Speechless: UNWTO and WTTC on Las Vegas tourism mass murder
It’s surprising the worlds largest tourism organizations and leaders in world tourism, UNWTO and WTTC did not react very much to one of the toughest two weeks in travel and tourism for a long time. WTTC issued this statement on their website,:
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is deeply shocked and saddened by the shooting in Las Vegas earlier today. Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said: “I send my heartfelt condolences to all the friends and families of the victims and those hurt in this callous attack in Las Vegas. We stand strong and united with the people of Las Vegas as they go through these difficult times. On behalf of the Travel & Tourism sector we offer our full support to the city, one of the United States’ most thriving tourist destinations as WTTC experienced during our Global Summit in 2011, as it will come to terms with the aftermath of this attack.”
There is a lot going on. Caribbean, Mexico, Guam, South Korea, Catalonia and now Los Vegas – tourism is under global attack. Challenging times are emerging after the first Caribbean Crisis committee met at the UNWTO General Assembly in Chengdu, China last month.
Maybe it’s time for a global tourism crisis committee to be formed to address such problems and coordinate with UNWTO, WTTC and the many other important organizations.
Not one country issued a travel warning for the United States. It can only be hoped this is a new trendsetter and the United States also will refrain from issuing travel warnings at future terror incidents in Europe or other regions. Travel warnings won’t resolve the issue, and they would make it worse. The world should push the US for gun control. This is a problem getting completely out of hand. What could be the logical reason for the 2nd Amendment in the year 2017?
Many organizations did have something to say, including the International Nightlife Association, said they strongly condemn the shooting occurred near the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada (U.S.A.). At the same time, we express our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims in this tragic moment as they seek to recover from this deeply disturbing tragedy. For this reason, the International Nightlife Association will lead a moment of silence at the International Nightlife Congress to be held next week in Ibiza (Spain) in order to honor its victims and as a signal of protest as the nightlife image has been unfairly and cowardly targeted once again with innocent people involved.
Once more, after the attacks in Bataclan in Paris, Club Pulse in Orlando and Club Reina in Istanbul the nightlife sector has been hit once again with a cowardly act of violence involving firearms. We stand here in moral indignation and are, at the same time, filled with a huge sense of powerlessness since at least 50 innocent people have been killed and at least 400 others seriously injured while enjoying nightlife, generating a false sensation that nightlife is unsafe when it is not, as the tragic events have been due to an unavoidable cowardly attack.
At the same time we feel great indignation as events like these seriously damage the image and the prestige of the territory where they happen, which is unfair but a constant reality. Las Vegas, where we celebrate our international congress alternatively every two years, is precisely one of the safest and most pregistous places for nightlife entertainment in the world.
Next week is IMEX time. IMEX America and Meeting and Incentive travel professionals from around the globe will meet in Las Vegas.
eTN is standing by at our stand in Las Vegas for feedback.