The World Travel & Tourism Council

Question 1: What is the WTTC's blueprint for new tourism? What are the three strategic priorities included in the blueprint?

 The World Travel &Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed its Blueprint for New Tourism. In this new blueprint, WTTC issues a call for action by the government in collaboration with the industry to plan several long-term commitments embedded to ensuring the prosperity of global GDP (WTTC, 2015). In the new blueprint is a new vision for Travel & Tourism along with strategies to guide through the recovery from unprecedented setbacks as experienced in the past few years. These are in the form of terrorism and wars that have resulted to economic slowdowns.

Thus, included in the blueprint are three strategic priorities that include the following. The first of the priorities addressed is freedom to travel. WTTC believes and campaigns for the rights of ease for the people to cross international borders; be it for leisure or business as long as it does not compromise national security (APEC, 2014). In the past decades, individuals have experienced difficulties travelling to various countries, despite the introduction of visa waiver programme worldwide. WTTC’s new blueprint focuses on visa facilitation and convincing various governments through educating them about the huge economic benefits of viable visa policies that encourage inbound visitors (Sharpley & Telfer, 2015).

The second strategic priority involves policies for growth. WTTC’s has launched campaigns that convince governments to implement rules and policies that ensure a maintained business environment, conducive to the escalation of Travel & Tourism. At this point, WTTC calls the government to invest in developing appropriate infrastructure and creating an effaceable tax regime. Such an environment would allow WTTC to raise awareness of Travel & Tourism as one among the world's largest industries, which offers jobs to millions, generates a hefty figure of world GDP (WTTC, 2015). Despite facing challenges to its economic growth, the Travel & Tourism industry still expects to maintain its fame as one of the world's fastest growing industries. However, this may not be possible without clear support from governments. It thus recommends that Governments ensure they create policies that allow companies to provide services to customers with no burdensome bureaucracy (Sharpley & Telfer, 2015).

Finally, WTTC strategic priority is focused on Tourism for Tomorrow. WTTC serves within a mission which is the maximization of sustainable growth of Travel & Tourism and which considerably benefits consumers, businesses, the community and the environment. Apparently, this sustainable growth is also focused on maximizing the opportunities and chances for future generations to benefit from today’s experience of travel (Yeoman, 2008). For that to be achieved, WTTC encourages the developing of human resources, optimization of relationships with host communities, the unfailing protection of the environment and tamed preservation of tourism assets.

Question 2: The WTTC produces an annual review of travel & tourism every year for its readers. Find the most recent edition and offer a one to two page synopsis of the WTTC predictions for global travel and tourism. Please highlight the key world regions that are expecting major changes.

According to WTTC website, there exist four “Drivers of Transformation” considered as global macro-trends upon which the Travel and Tourism’s future will

WTTC releases monthly updates for stakeholders of the tourism industry. Among the current issues of progress and priorities of WTTC can be found in ‘Synopsis of the WTTC report of 2010-2011. It is here that one learns that WTTC business contributes US $6 trillion to the World economy, which translates to 9% of the global GDP (Yeoman, 2008). Besides, WTTC is accountable for supporting above 260 million jobs worldwide, which translates to almost 1 in 12 jobs on the planet. Among the aims of WTTC include uniting the voice of WTTC members, intergovernmental agencies, as well as trade bodies to a global level. In total, WTTC sectors have aided the far-reaching global level benefits. Business travel, for instance, has been found to improve the global corporate productivity with a return on investment (ROI) of almost 10:1 (WTTC, 2015). Asia has yielded the highest ROI of business travel than any other continents of the world (Mak, 2004).

However, there is a probability that this may change as Asia currently faces a significant downturn in business travel. Another key region predicted to face changes in business travel, and tourism is Japan (Mak, 2004). That is due to some catastrophic events that have befallen this country in forms of tsunamis and earthquakes. According to a report by the WTTC’s Global Summit, overall, the earthquake and tsunami might lead to a reduction of between 9 to 1.9 trillion of Japan’s GDP contributed by Travel & Tourisms.

Nevertheless, in the next two decades, it’s expected that the travel and tourism will make greater profitability in countries where governments continue to support this industry from now and in the future (APEC, 2014). More so, a larger number of jobs as awaits students who study who take courses related to this industry. Therefore, there are hopeful prospects for students and scholars who will get professional training and venture their skills into this promising industry.

References

Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC).(2014). WTTC Report.

Mak J.(2004). Tourism and Economy, Understanding the Economics of Tourism. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press

Sharpley, R., & Telfer, D. (2015). Tourism and development: Concepts and issues. Bristol: Channel View Pulications

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).(2015). Welcome to World Travel & Tourism Council. 

Yeoman F.(2008). Tomorrow’s Tourist: Scenarios and trends.NY: Elsevier Ltd

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