Tourism Could Help Deflect Poverty through Fair, Gradual Liberalization

”Tourism could be a key factor in the battle for stepped-up development, education, job creation and dignity among the world´s poorest countries,” said Geoffrey Lipman, special advisor to the UN secretary-general, at the recently concluded general assembly of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Gains in hard-currency revenues, the advance of corporate initiatives, infrastructure improvements and the creation of millions of jobs in the travel sector could chip in considerably to the so-called Millennium Development Goals.

“We must try to make the small quota of international tourism grabbed by the world´s poorest nations right now leapfrog dramatically by the year 2015,” Mr. Lipman pointed out. ”Achieving those goals, however, requires a more accurate application of both trade-oriented and development strategies,” he added.

The World Tourism Organization is requesting the application of a “more humane kind of liberalization at the Doha Development Round.” The process also calls for gradual and asymmetric resiliency on bans and restrictions, the implementation of special advantages for the poorest nations, a sort of safety net in which sustainability is the nitty-gritty factor to pay heed to.

The UNCTAD General Assembly took place in Brazil´s Sao Paolo this time around to map out top priorities and guidelines for the organization over the next four years. The meeting offers the opportunity of discussing red hot issues for both the world economy and overall development.