14/05/2003

Over 450 business and political leaders from the world of Travel & Tourism attended the Third Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal, from May 15 to 17, 2003. Two previous summits, held in the same location, resulted in the Vilamoura Declarations of 1997 and 2000.

Delegates at the 2003 Summit recognize that:

We live in an increasingly uncertain world which requires flexibility, understanding and tolerance in the way in which we plan the future of our industry; and that

Travel & Tourism is one of the world's foremost economic activities, generating more jobs and benefiting more people than most other industries throughout all levels of local, national and regional economies; and that

Travel & Tourism creates jobs and opportunities in rural as well as urban areas in regions with few alternative viable industries - jobs for the young and for both sexes and for the low-skilled; and opportunities for entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized enterprises; and that

Developed sustainably, Travel & Tourism can contribute towards environmental, cultural and social improvement; and that

Travel & Tourism is an international language, helping people to communicate irrespective of their social, cultural, religious and political backgrounds; and therefore

Delegates urge business and political leaders to:

Work together to devise and implement policies that unleash Travel & Tourism's potential to be an economic and social force for good; and to

Involve all stakeholders to make Travel & Tourism work for everyone, bringing prosperity to people in local host communities, enriching the experiences of those that visit them, and strengthening the economies of destinations and outbound markets; and to

Ensure that all Travel & Tourism contributes to environmental, social and cultural preservation and enrichment; and
Delegates encourage and support:

The enshrinement of these principles within the Blueprint for New Tourism, to be coordinated by the World Travel & Tourism Council following this Summit.

Signed on behalf of Delegates at the Third Global Travel & Tourism Summit by:

His Excellency Carlos Tavares
Minister of Economy, Portugal

Sir Ian Prosser
Chairman of InterContinental Hotels PLC
Chairman of WTTC

James D Robinson III
General Partner in RRE Ventures
Chairman Emeritus of WTTC

André Jordan
Chairman, Lusotur SA
Host of the Summit