WTTC: You have reached your destination

The short but detailed report begins by cementing just how important travel and tourism is to the global economy, accounting for a tenth of all jobs and 10.4% of GDP, with international tourism having grown 5,500% since 1950. 

At the time of writing in late 2019 growth was forecast to continue, thereby providing an opportunity to increase the wealth of many in poorer parts of the world through new employment opportunities.  The report identifies the need for public and private sectors to adopt best practices, with WTTC aiming to spearhead a more widespread adoption of sharing such insights. 

The initial phase focused on travel facilitation and security, the prioritisation of the sector, planning for a sustainable and inclusive future and investing in quality infrastructure through a series of interviews and desk research.  The remainder of the report showcases examples within each of these broad strands. 

Within travel facilitation and security one example refenced is a scheme that allows those flying from Aruba to Amsterdam with KLM to only show their passport once as they journey through the airport to board their flight using facial recognition technology. 

Under the ‘prioritisation of the sector’ heading the report discusses the UK government GREAT campaign aimed at enticing visitors to explore more of the country, while for ‘planning for sustainable and inclusive growth’ Slovenia’s focus on making the destination more attractive to residents will in turn lead to a better experience for visitors.  

Finally, when looking at investing in quality infrastructure the example of high speed rail in Japan is cited, not just as a means of transporting locals and visitors efficiently around the nation, but also the investment that has been made in providing information available on trains and at stations in multiple languages.