1 May 2014 | travelweekly.co.uk business Essential news, comment and analysis TOP STORY David Scowsill: ‘Governments need


travel and tourism [yet the industry faces] destructive border policies, harmful taxation and poor


GOVERNMENTS


WEMUST EDUCATE OUR


GLOBAL INDUSTRY LEADERS VENT


THEIR FRUSTRATION AT GOVERNMENT INDIFFERENCE TO


TRAVEL AT THE WTTC’S


14TH ANNUAL SUMMIT. IAN TAYLOR REPORTS FROMCHINA


Most governments do not understand or respect travel and tourism despite the sector’s contribution to the economy and industry leaders have a major job to do in convincing them to avoid “destructive policies”. World Travel & Tourism Council chief executive and president David Scowsill told the WTTC Global Summit in Hainan, China: “The financial contribution travel and tourism makes to the world economy is unarguable, but still the challenge is to educate governments. “Travel and tourism is forecast


72 • travelweekly.co.uk — 1 May 2014


to grow 4% a year for the next 10 years, far higher than global GDP, creating 75 million jobs.” Scowsill said: “Governments


need travel and tourism.” Yet he complained the industry


faces “destructive border policies”, harmful taxation and “poor infrastructure planning”. Dubai Airports Corporation chief


executive Paul Griffiths told the summit: “Governments do not see the economic benefits of the travel sector.” Hilton Worldwide president and chief executive Christopher Nassetta agreed, saying: “The


strength and importance of the travel and tourism industry is not understood and not respected.” However, Nassetta argued:


“We are a conglomeration of thousands of businesses and part of the issue is that until recently we really did not have advocacy. “Governments around the world did not think of us as an industry.” Martin Craigs, chief executive of


the Pacific Asia Travel Association, dismissed the UK government as “inept” and “unable to build an airport runway”, although he


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