Press Releases

Ministers’ Summit attracts more than 100 delegates

The UNWTO Minister’s Summit at World Travel Market attracted more than 100 tourism ministers and senior aides, with a healthy number of representatives from industry bodies and the private sector boosting the numbers.

World Travel Market Chairman Fiona Jeffery said: “World Travel Market is delighted that our third Ministers’ Summit has built upon the success of previous year’s events.

“The partnership between governments and the private sector is critical, and WTM provides a good forum for dialogue and discussion.”

Manny Fontenla-Novoa, chief executive of Thomas Cook, who addressed the summit, said it was an opportunity for the private sector to talk directly to ministers.

“It is important that some of the barriers to travel are removed. Ministers must be aware of the short-term issues without losing sight of the long term,” he said.

UNWTO Assistant Secretary General Geoffrey Lipman summarised the major issues which emerged for the day’s  discussions, with the UK Government’s hike in Air Passenger Duty identified as the ministers’ major concern.

“It is unreasonable and unfair,” he said. “It is not an environmental tax, and it sets a terrible precedent.”

He also said that, in the current climate, tourism’s most obvious benefit is the number of jobs it provides.

“Forecasts are saying that unemployment will rise next year even if there is an economic recovery, so we need to ensure that support for tourism continues so jobs are maintained and created,” Lipman added.

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About World Travel Market
World Travel Market, the premier global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.

Almost 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL - London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.

WTM, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals.

WTM is owned by the world’s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions (RE), which organises a portfolio of other travel industry events including Arabian Travel Market and International Luxury Travel Market.

RE holds more than 500 events in 38 countries throughout Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific covering 47 industry sectors including aerospace & aviation, healthcare, manufacturing and sport & recreation.

In 2008 RE, part of the Reed Elsevier group, brought together more than six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business.