from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – THE World Tourism Organisation (WTO) has called for the adoption of a new and reimagined system of governance and financing to building resilience against future shocks.
The agency believes this would also make tourism more sustainable.
This call at the 116th session of the WTO Executive Council comes as the pandemic showed the systemic vulnerabilities of the tourism and hospitality sectors.
“Now is the time to think big,” said the UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili.
“We need to realise tourism’s unique potential to drive recovery, provide opportunity and build resilience, through better and stronger governance and focusing on jobs, training and education,” said Pololikashvili.
The meeting of the WTO was held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Najib Balala, Minister of Tourism of Kenya, and Siandou Fofana, Minister of Tourism and Recreation in Ivory Coast, were among other officials participating in the high-level thematic debate.
An intergovernmental organisation, WTO has 160 member states and over 500 affiliate members.
– CAJ News