Green Growth and Travelism

Travel & Tourism is by any measure a massive modern day industry – in the same league as cars, oil, telecommunication and agriculture. It drives trillions of dollars in GNP, underpins millions of jobs, makes international business function and is the essence of leisure and happiness. In short it has to be one of the most significant sectors of the world economy. Yet all too often its role and potential is underestimated when it comes to global and national socio-economic policy and practice. This book explores why the industry is misperceived and how it can take its rightful leadership place in the transformation to the new green economy. Green Growth and Travelism: Letters from Leaders is the first hard hitting publication to look practically into these issues by taking the views of 46 government, industry and civil society thought leaders on the challenges, opportunities and solutions. First the authors explore Green Growth as the new geopolitical paradigm to respond to the big social, economic, environment and climate challenges of today and the population driven resource challenges of tomorrow. They then analyze how Travelism - the Travel and Tourism value chain – transport, hospitality and the various industries that support our inexorable urge to move around this planet – can more effectively contribute to a positive long-term societal transformation. Taking this viewpoint, the 'Letters from Leaders’ provides real evidence of the actions, viewpoints and hopes of those at the frontline. With a foreword from Maurice Strong, architect of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and Agenda 21, it includes contributions by thought leaders from inside and outside the sector such as Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley (Prime Minister of Bhutan), Thomas Enders (CEO of EADS), Tony Tyler (Director General & CEO IATA), Taleb Rifai (Secretary General UNWTO), Sir Richard Branson (Chairman Virgin Group), Shanzhong Zhu (Vice Chairman CNTA), Akbar Al Baker (CEO Qatar Airways), Marthinus Van Schalkwyk (Minister Tourism South Africa), Gerald Lawless (Executive Chairman Jumeirah Group), James Hogan (President & CEO Etihad Airways), Patricia Francis (Executive Director ITC), David P. Scowsill (President & CEO, WTTC), Giovanni Bisignani (Chairman WEF Global Agenda Council ATT), Supachai Panitchpakdi (Secretary-General, UNCTAD), Raymond Benjamin (Secretary General, ICAO) and Gloria Guevara (Secretary Tourism, Mexico) and a host of others. Researched at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia and Oxford Brookes University, UK.