The event, titled ‘Tourism & Aviation: Building a common agenda for growth’, held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, was opened by Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General and Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions- Organiser of ATM. The Forum witnessed intensive dialogue on leveraging the potential the tourism industry and the corrective measures that need to be taken to further enhance the role tourism plays in a country’s economy.
Participating in the Forum were the Ministers and senior representatives from Oman, Mauritius, Morocco, Egypt, Seychelles, Tanzania, Tunisia and Maldives among others. Representing the aviation industry were the Vice President of International & Public Affairs of Etihad Airways, the CEO of Dubai Airports and the Senior Vice President, Revenue Optimisation and Distribution of Emirates Airline.
Rifai, in his opening remarks, said that destinations should emphasise on the three most important travel segments: family tourism, business travel and events – in their promotional strategy. He also highlighted the co-relation between aviation and tourism. “Tourism and aviation are siblings, and have been working together in parallel lines. With 52 per cent of world travellers reaching their destination by air, their growth is intrinsically linked. However, economic regulations, taxations and travel facilitations are the few major focus areas that tourism and aviation stakeholders should look into,” he added.
Agreeing with Rifai, Alain St.Ange, Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, opined that it is important that tourism and aviation stay on the same side of the equation. He said that the time had come for all to agree that the triangular approach to tourism and airline consolidation – Ministry of Tourism or Tourism Boards, Civil Aviation Authorities and Airlines – was the way forward and that the world should stop talking about it and instead implements this accepted approach.
Lahcen Haddad, Tourism Minister for Morocco, opined that air transport drives the tourism inflow to the destination. “It is very important for both the parties to work together and create a synergised model to help grow the tourist arrivals,” he said. Michael Sik Yuen, Minister of Tourism & Leisure, Government of Mauritius, commented that no tourism destination and the country’s economy should be held captive to their national airline. This point was echoed by the Minister from Egypt. Going a step ahead, Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, said that the alliance between tourism and air transportation is very much a non-separable alliance, and it is very important to focus on aligning these two sectors to make places more accessible and affordable.
Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State and Managing Director, Higher Committee on International Expo Dubai 2020, suggested that, first and foremost, to foster tourism and look to the future, countries and cities should look at adopting open sky policies. She believes that the development of airport, attractions, and hotels are all important but the key is to allow airlines to fly without restrictions.
Participants stressed the need to identify the links between tourism and aviation and set structures where tourism, civil aviation and airlines can work together. Other issues highlighted were the need to extend the principle of liberalisation to more and more countries, particularly in view of attracting long-haul markets and the importance of aligning tourism objectives with airlines profitability.
Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing of Dubai, used the Middle East as a prime example of how tourism and aviation can work together, and what the rest of the world can learn from the region.
Concluding, Rifai highlighted the importance of moving this agenda forward. “We have started a debate that has to go on and on. We will carry on at World Travel Market in London in co-operation with Reed Travel Exhibitions after setting a framework today, and keep the conversation going,” he said.
