A
British tourist visiting Madrid, Spain on 13 December has been
revealed as the symbolic face of the one billion international
tourists travelling in 2012.
The
tourist was welcomed by the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism
of Spain, José Manuel Soria, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai,
and the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella, at an event in Madrid’s Museo
del Prado, held to celebrate a record one billion international
tourists in 2012. The event, part of the UNWTO One Billion Tourists:
One Billion Opportunities campaign, recalled how tourism can create
billions of opportunities for growth and development around the
world.
“Today,
we welcome the symbolic arrival of the one-billionth tourist,” said
Mr Rifai. “The one-billionth tourist, Mrs. Dale Sheppard-Floyd from
the United Kingdom, is visiting Spain for three days. During that
time she will experience a new culture, meet
new people,
support the local economy and help to sustain the jobs of
waiters, tour guides and many more working in tourism, as well as of
all those whose jobs are indirectly linked to tourism such
as taxi drivers, food producers or shop attendees. If we multiply
this impact by one billion, we begin to understand the enormous
significance of reaching this milestone.”
The
celebration was held in Madrid’s Museo del Prado, the city’s most
visited tourism attraction, in the presence of UNWTO representatives
and Spanish tourism and private sector officials, as well as many of
the museum’s daily visitors from around the world. As it is
impossible to know exactly where the one-billionth tourist arrived,
many countries celebrated the occasion by also welcoming tourists
arriving on 13 December.
The
Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism of Spain, José Manuel
Soria, thanked UNWTO for choosing Spain to celebrate the official
celebrations of the international campaign and stressed that “Spain
is one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, where the
sector represents 11% of the country’s economy.” The Minister
further highlighted the importance of tourism in economic development
and job creation.
Minister
José Manuel Soria noted that Spain was expected to reach a record 58
million international tourist arrivals in 2012, alongside an increase
in tourist receipts. The Minister recalled Spain’s intention to
increase and retain its large number of tourists who visit the
country to experience its diverse tourism attractions.
“Madrid
City Council is happy
to be hosting this
symbolic act, since it strengthens the reputation of the city as one
of the world’s great tourism destinations. Tourism is one of the
principal drivers of Madrid’s economy. Indeed, in its current
strategic plan, the Madrid Visitors & Convention Bureau aims to
transform tourism into a pillar of wealth and employment creation for
the city,” said the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella.
The
event was held as part of the UNWTO campaign, One Billion Tourists:
One Billion Opportunities, calling on tourists to make a difference
when traveling abroad and recalling the positive impact that even the
smallest actionscan
have if multiplied by one billion.
Outside
the Prado, as well as in Madrid’s famous Plaza Mayor, tourists
visiting the city became Faces of the One Billion by adding their
photos to a giant mural, reminding tourists that they are part of the
one billion and that all theiractions count.
