"The important steps taken by the Government of Japan with a rescue package for its troubled banking sector and the co-ordinated response by the G7 to help avert a world recession is welcome news for all economies. This adds to the positive steps taken by countries such as Thailand and Brazil who are showing that recovery strategies can be put in place without recourse to damaging re-regulation and capital controls. WTTC / WEFA forecasts still show that in the longer term Travel & Tourism can double over the next 15 years and create some 100 million new jobs by 2010. This industry is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, 52 weeks a year economic driver."

During his opening speech Lipman highlighted three sets of major challenges which will need to be overcome if Travel & Tourism is to flourish and reach its forecast levels of growth:

1. Ensuring Travel & Tourism is a strategic priority for job creation

2. Continuing the world-wide push for free markets and global free trade

3. Embracing the Agenda 21 imperative while improving the infrastructure

1. Ensuring Travel & Tourism is a strategic priority for job creation

Travel & Tourism has to be elevated to strategic level within government and key areas of potential have to be targeted with bold policy changes. For example tourism in rural and regional areas can offer great scope for both developed regions such as Europe and emerging regions such as Africa by:

• creating lasting jobs rapidly across the economy with a strong flow through effect into agriculture, construction and other local activities;
• stemming the migration of people from rural areas to the cities;
• offering good opportunities for young people and women and help alleviate rural poverty;
• providing a springboard for the unemployed to enter the labour market with training and career development opportunities;
• encouraging small and medium sized enterprises rooted within the local community;
• stimulating local food production, crafts, community pride, heritage and nature conservation;
• helping sustain local services and facilities and enhance the quality of life.

This jobs focus has started, with initiatives at the EU level, South Africa and elsewhere as governments turn their attention to obvious growth areas. However there is no need for a 20 page shopping list of options - just for a single clear message to reach the senior political level: each policy measure that takes account of this broad industry will create jobs and each policy that ignores it will miss a job creation opportunity.

2. Continuing the world-wide push for free markets and global free trade Travel & Tourism is an industry which is particularly global in scope. It thrives on liberalised and privatised industry operating within the context of international markets. As the trend of globalisation continues with more industry consolidation and integration, it is vital that markets remain open and competitive, that international agreements on trade are upheld, and that barriers to Travel & Tourism are eliminated. A focus needs to be put on transport policy, particularly aviation policy, as a catalyst industry to stimulate recovery.

3. Embracing the Agenda 21 imperative while improving the infrastructure

The challenge is to manage growth and consumption in line with Agenda 21 and provide adequate infrastructure to ensure the industry's success. Inadequate infrastructure is a major break on Travel & Tourism growth and leads to bottlenecks and congestion which in turn adversely impacts the environmental and employment imperatives. WTTC calls for recognition of the links between sustainable Travel & Tourism, infrastructure and jobs and has spearheaded at World Travel Market a new Alliance for Sustainable Tourism to encourage industry and the public sector to get behind the principles of the Agenda 21 and commit to:

The Alliance for Sustainable Tourism will also be a central tool for the upcoming UN Commission on Sustainable Development in 1999 which focuses on tourism and where industry views are being jointly co-ordinated by the WTTC and the IH&RA. Another WTTC environmental initiative being launched at World Travel Market is DODO - an environmental education programme for young people linked to GREEN GLOBE.

In concluding his speech Lipman made a personal call for action. The world this week has watched events unfold in Central America and the Caribbean with horror and sympathy. When the cameras and journalists have departed these countries will still have massive economic problems and a legacy of debt. Lipman called on the Travel & Tourism industry to jointly establish a relief effort which would help countries that have suffered natural disasters to use Travel & Tourism as one opportunity to redevelop their economies. Lipman said "We should not pretend that such an effort can be a substitute for the relief efforts of the Red Cross and other organisations. However many countries faced with natural disasters also depend heavily on Travel & Tourism for their economic existence and many of the travel businesses gathered here today also depend on these countries for their business existence. As such I think that such an effort is entirely appropriate and could be built overtime into a powerful force for social and economic advancement."