PATA and WTTC outline united agenda for total travel industry chain

BANGKOK, Thailand – Mr. Martin J. Craigs, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) CEO, and Mr. David Scowsill, the President of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), outlined next steps and a united agenda in advocacy for the total travel industry chain at a media briefing that took place January 24 at PATA head office.

Mr. Martin J. Craigs, PATA CEO, told the journalists that PATA as a member of the Global Travel Coalition would increasingly refer to the “Visitor Economy” as a strategy to make politicians think more broadly of travel and tourism as a job creation and poverty alleviating industry. “We will be stressing the benefits of the ‘Visitor Economy’ as a formidable force that every government should embrace and nurture,” said the PATA CEO.

Mr. David Scowsill said that WTTC would be pleased to bring its Regional Summit to Thailand in 2015. He told the journalists that the “center of gravity” for the travel and tourism industry, was still European, but that it was moving towards Asia, “which will be the new center of gravity within 10 years or so,” he said.

Scowsill said that the ASEAN region should move towards a Schengen type joint visa by 2015 and that it should be fully electronic, probably using a similar model that Australia currently uses.

The WTTC’s annual Global Summit in Abu Dhabi in early April will be attended by over 800 industry and government leaders from around the world. Former President, Bill Clinton will be the keynote speaker and PATA will be actively participating.

PATA and WTTC jointly organized the Sendai Recovery and Asia Outlook Forum during April 16-17, 2012 in Sendai as part of the WTTC Global Summit held in Japan last year.