sector.

“We look forward to continuing to work with and support the European Commission, specifically Commissioner Breton and his team, to create a more sustainable and innovative Travel & Tourism sector.”

WTTC’s own “Safe Travel” protocols, include a wide range of new worldwide measures to restart the sector, measures designed to rebuild confidence among consumers, so they can travel safely once the restrictions are lifted. For further information about Safe Travel and about WTTC welcomes EU initiative, please click here

#rebuildingtravel

MEDIA CONTACT: Annebeth Wijtenburg, Public Relations Manager, World Travel & Tourism Council, annebeth.wijtenburg@wttc.org

WTTC: Only G20 can help Travel & Tourism to recover from COVID-19 crisis

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WTTC: Only G20 can help Travel & Tourism to recover from COVID-19 crisis

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) calls upon G20 tourism ministers to lead a united and coordinated recovery for the Travel & Tourism sector out of the COVID-19 crisis.

WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, says only the G20 has the power to influence and drive forward a coordinated recovery effort needed to preserve the sector.

The extraordinary Tourism Ministers meeting due to take place on Friday 24 April is set to discuss how to combat the crisis crippling the entire Travel & Tourism sector.

According to WTTC analysis, the COVID-19 outbreak is threatening the jobs of 75 million people around world and one million jobs daily, significantly impacting major source markets.

Ahead of the meeting, WTTC praised the G20 for freezing the debt of the world’s poorest countries as a major step towards enabling them to bolster their health systems, to save lives and combat COVID-19.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “The G20’s proven record, which powered the recovery following the financial crisis in 2008, and the recent decisive action to freeze debt proves this forum is the best platform with the speed and agility needed, to drive forward the urgent actions required to set the pace and save the global Travel & Tourism sector and enable it to survive and thrive.

“WTTC proposes tourism ministers participating in the meeting, fully jointly commit with the private sector to four key principles to achieve a faster recovery.

“This would involve including the private sector in the coordinated response, ensuring all measures put the traveler at the heart of their actions. This would include a seamless traveler journey with enhanced health security standards enabled through technology, developing joint public-private and G20-wide health protocols as well as ongoing support packages for the tourism sector beyond lifting of lockdown and into the recovery.

“As the premier forum of international cooperation, the G20 is the best proven vehicle to help achieve global economic stability and sustainable growth, which has successfully partnered with the private sector to achieve such objectives. Millions of people around the world depend on their actions.

“Under the leadership of Saudi Arabia as the G20 Chair, a country which recorded the fastest growth in Travel & Tourism GDP in 2019 with four times the global average, this meeting offers the best platform to ensure a coordinated approach for a faster recovery.

“We must remember up to 75 million jobs are at risk, and without swift action from the G20 one in four new jobs around the world and the 10.3% (US$8.9 trillion) contribution to global GDP, will not be generated and the global economy will struggle to recover. We also have to learn from past experiences that when the private sector is involved the recovery has been faster.”

WTTC’s four principles to ensure swift recovery for the Travel & Tourism sector and the global economy following the end of the COVID-19 outbreak, are:

  1. A joint public-private coordinated approach across the G20 to re-establish effective operations, remove travel barriers and reopen borders. This would ensure the efficient resumption of flights, movement of people and widescale travel essential to re-build confidence in Travel & Tourism.
  1. Enhance the seamless traveler journey experience, combining the latest technology and protocols to increase health standards. Consider the “new normal” for the sector with components of health, security, hygiene and sustainability with a traveler centric approach.
  1. Work with the private sector and health experts to define global standards for the new normal, grounded in science which can be easily adopted by businesses of every size across all travel industries and can be implemented across the world.
  1. Continue providing support to the Travel & Tourism sector during the recovery phase, throughout the entire travel eco-system. Financial aid for workers and businesses to promote a swift recovery. It is vital the domino effect is fully realized so that businesses large and small can all recover and prosper.

Following these four principles will reduce the recovery timeframe of the global economy and offer reassurance to travelers that the time is right once more to explore and visit.

The economic importance of Travel & Tourism sector to the G20 is demonstrated by the latest WTTC 2020 Economic Impact report, which shows it supported more than 211 million jobs, or 9.5% of the G20’s total workforce.

The G20 includes some of the key source markets to the majority of regions around the world. Travel & Tourism across the G20 represented 76% of global Travel & Tourism GDP in 2019.

The sector also generated US $6,736.4BN to GDP, or 9% to the total G20 economy, growing by 3.7% from the previous year. The comprehensive report shows this growth outperformed the overall G20 GDP growth in 2019 of 2.6% in the same year.

Media Contact:  press.office@wttc.org

African Tourism Board shined again, again and again

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African Tourism Board executives shined last week during the World Travel Market, the Tourism Resilience Council meeting, the International Tourism Investment summit, WTTC meeting, PATA meeting, the UNWTO Ministerial Meeting, the Global Tourism Resilience Board Meeting and during the SunX event, the ETOA Brexit discussion. All of this was part of a busy agenda attended by executives of the newly formed African Tourism Board.

ATB executives, patrons, advisory board members and ambassadors including Cuthbert Ncube, Doris Woerfel, Juergen Steinmetz, Simba Mandinyenya, Dr . Taleb Rifai,  Hon. Najib Balala, Hon. Edward Bartlett, Dov Kalmann, Hon.Memunatu Pratt, Graham Cooke,  Tony Smyth, Prof. Geoffrey Lipman, Karen Hofmann, Daniela Wagner, Hisham Zazou, were seen also representing the African Tourism Board flag during a full week of tourism activities in the British capital last week.

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Hon. Minister Pratt
Tony Smith
Cuthbert Ncube and Hon. E Bartlett
Hon Najib Balala, Doris Woerfel and Cuthbert Ncube
Prof. Geoffrey Lipman
The African Tourism Board is an NGO based in Pretoria, South Africa with a philosophy to have tourism as a catalyst for unity, peace, growth, prosperity, job creation for the people of Africa -with a vision where Africa becomes one tourist destination of choice in the world.
More information on the African Tourism Board: www.africantourismboard.com

MEDIA CONTACT: TravelMarketingNetwork, 954 Lexington Ave. #1037, New York, NY 10021 USA, PH: (+1) 718-374-6816, marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com   

Geoffrey Lipman joins Honors Circle African Tourism Board

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Professor Geoffrey Lipman accepted to join the Honors Circle and Advisory Board of the African Tourism Board (ATB)

The certificate was handed to Professor Lipman by Doris Woerfel, CEO of ATB after the UNWTO Ministerial event at World Travel Market in London last week.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman leads SUN. Former top exec in IATA, WTTC and UNWTO, Geoffrey is currently also president of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP)  and the Green Growth Travelism Institute (GGTI), as well as a Visiting Professor at Hasselt University, Belgium & Victoria University Australia.

Professor Lipman has been a champion for African Tourism for decades. He founded the STEP program at UNWTO when he was Deputy Secretary-General of the organization.

Lipman said: “Happy to join this excellent program for Africa and help bring Climate Friendly Travel across the continent. Watch out for SUNx Malta African Earth Lung Alliance in 2020 to help save the second-largest rainforest on the planet.”

The African Tourism Board’s philosophy is to have tourism as a catalyst for unity, peace, growth, prosperity, job creation for the people of Africa -with a vision where Africa becomes one tourist destination of choice in the world.

Geoffrey Lipman joins Honors Circle African Tourism Board
Prof. Geoffrey Lipman and Doris Woerfel, CEO of ATB

MEDIA CONTACT: TravelMarketingNetwork, 954 Lexington Ave. #1037, New York, NY 10021 USA, PH: (+1) 718-374-6816, marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com   

Minister Bartlett addresses global tourism leaders at 2019 World Travel and Tourism Council

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As a part of a panel of the 2019 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), held on Tuesday, June 11 in New York City, Minister of Tourism, Honorable Minister Edmund Bartlett spoke about the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR), and how private-public partnerships serve as catalysts for economic growth and the transformation of local communities in tangible ways.

Minister Bartlett, who participated in a panel discussion titled “From Doing CSR to Being CSR,” said, “CSR must seek to create the balance between the idea of ‘me,’ and the definition of ‘we,’.” The Minister added, “In Jamaica we are working closely with our private sector partners to ensure that the ‘we,’ – meaning the residents of Jamaica – will experience the benefits of social and economic resilience. From our point of view, CSR is about enhancing and improving the quality of our lives locally.”

Minister Bartlett has been an ardent supporter of engaging the private sector to advance the sustainable development of tourism in Jamaica and globally. Under his leadership, Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism has formed private-public partnerships and alliances that span a range of sectors, including transportation, agriculture, health and wellness, manufacturing, and small business. Some of these partnerships have taken the form of foreign direct investment, particularly in the area of accommodation.

In Jamaica and across the Caribbean, several international resorts are engaging in CSR practices in areas such as community outreach, housing renovations and donations to local schools. In Jamaica, Sandals Resorts is an example of how the private sector can take CSR one step further – beyond corporate philanthropy – by developing sustainable projects with direct linkages to local communities.

For example, Sandals Resorts has been working with local Jamaican farmers by donating seeds, and then offering a direct market for the reaped produce. In fact, 90 percent of all produce used in Jamaica is procured locally. Sandals Resorts is also investing in climate-related agricultural training at trade schools and in university programs across the country.

“The people of Jamaica are seeing the benefits of these CSR models, and so we are committed to expanding these social enterprise initiatives with our private sector partners to enhance Jamaica’s capacity to derive more from the growth of tourism in our country,” said Minister Bartlett.

The WTTC represents the travel and tourism private sector globally. Its members include more than 170 CEOs, Chairmen and Presidents of the world’s leading Travel & Tourism companies from all geographies, covering all industries.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

eTN becomes a SUNx SDG 17 Partner calling for Climate Sanity in Tourism on Earth Day

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In nature, nothing exists alone is the message for Earth Day 2019. Announcing the public launch of its “SDG17 Partners Program” on Earth Day 2019, Professor Geoffrey Lipman co-founder SUNx, calls and president of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) asks the Travel & Tourism sector to join its “Plan For Our Kids” and take the “Climate Sanity” Pledge.

Professor Lipman, former Executive Director at IATA, President of WTTC and Assistant Secretary-General UNWTO, said:

“I’m confident that Travel & Tourism will play a leadership role in the global shift to a New Climate Economy: we just need a pathway for change and that lies in our faith in the next generation”

SUNx a legacy for Planetary Champion Maurice Strong has created a “Plan For Our Kids”, aiming to recruit 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions to advance its vision of a no Carbon 2050 sector totally compliant with the evolving goals of the Paris Accords.

He added “During the past year we have seen a welcome intensification of the pressures for a new commitment to Climate Sanity, which stops discussing whether climate change is existential and just gets on with solutions. That’s the common message from Greta Thunberg’s Friday’s for Futures and AOC’s Green New Deal: it’s the message from Earth Scientists and Nobel Economists: it’s the plea from Sir David Attenborough.

”Lipman concluded “SDG 17 Partners will share our long-term vision on the fact that Climate Change is eXistential and that we have to act NOW, as if this Earth Day is the first day of the rest of our lives. We all have different starting positions, based on our separate realities: but we have a shared goal of meeting the Paris Agenda and together taking a “No Carbon 2050 moonshot”. We can deliver Climate Friendly Travel ~ measured plans: green growth: 2050 no carbon proof “

Juergen Steinmetz president of the eTN Corporation said “We are proud to become a SUNx SDG 17 Partner and provide preferential support for this great cause. As long as I have known Geoffrey Lipman, he has been drumming home the message that Climate Change is eXistential and that if we don’t fix it now, it will fix us. We are in, and will use all our links, like ICTP and the African Tourism Board to support Climate Friendly Travel. going forward”.

For more on SUNx and its SDG 17 Partnership Program please contact: go to www.thesunprogram.com

What is Earth Day?

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. Twenty years later, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in more than 190 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage.

On April 22, 1970, millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development.

In the U.S. and around the world, smog was becoming deadly and evidence was growing that pollution led to developmental delays in children. Biodiversity was in decline as a result of the heavy use of pesticides and other pollutants.

The global ecological awareness was growing, and the US Congress and President Nixon responded quickly. In July of the same year, they created the Environmental Protection Agency, and robust environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, among many.

One billion people

Earth Day is now a global event each year, and more than 1 billion people in 192 countries now take part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world.

It is a day of political action and civic participation. People march, sign petitions, meet with their elected officials, plant trees, clean up their towns and roads. Corporations and governments use it to make pledges and announce sustainability measures. Faith leaders, including Pope Francis, connect Earth Day with protecting God’s greatest creations, humans, biodiversity and the planet that we all live on.

Earth Day Network, the organization that leads Earth Day worldwide, has chosen as the theme for 2018 to End Plastic Pollution, including creating support for a global effort to eliminate primarily single-use plastics along with global regulation for the disposal of plastics.  EDN is educating millions of people about the health and other risks associated with the use and disposal of plastics, including pollution of our oceans, water, and wildlife, and about the growing body of evidence that plastic waste is creating serious global problems.

From poisoning and injuring marine life to the ubiquitous presence of plastics in our food to disrupting human hormones and causing major life-threatening diseases and early puberty, the exponential growth of plastics is threatening our planet’s survival.

Travel News | eTurboNews

How Emirates is supporting and preserving biodiversity

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Taking its environmental responsibilities seriously and championing wildlife conservation across different corners of the planet, the Emirates Group is playing its part to support and preserve biodiversity.

The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in Australia both illustrate the Group’s long-standing focus on protecting fragile ecosystems and support for sustainable tourism in very different parts of the world.  Both conservation reserves protect valuable ecosystems and at the same time provide unique and sustainable experiences for visitors from around the world.

The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

The Emirates Group funds the operations of the 225 square kilometre Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), an inland desert habitat that has been protected by government mandate since 2003. This is the largest piece of land that Dubai has dedicated to a single project and aims to preserve Dubai’s unique desert environment for future generations. The DDCR plays an important role in ecological research, actively collaborating with both local and international universities. The findings and results of the research studies help to enhance knowledge of the desert ecosystem, gather scientific data around rare and endangered desert species, monitor its balance and preserve its natural environment.

The reserve is also a focal point for conservation programmes aimed at restoring populations of some of the UAE’s wildlife, such as the Arabian gazelle, sand gazelle and Arabian oryx. Since their reintroduction into the DDCR, the antelope species have thrived, and their populations have significantly increased, triggering the process of looking into relocating some oryx and gazelle species to other protected areas within the region. Over 250 endangered Macqueen’s bustard (houbara) were also released this year with 25 of them fitted with tracking devices to monitor their movement and breeding progress.

In 2018, the DDCR was visited by more than 285,000 tourists, through Arabian Adventures, various Emirates partner tour operators, and the Al Maha Desert Resort. The DDCR offers low-impact desert experiences in addition to desert clean-up activities in coordination with Arabian Adventures. During 2018 the DDCR was accepted as a candidate for the IUCN Green List for Protected and Conserved Areas, a global standard for the world’s most effectively managed Protected Areas.

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley

Emirates has been supporting the protection of Australia’s extraordinary wildlife and plant life for over 10 years, through the conservation-based Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in New South Wales. The property was the first luxury resort in the world to receive an internationally-recognised carbon neutral certification from New Zealand based CarboNZero, undergoing a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions assessment. Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley also conducts regular research to identify opportunities and challenges for endangered species conservation. Efforts have also been underway to help restore vital vegetation and tree planting activities, which have helped to re-establish habitats for vital bird populations, essential for their long term survival.

Emirates and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley jointly funded the development of the WomSAT app and website in collaboration the University of Western Sydney to help researchers identify opportunities for wombat conservation. Wombats are threatened by sarcoptic mange, an unpleasant and often fatal skin disease that afflicts Australia’s largest burrow builder. The tool is used to record wombat sightings and track population health to help treat wombats afflicted by sarcoptic mange. Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley is also spearheading a number of other conservation projects, such as the Wolgan River Restoration Project, an ongoing weed management programme, and supporting research projects with Western Sydney University.

United for Wildlife and The Buenos Aires Declaration

Since 2015, Emirates has continued its strong support for actions to stem the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products, which is having devastating consequences for endangered animals and the environment in many parts of the world. In 2018, the Emirates Group also signed the Buenos Aires Declaration on Travel and Tourism and Illegal Wildlife Trade, an effort led by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) to reach a billion travellers with messages to fight the illegal wildlife trade and work with communities to develop sustainable tourism that provides livelihoods and protects wildlife. The WTTC and World Wildlife Fund are developing guidelines to eliminate illegal wildlife trafficking from the travel and tourism supply chains.

The Emirates Group has also adopted a zero-tolerance policy to wildlife trafficking and has set up training for its employees to identify and look out for warning signs of smuggled wildlife products during cargo transportation and screening. Emirates will not carry banned species, hunting trophies or any products associated with illegal wildlife activities.

Using its brand power to raise awareness around the illegal trafficking of endangered wildlife, Emirates emblazoned four of its A380s with special wildlife decals. Since then the aircraft have flown millions of kilometres across 48 cities in 29 countries on close to 6,000 flights taking this important message around the world and spurring conversation around wildlife preservation.

dnata Wildlife Conservation and Nature

dnata recently signed an MOU with the University of Pretoria in South Africa to support their research and rehabilitation projects. Under dnata4good, the partnership aims to safeguard wildlife and the environment by strengthening and enhancing research, veterinary training and awareness, increasing involvement through volunteer opportunities and ensuring needed measures are taken to care for injured animals and rehabilitate them to go back into the wild. The initiative will be partially driven by employee participation to protect fragile biodiversity in South Africa and to maintain balanced ecosystems.

Give a Ghaf

Emirates Group employees living in Meydan Heights (UAE) will be taking part in a Ghaf Tree planting event on 27 April in partnership with Goumbook. The event aims to raise awareness about the importance of conserving the living desert, with a specific focus on the Ghaf tree. The Ghaf is a drought tolerant, evergreen tree which can withstand harsh desert environments, and can be used for greening purposes whilst saving water.

Travel News | eTurboNews

The next big thing in global tourism

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Enchanting tourist attractions, unique diplomatic stature and a thriving airliner have placed Ethiopia, Land of Origins, on top of the world when it comes to tourism growth.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual review, the country saw the highest tourism growth in the world (48.6%), surpassing the global average growth rate of 3.9% and the African average of 5.6%. During the period, the sector supported 2.2 million jobs and contributed US$7.4 billion to Ethiopia’s economy, an increase of US$2.2bn on 2017.

The timeless charm of Ethiopia’s natural, cultural and historical tourist attractions has been driving an influx of tourists from far and wide. As the land where mankind, coffee and the Blue Nile trace their roots, Ethiopia has always been a fascinating destination for holidaymakers.

The country’s UNESCO-registered heritages including the majestic obelisks of Axum, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and the fortified historic town of Harar, among others, have always remained tourist magnets, drawing visitors in droves. And add to this the magnificent scenery and the unique wildlife riches, some of which are found in the country only.

As the Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing & Exhibitions (MICE) tourism blossoms around the world, Ethiopia is also uniquely positioned to reap the benefits, owing to its unique place in Africa’s diplomatic landscape. Ethiopia today the city stands among the top capitals in the world, hosting major regional and global conferences.

As the main hub of the Pan-African carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia also enjoys convenient air connectivity with multiple destinations in Africa and the rest of the world, making travel to the country easier than ever before. The connectivity options the airline offers to travelers has made Ethiopia ever more accessible to the whole world, and has facilitated the influx of tourists.

The airline’s catalyst role has never been more impactful, especially in promoting tourism, as alluded to by Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council concerning the exceptional growth of Ethiopia’s tourism. “Ethiopia’s Travel & Tourism boom was one of the great success stories of 2018. It has exceeded our sector’s global and regional comparisons to record the highest level of growth of any country in 2018”, Gloria Guevara notes. “This has been driven by the very strong performance of aviation in the country and the development of Addis Ababa as a dynamic and growing regional hub.” Africa’s largest carrier today spreads its wings to 120 destinations throughout the world, with half the destinations in Africa. Thanks to Addis Ababa’s strategic location at the center of the East-West lane and the ever-expanding service of Ethiopian Airlines, the city has emerged as the major gateway into Africa surpassing Dubai.

Besides its wide connectivity and multi-award winning signature services, the flag carrier’s cutting –edge technologies are adding a definite wow factor that is enabling the influx of tourists savor the beauty of the nation and designate the east Africa’s nation as a home away from home! Ethiopian Mobile App enables international travelers secure eVisa within 4 hours and elevates travelers to a high degree of personalization and end to end travel experience through mobile devices.

Global passengers can apply e-Visa and book their flights, pay online using credit or debit cards, mobile money, e- Wallet and bank transfer. They can also check-in and issue boarding pass as well as self-board. Passport and Ethiopian App suffice all the way to experience seamless travel to and from Ethiopia. The excellence of Ethiopian is also manifest in its hospitality and award winning service. The carrier has been certified by SKYTRAX as Four Star Global Airline.

As Ethiopia keeps leveraging its edge as a destination of choice for holidaymakers, and as Addis Ababa continues to augment its place as the diplomatic capital of Africa and the flourishing hub of Ethiopian Airlines, the sky will be the limit to its tourism growth in the years to come.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Egypt Tourism Minister: Tourism is key to rapprochement and peace

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Egyptian Tourism Minister Rania al-Mashat and winner of IIPT Award said that Tourism and travel are the key to peaceful borders, cultural exchanges, bridge-building, communication, rapprochement and peace, especially in light of recent political and economic changes in the world.

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) conducted a study revealing that the growth rate of the tourism sector in Egypt reached 16.5% in 2018.

In statements on the sidelines of her visit to Jordan for the World Economic Forum in the Middle East and North Africa, which was held from April 6 to 7, Mashat explained that this rate is higher than the average global growth of 3.9%, noting the remarkable development and improvement witnessed by the tourism industry.

The minister pointed out that her goal since taking on her role in tourism has been to change the stereotypical image of Egyptian tourism, a goal that has already begun to be achieved. The impact of these developments has been shown through the expressed appreciation of many international institutions and international reports for the developments and growth witnessed within the sector.

She pointed out that Egypt recently won the Global Champion Award in addition to positive reports published by several international agencies and media on tourism in Egypt.

She pointed out that Egyptian tourism now has a common vision and plan, which is being worked out by all parties related to the sector from government, Parliament, private sector groups, investors, etc., pointing out that the structural reform program launched by the Tourism Ministry for the development of the sector is the result of the consolidation of these visions and ideas.

The minister pointed the importance of cooperation and openness between peoples, adding that this comes within the framework of the new recreational plan for Egypt through the concept of People to People (p2p), which is based on the openness of the Egyptian people to other peoples.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda: Top 10 improved world travel destinations

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Three Eastern African nations have emerged among the top ten fastest-growing destinations for tourism in the world.

The 2019 annual report compiled by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) shows that Ethiopia is the fastest-growing travel destination in the world with Rwanda in sixth place and Uganda holding a twelfth position on the list.

Ethiopia’s tourism sector grew by a staggering 48.6 percent in 2018, making up 9.4 percent of the economy and creating 2.2 million jobs. Over 8 percent of Ethiopia’s total workforce now works in tourism.

Rwanda also saw growth rates of 13.8 percent and Uganda 11.3 percent, with all 3 showing the pull of East Africa both in terms of its wildlife, history, and beaches, the Nation Media Group reported from Nairobi.

Kenya also saw a big growth in 2018  at 5.6 percent  which had created 1.46 million jobs and made up 8.8 percent of the total annual economy.

Kenya stands as the leading tourist hub in Eastern Africa, taking an advantage of its rich wildlife, historical sites, and beaches on the Indian Ocean coast and improved tourist services, mostly hotels and air transport facilities.

In its annual analysis quantifying the global economic and employment impact of travel and tourism in 185 countries and 25 regions, the World Travel and Tourism Council’s research reveals that the sector accounted for 10.4 percent of global GDP and 319 million jobs, or 10 percent of total employment in 2018.

It adds that travel and tourism’s growth in 2019 is expected “to remain resilient” despite a slowing global economy.

“Our forecasts point to a 3.6 percent expansion for travel and tourism, faster than an expected global economy growth of 2.9 percent in 2019,” the report says.

It adds that one in 5 of all new jobs were created by travel and tourism over the past 5 years showing the growing importance of the sector to the global economy.

Travel and tourism GDP grew by 5.6 percent in 2018, significantly above the African economic growth rate of 3.2 percent.

This places Africa as the second fastest-growing region in 2018, behind only Asia-Pacific.

Such growth is partly explained by North Africa’s rebound from security crises as well as the development and implementation of policies that stimulate travel promotion.

Travel News | eTurboNews