PATA: “Join the travel and tourism uprising”
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
Travel and tourism industries across the world should work together and cause an “uprising” in government agenda, the CEO of PATA has said.
Martin Craigs, CEO of PATA has urged the industry to collaborate on a rallying call to government and policy makers which will be made at PATA’s Annual Summit next month (26 April).
UNWTO, WTTC, Banyan Tree and Starwood Asia Pacific are amongst the names already backing the initiative, which aims to boost the profile of travel and tourism within the political arena.
The global call extends from recent approaches in the UK in an attempt to reduce Air Passenger Duty and see the full value of the industries to the UK economy.
“If you want the travel and tourism industry to be respected more, given more budget from Government sources, and taxed less, we need to make the case forcefully,” said Craigs. “You are invited to join the PATA Annual Summit to add your voice to the uprising that’s underway in the travel industry across the world.”
Abid Butt, CEO of Banyan Tree outlined further the impact of tourism on local communities and jobs.
“The ability to attract foreign visitors and their contribution to the local communities makes it a great enabler for all countries. It creates and supports employment at all skill levels, helps preserve local heritage and builds a strong sense of place, providing better understanding across different cultures,” he explained. “The benefits are not limited to economic gains but include social advantages, creating better places to live and work.”