Share

Tourism an economic generator rather than threat - CEO

Cape Town - Freedom to travel should mean the ability to travel freely and to enjoy the holiday of your choice, whenever you like and with whoever you choose, according to David Scowsill, president and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

He was one of the opening speakers at the annual global convention of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) taking place in Cape Town this week.

"All of us here at IGLTA should be proud and humbled to say that we play our own distinctive part in one of the world’s great sectors - a driver of economic growth and job creation. A driver of social inclusion and personal mobility," said Scowsill.

He emphasised that travel and tourism should be seen as an economic generator rather than a security threat. The industry is one of the world's biggest employers and creators of economic growth. Globally the industry generated nearly 10% of gross domestic product (GDP), $800bn of investment and supported 284 million jobs (1 in 11 jobs on the planet).

More than one billion people cross international borders each year. The travel and tourism sector is growing by over 4% a year, which means by 2035 the number of international travelers would have doubled to 2 billion, while billions more travel domestically.

He sees a need for the travel and tourism industry and organisations like the WTTC to work with governments to ensure that their policies create business environments which are conducive to the growth of the sector.

This means creating tax regimes which allows the private sector to be competitive, planning and building infrastructure and training and recruiting the right people with the right skills to meet the growth of the sector.  

"We understand that governments are grappling with the question of how we keep our borders safe and open to business travellers and tourists," he added.

"But it is critical that they do not over-react. We have made huge strides in the last few years, right across the world, to encourage countries to adopt electronic visas and visa waiver programmes."

He said the travel and tourism industry is a force for good and helps to promote self-respect, self-confidence and self-sufficiency.

"So, all of us here at IGLTA should be proud and humbled to say that we play our own distinctive part in one of the world’s great sectors - a driver of economic growth and job creation. A driver of social inclusion and personal mobility," said Scowsill.

He called for improved visa processes in order to allow tourists to cross international borders as efficiently as possible, while still respecting the rights of sovereign states to manage security and immigration concerns.

In fact, he would like to see SA use what he calls its leadership position in Africa to help create a common visa on the continent, liberalise aviation and talk about the "gay agenda".

"Show the economic benefits of this LGBT segment to the market place," he suggested. "It is important for well-known people like icons of business and sport to step up and openly talk about being gay in order to impact perceptions and attitudes," he continued.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.89
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.87
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent-ruolie
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders