UNITED NATIONS: Tourism a central factor in the lives of millions - Fréchette

Tourism a central factor in the lives of millions - Fréchette
 

20 October – Tourism has become one of the most powerful forces for change in 
the world, as travel for recreation has risen exponentially and is now one of 
the few ways in which the poorest countries have been able to take part in 
the global economy, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette 
told a meeting of the leading international organization for travel and 
tourism.

"Over the past half century, international tourist arrivals have risen 
dramatically - from 25 million tourist arrivals a year in 1950 to 715 million 
in 2002, " she said in an address to the General Assembly of the World 
Tourism Organization (WTO) in Beijing.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/dsgsm207.doc.htm

"This makes tourism the world's largest economic sector. And it makes tourism 
a central factor in the life of millions of people. Indeed, as it brings 
together people of different cultures on a scale previously unimagined, 
tourism is now one of the most powerful forces of change in the world."

Among the least developed countries, the travel trade is now the primary 
source of foreign exchange in all but a few, as it offers opportunities for 
job creation and infrastructure development, even in remote areas, Ms. 
Fréchette said.

In this context, tourism must be managed carefully to prevent such harmful 
effects as damaging the environment through overbuilding and irresponsible 
development; threatening indigenous cultures and organizing sex tourism.

Child sex tourism was adversely affecting millions of children a year, Ms. 
Fréchette said, calling on governments to adopt and enforce measures to 
combat all forms of sexual exploitation of children in tourism.

"Let us be clear: when it comes to exploiting children, there can be no 
excuses for tolerance," she said.

She said the United Nations looked forward to the WTO's approval of a draft 
agreement changing the WTO into a specialized UN agency, "which the UN 
General Assembly, in turn, is expected to approve on 7 November."

Link: World Tourism Organization (WTO) 
http://www.world-tourism.org/


SOURCE: United Nations, New York