Below is a summary of the key action points agreed during the World Tourism Organizations' (UNWTO) General Assembly in Kazakhstan last week, which was attended by WYSE Travel Confederation.
Roadmap for recovery - call to world leaders
There was unanimous endorsement and approval to call on world leaders to place tourism and travel at the core of stimulus packages and long-term economy. The Roadmap for Recovery sets out a basis for action for governments and the industry to deal with the short and long term economic, climate and poverty challenges in a coherent way. It is a manifesto that identifies the sector’s importance in global economic resilience; stimulus and transformation to a green economy.
Special attention was also paid to supporting developing states in terms of capacity building, technology transfer and financing.
Minimising Travel Taxes & Restrictions
Strong concern was expressed about the dangers of increasing taxes which focus on the sector at a time of economic uncertainty and the Assembly called on governments to reconsider proposed increases.
Thsi included a moratorium on burdensome travel taxes which target tourism, citing in particular the UK Airport Passenger Duty. These taxes place a serious burden on poor countries, undermine universal efforts to promote fair tourism trade and distort markets.
The Assembly passed a Declaration encouraging governments to review burdensome border control regulations and visa policies and to simplify them wherever possible to boost travel and increase its economic impacts.
It also adopted a strong declaration on Facilitation of Tourism designed to encourage governments to remove unnecessary regulatory and bureaucratic restrictions on travel which hamper its flow and reduce its economic impacts. The Assembly also made significant steps to better prepare UNWTO for future challenges, by electing a new Secretary-General Taleb Rifai with a new Management Team.
The Assembly was presided by H.E. Mr.Termirkhan Dosmukhambetov, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan.
Climate Change & Emergency Response
The Assembly expressed its support for a successful outcome of the Copenhagen Climate Conference and endorsed the UN-led Seal the Deal Campaign which seeks to galvanize widespread support for a fair and balanced Copenhagen accord.
The Assembly reviewed and endorsed action taken by UNWTO in the framework of the UN system, to increase tourism’s preparedness to respond to the H1N1 pandemic.
The Assembly adopted the Astana Declaration underscoring the relevance of the Silk Road Initiative, which highlights the exceptional value and diversity of the tourism potential of the countries traversed by the ancient Silk Roads.