10 NEWS Key Issues at Stake in 2016 WTTC adds political weight to the voice of the private sector The role of the World Travel and Tourism Council continues to grow in importance as the industry faces numerous challenges on a global scale. We asked CEO & President David Scowsill what he sees as being the key stakes as we head into ITBBerlin. The Travel & Tourism sector is currently being challenged by a variety of external influences, of which currently the most dominant are the threat of terrorism and the Zika virus. We remain incredibly resilient in these adverse situations, as business and leisure customers continue to travel. Despite these challenges, our latest Autumn Update shows that Travel & Tourism’s total contribution to the world economy last year was US.8 trillion and with the sector supporting 284 million jobs across the globe. What should the industry be doing to manage these issues? With the Zika virus, it is important for the sector to continue to monitor the medical developments. The World Health Organisation does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions, which reflects the advice that we are giving to travel and tourism companies. It is critical for governments, tourism bodies and companies to communicate clearly on the situation at all times, particularly with the potential concerns for pregnant women. Terrorism is a global threat, which strikes particular cities and countries with increasing regularity. The biggest threat to the industry is not the terrorist threat per se, but the possible over reaction from governments in closing their borders. Many attacks are perpetrated by “home grown” terrorists, so the solution is not as simple as removing visa waiver programmes and other mechanisms. The answer to terrorism lies in strengthening security and ensuring safety in each country, encouraging intelligence sharing and increasing the electronic processing of visas away from the current manual mechanisms in many countries. On the positive side, a number of countries have been easing visa requirements. What are your thoughts here? WTTC encourages governments to make it easier and simpler for people to travel. According to UNWTO’s latest Visa Openness Report, 61% of the 1.2 billion international travellers in 2105 needed traditional visas, involving manual form filling and queueing at consulates. Not only are Trusted Traveller, Visas Waiver and Electronic Visas more customer friendly, they are much more secure. We need governments to move faster towards electronic visa processing, in the same way that airlines switched from paper to electronic tickets. Please tell us more about WTTC’s sustainability initiatives. WTTC’s Tourism for Tomorrow strategy looks at balancing the growth of the Travel & Tourism sector with the preservation of local communities, environment and cultural heritage. As part of the strategy we organise the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, a prestigious programme that celebrates business leadership in the future of sustainable tourism. The 2016 Awards WE NEED GOVERNMENTS TO MOVE FASTER TOWARDS ELECTRONIC VISA PROCESSING, IN THE SAME WAY THAT AIRLINES SWITCHED FROM PAPER TO ELECTRONIC TICKETS. programme has finalists of the highest-calibre. Running up to the COP21 WTTC released a study that looked at the efforts of WTTC Member companies in reducing the global carbon footprint. The report concludes that the world’s biggest Travel & Tourism companies, as represented by the Members of WTTC, are: • 20% more carbon efficient today than they were in 2005 • On course to cut CO2 emissions by 50% from 2005 to 2035 • On course to reach the target of 25% reduction by 2020. We also have recently published guidance for companies looking to report on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. A map on our website shows where countries or stock exchanges have implemented legislation or regulations in this area. How is the role of the WTTC evolving over time? WTTC talks directly with politicians and decisionmakers speaking with the voice of the private sector. Together with the UNWTO, there have been meetings with 77 heads of state in the past 4 years. In these meetings, we are very direct in educating these leaders about the importance of the industry and what specifically their governments can do to secure jobs and growth. Through constant close interaction with our Member companies, through appointed advisors, David Scowsill CEO & President, World Travel and Tourism Council task forces and meetings with the Members we are able to reflect the most pressing issues in the sector and address those when speaking to government officials. One key message from the Council is that tourism companies and bodies must be included in policy discussions at government level, whether on long term infrastructure development, investment in people or response to disasters. Whilst the sector is facing such key challenges as the threat of terrorist attacks, it is key that government officials consult the players from within the different industries in our sector, to plan for any disruption and to mitigate the risks. It means constantly strengthening security, whilst still automating visas and facilitating travel for business and leisure purposes. ITB BERLIN NEWS • Tuesday 1 st March 2016 www.itb-berlin-news.com
