World Travel and Tourism Council president and chief executive David Scowsill issues a call for the industry to attain the highest standards as he signs off the WTTC’s 2014 Summit
Our 2014 Global Summit in Sanya, on the island of Hainan, is at an end, but our work is far from done.
Over the last two days we have heard how the world is going to get much richer and more populated as this century goes on.
Unhappily the world will also face the danger of more conflicts and the enormous impacts of climate change.
All this means there will be huge opportunities for growth, jobs and prosperity but also huge challenges affecting all humanity in the 21st Century.
These are big themes for the leaders of any industry, government or institution to address.
Travel and tourism is already one of the largest industries on the planet. Last year a billion people crossed international boundaries. That will almost double to 1.8 billion by 2030.
By then, there are likely to be a billion middle-class consumers in China alone, all wanting to travel.
At the current rate of progress, there is no conceivable way that existing plans for infrastructure will be ready to absorb these numbers.
I believe we are reaching a tipping point in history – for the planet, for society and of course our industry.
There is a vacuum in global leadership. National governments and global institutions are increasingly struggling to tackle many of the issues.
We in the travel and tourism industry can’t hope someone else will solve the world’s problems – for these problems are our problems.
As we head home from this Summit, there are four messages we take with us:
First, as an industry, we must demonstrate that we can be trusted with leadership and accountability.
We need to operate to the highest standards to prove that we are a force for good and not a force for destruction as many critics fear we may become.
That means communicating the evidence of the value we bring, as well as ensuring we genuinely embrace our belief in ‘A Tourism for Tomorrow.’
Second, WTTC members must continue their great work in elevating our cause among governments at a national level wherever and whenever the opportunity arises.
Governments do not always recognise our contribution at the table. But we have earned the right to lead and be heard.
Third, WTTC needs to work in true partnership with our collations; with governments when they listen; and with our local communities and stakeholders.
We must also engage with our staff, our customers and our consumers. We have a unique contribution to make as the private sector of this global phenomenon, and a huge role to play in delivering the enormous infrastructure that the massive growth in travel will require.
Finally, we have a number of responsibilities: a responsibility towards the billion travellers each year on our planet; a responsibility towards the plight of those affected by disasters, whether natural or man-made; responsibility for the careful preservation of our planet’s resources; responsibility for providing millions of quality jobs; and the responsibility of satisfying the markets and investors who quite properly seek returns for the huge investment that will be needed.
If we can take care of all these responsibilities then travel and tourism will become the greatest industry on earth and a true Force for Good.