The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) is scheduled to hold its 8th Global Travel and Tourism Summit in Dubai from April 20 to 22. The theme of the event is World Citizens ? A global partnership for travel and tourism.
Against a background of continued growth for travel and tourism in a rapidly evolving world, the upcoming summit is designed to facilitate an open exchange of ideas between industry and the government on the future responsibilities of the sector.
According to the latest research from the WTTC, global tourism is expected to rise at a rate of 3% in 2008, in terms of total travel and tourism demand, with growth averaging 4.4% annually over the next 10 years. The travel and tourism economy is likely to generate over 238 million jobs worldwide and contribute to 9.9% of global GDP in 2008, rising to more than 296 million and 10.5% respectively by 2018.
Despite the growing importance of the travel and tourism inndustry in emerging markets as well as in developing economies, industry players recognise that they have an increasingly significant role to play in addressing and finding solutions to many challenges ? especially those that could have a negative impact on emerging economies ? without jeopardising people’s right to travel.
The Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Dubai will provide a forum at which industry and governments will demonstrate travel and tourism sector’s contribution to peace and international understanding, as well as its economic and other social benefits.
It will also provide governments and industry leaders the opportunity of influencing the business of travel and tourism, including planning, investment, development, education and training, in order to demonstrate how challenges have already been met in transforming good intentions into well-implemented projects.