The Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of South Africa, with the support of UNWTO, will host a Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (T20) under the theme “Travel and tourism: stimuli for the global economy” from February 22-24, 2010 in Johannesburg.
Tourism ministers meeting at the UNWTO General Assembly (October 2009, Astana, Kazakhstan) expressed a strong sentiment that tourism should be further mainstreamed in global economic decision making, with a focus on the sector’s efforts to build resilience, stimulate growth and development, and support the transformation to the green economy.
Travel and tourism can make a valuable contribution to the economic recovery and can be an important pillar of the global efforts to unlock enhanced economic growth, infrastructure development, trade promotion, poverty eradication, and particularly job creation.
In addition to ministers responsible for tourism and the UNWTO secretary-general, the meeting will be attended by high-level representatives and experts from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Social and Economic Commission for Asia, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the African Union, and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
The T20 is a members-driven initiative with the support of UNWTO.
Why do we consider travel a basic desire nowadays? In 2008, only 30 percent of trips over 50 miles were done for business – the rest- for pure pleasure. Work is nerve-racking, the family needs to be fed and money is and will always be a problem. Meanwhile, there are hot deals on flights, romance is in the air in Paris no matter the season and life is still waiting for you at the corner.