Travel and tourism is the second-fastest growing sector globally, with 3.9 percent per annum over the next ten years. Now the challenge is to get the right kind of talent to build for that growth.
As Eastern European countries change travelers' perceptions of the region and become more welcoming, WTTC projects investment in the region's weakening infrastructure won't be enough to keep pace with the higher number of visitor arrivals.
Convincing companies to spend on expensive technology and solutions for sustainable tourism practices is a tough sell. Let's see if the coalition can make some progress and at least forge some new committed partnerships.
Travel builds businesses, helps in trade and capital investment, creates jobs and entrepreneurialism for the workforce, and helps protect heritage and cultural values, at least in theory. The WTTC data behind this shows how large the global travel industry really is.
International visitors are definitely attractive for the cash they're willing to drop on travel but destinations' domestic markets often have much more spending power and shouldn't be slighted.
As Caribbean destinations get smarter about how to market and foster their guest experiences, islands like Cuba and Haiti are also experiencing a Renaissance of sorts, realizing tourism is the biggest way they can change their images and boost their economies.