WTO global campaign stresses importance of tourism

"Tourism enriches individuals, families, communities and all the world." This is a central, simple but straight-forward message of the new awareness campaign with which the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) wants to raise awareness of the positive impacts tourism can have on life, culture and economy, in short on society at all levels. The ‘Tourism Enriches’ campaign was launched at the First World Conference on Tourism Communications (Tourcom) at the end of January in Madrid, Spain. "This is the first time the WTO has aimed a campaign at the general public," said WTO secretary-general, Francesco Frangialli. "It is a simple, upbeat idea and a simple beginning, but ultimately the campaign is intended to be developed and used by the tourism industry, especially ministries in our member countries, as they see fit." The initiative came from the WTO members last year and was discussed at the 15th Session of the General Assembly in Beijing, China, last October. "Governments have placed a higher priority on tourism in the time of recent crises," stressed Frangialli, explaining that this has resulted in recognition of tourism as the most prospective activity - important for environmental, cultural and social awareness, pursuit of peace and international cooperation and in particular of its ability to alleviate poverty through the creation of small and medium sized tourism businesses and the creation of new jobs. The aims of the ‘Tourism Enriches’ campaign are to promote tourism as a basic human right and way of life; to stimulate communication about the benefits of tourism as the most prospective economic activity for the local communities and countries; to enhance cooperation between destinations and the tourism industry with the local, regional and international media and to link individual tourism entities to the larger community of international tourism. (Miguel de Sousa)