World Travel & Tourism Council
The Authority on World Travel & Tourism
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Taleb Rifai
UNWTO Secretary-General
Visa facilitation can create five million additional jobs in G20 economies
Visa facilitation is central to stimulating economic growth and job creation through tourism. The G20 can have a particularly important role to play in this respect. G20 economies could boost their international tourist numbers by an additional 122 million, generate an extra US$ 206 billion in tourism exports and create over five million additional jobs by 2015 by improving visa processes, according to preliminary research by UNWTO and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) presented on the occasion of the T20 Ministers’ Meeting (Merida, Mexico, 16 May 2012).
Preliminary findings show that of the 656 million international tourists who visited G20 countries in 2011, 110 million needed a visa, while millions more were deterred from traveling by the cost, waiting time and difficulty of obtaining a visa. Facilitating visas for these tourists, many from some of the world’s fastest growing source markets, could create over five million additional jobs in the G20 economies by 2015 and generate an additional US$ 206 billion in international tourism receipts.
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Updates
We campaign for
Freedom to Travel
The right of people to travel safely, securely and efficiently across international borders.
We call on governments to adopt smarter visa and border security policies to promote Travel & Tourism as a driver of jobs and economic growth. It is time for a fundamental change in the minds of governments - balancing security needs with freedom to travel by moving away from the current approach to a faster implementation of visa waiver and trusted traveller programmes.
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Policies for Growth
Regulatory interventions which support the growth of Travel & Tourism through the creation of a competitive business environment.
Despite challenges to economic growth, the Travel & Tourism industry is still expected to be one of the world's fastest growing sectors. But it must have clear support from governments, if its full potential to create jobs, increase exports and stimulate investment is to be realised.
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Tourism for Tomorrow
Sustainable development of Travel & Tourism which ensures benefits for consumers, businesses, local people and the environment.
For there to be the opportunity for future generations to benefit from the experience of travel, we have to plan for the future: developing human resources, optimising relationships with host communities, protecting the environment, preserving tourism assets.
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