p10 ITB mar20 18/3/09 21:41 Page 10
news convention report
ttglive.com
ITB 2009
March 11-15 ■ Berlin, Germany
Record numbers attended this year’s ITB show,
where they heard tourism could help revive the
economy. Rupert Murray reports from Berlin
WTO demands G20 leaders
REGULATION.
‘Let consumers lead way’
make tourism key to plans
CONSUMER choice rather than regulation will
create responsible and sustainable travel,
delegates at ITB were told.
Responding to suggestions the industry should
THE WORLD Tourism Organisation is calling for tourism is an export; and if you are going to be regulated in the same way as banking to
the industry to be at the centre of the agenda create jobs, create tourism jobs.” stop irresponsible behaviour, Auliana Poon,
when G20 leaders meet next month to discuss Lipman added that the sector “can, should managing director of Direct Tourism Intelligence
reviving the global economy. and is ready to lead in the green economy” and International, said the two sectors were funda-
WTO assistant secretary general Geoffrey that air traffic growth should be geared to the mentally different.
Lipman said he wanted “tourism on the table” developing world. “Banks made a lot of decisions on behalf of the
when the G20 meets in London on April 2. “If you are doing something for poor countries customer, but in our industry customers them-
“As governments put together stimulus put more flights into them; and if you are selves decide – so we need to give them info and
packages and co-ordinate their economies in worried about climate impact, as you should be, knowledge to make correct decisions,” she said.
extraordinary ways, they should put tourism into reduce flights into the developed market but Poon was responding to a suggestion that reg-
that package,” he said. keep planes to poor countries,” he said. ulation might be needed to stop airlines putting
“Tourism does not need bail-outs but it needs He also urged the industry to deal with the on too much capacity and then giving free flights.
to be recognised that it represents two-way long-term issue of climate change, resource Geoffrey Lipman, assistant secretary general
trade for rich and poor countries, jobs, depletion and poverty at the same time as of the World Tourism Organisation, added: “If
development, infrastructure, and growth in GDP dealing with the present economic climate. public opinion is that people are doing the wrong
– all the things governments want to achieve. “If you get them right there is more chance thing, regulation will come, but the industry
“If you are going to do infrastructure, do it for when we come out of this to be moving in the should avoid being over-regulated because that
tourism; if you are promoting exports, remember right direction faster and smarter,” he said. will increase costs. We need sensible things to
come out in the marketplace and for consumers
to move to that themselves.”
HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT.
‘Give workers more hols’
INCREASING holiday entitlements to the same
level as Germany could have a big impact on the
global economy, a tourism academic told ITB.
“If the US gave everyone the six weeks the
Germans have we would not need to supply
nearly as much aid to places like Africa because
tourists would be spending money and boosting
economies,” said Auliana Poon, managing
BERLIN FAIR LIFT: Record numbers of trade visitors attended ITB this year. More than director of Direct Tourism Intelligence.
110,000 people visited Berlin for the world’s largest travel show, with 11,098 companies “And the Chinese still work on Saturdays: if
from 187 countries exhibiting. Christian Goke, chief executive of organiser Messe Berlin, they had more holiday time they too could have
said it was proof of the exhibition’s resilience even in “economically difficult” times. a serious impact.”
10 20.03.2009
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