The aim of the meeting is to create a forum to share experiences and gain a better understanding of the important role tourism plays as a source of income and job creation for many developing countries, particularly LDCs and small island economies. It will look at the main reasons why the tourism sector in most developing countries is considered to have a greater potential for growth than other sectors, such as:
- the service is consumed at the point of production, which creates opportunities for local entrepreneurs to sell additional products or services
- it depends on natural capital and cultures, which are available in many developing countries
- it is labour-intensive, and employs many women
- it is a highly diversified activity, and thus can build on a wide resource base
The meeting will consider the importance of tourism in developing countries, whose exports rank fourth worldwide after fuels, chemicals and automotive products; tourism is the largest foreign exchange earner among services sectors.
| Total international tourism receipts almost doubled in the 1990s, reaching US$ 735 billion (€ 586 billion) in 2006. Since the 1990s, tourism has been growing faster in developing than developed countries, at an average annual rate of about 10 per cent (about 8 per cent in LDCs). Since 2000, tourism in China has been growing rapidly, making it the leader among developing countries. In 2006, China was ranked fourth in the world in terms of arrivals and fifth in terms of receipts. Growth in receipts in 2006 reached double-digit rates in North Africa, South Asia, North-East Asia, Central America and South-East Asia. Africa as a whole also fared quite well, with 10 per cent growth. |
The meeting will bring together all stakeholders involved in the tourism sector from the public and private sectors, including trade negotiators, policymakers, tourism associations, tourism promotion bodies, research institutions and service-providers. It will be an opportunity for stakeholders to have open discussions at the international level on the different policy options adopted by developed and developing countries, with the aim of identifying practices that could be useful for developing countries. High-level contributions are also expected from academia and international organizations.
The multilateral negotiations under way at the World Trade Organization (WTO), in the meeting will review the state of play particularly as regards the tourism sector and the commitments undertaken by WTO member States and their impact or contribution, if any, to enhancing tourism in developing countries. The meeting will consider ways and means of enhancing the participation of developing countries, particularly LDCs and small economies, in the multilateral trading system and international and regional markets.
The meeting will also consider cooperation mechanisms developed at the regional level in the area of tourism by different regional integration groupings, and will provide insights into the measures to be taken to promote intra- and inter-regional tourism. Particular attention will be given to South-South trade and means of facilitating the pro-poor national and regional strategies that are essential for reaping the maximum benefits from tourism and ensuring sustainable development.
As information and communication technology (ICT) is at the heart of tourism development, the meeting will consider the role of ICT, taking account of the opportunities and challenges it offers to developing countries. The interaction between ICT and tourism will be examined and means of facilitating access for developing countries in a sustainable manner will be discussed.
| All experts are encouraged to prepare and submit brief papers related to their country´s experience. These papers will be made available to the meeting in the form and language in which they are received. |
