The General Debate of the 20th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly has
put a spotlight on the link between tourism and air transport policies.
Countries attending called for closer coordination between both policies
highlighting that too often these interlinked sectors are dissociated (Victoria Falls , Zambia /Zimbabwe
Delegations from the 120 UNWTO Members States intervening at the 20th
Session of the UNWTO Assembly discussed air transport policies in their
respective countries and called for measures and initiatives to increase
connectivity. Countries further called for closer collaboration between tourism
and air transport policies.
Issues such as visa facilitation, the need to make airports more visitor
friendly, taxation, open skies and the impact of low cost airlines were among
the issues in debate.
UNWTO has defined connectivity as one of its policy priorities alongside
visa facilitation and fair taxation and is working with the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) on advancing these issues as well as those related
to addressing climate change, the modernization of aviation regulations and the
development of convergent rules for traveller and enterprise protection.
More than one billion tourists crossed international borders during
2012, over half of who travelled by air to their destinations.
