As you may be aware, an incident, which has been described by the Metropolitan Police as “Terrorist” occurred in Westminster this afternoon. Details of what happened are still emerging.

It is obviously a matter of deep concern that people appear to have died, and several more injured. Some of these were visitors.

For those not directly involved, it is important to know the extent of the disruption. There are severe delays around Parliament Square, whose closure has diverted several bus lines. Circle, District and Jubilee Line trains are not stopping at Westminster Station. Boat services under Westminster Bridge are suspended. This is expected to last at least until tomorrow. In terms of visitor attractions both the London Eye and Banqueting House are a currently affected.

Other than this, there is no other disruption.

This incident has to be viewed in context. Anywhere there are cars, fatalities occur. In terms of traffic safety, Britain happens to be a world leader*. The intentional nature of this incident makes it newsworthy. It does not make the UK any less safe. It will still be one of the safest countries in the world to be a pedestrian. It will still be one of the safest countries on earth to visitor.

London remains open.

Mel Webster, Special to WorldTourismWire

The 2016 US election results are still reverberating globally, regardless where in the world one
resides. One interesting lesson learned from the recent US Presidential election race is
assuming an outcome before the votes are counted is not prudent.

A very different and perhaps more thoughtful election is about to take place in Madrid, Spain.
In an era of global turbulence and troubled times, with people looking for stability, unity and
responsible solutions, the role of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is
more critical than ever before. With the upcoming UNWTO general election of a new Secretary
General, seven candidates have been nominated to build on the considerable successes of
outgoing Secretary General, Dr. Taleb Rifai.

From the Republic of Korea, Ambassador Dho Young-Shim, with a remarkable career in tourism,
is a candidate with integrity, perspective, and balance to provide new leadership of the UNWTO
in uncertain times.

Dho Young-Shim is endorsed by the Republic of Korea, a country that vigilantly safeguards and
values ethics, integrity and honesty, especially at the highest levels of government. As it has
been clearly demonstrated with the recent impeachment of President Park.

Dho Young-Shim, with an impeccable and lengthy track record of championing and
implementing authentic sustainable tourism, is receiving support from diverse regions of the
world. As a side note, since its inception, UNWTO has never elected an Asian representative or
female to the helm of the organization.

To move beyond standard candidate campaigning rhetoric, Dho Young-Shim outlined why she
wants to navigate the UNWTO through challenging, if not choppy global waters.

“I grew up in a country that wasn’t yet developed as it is today. I worked for every opportunity
to become a better person, to learn, to earn an education and to contribute to my country’s
development and growth. These are hopes common to people in all parts of the world. I have
enormous compassion for anyone who struggles to put food on their table or to get an
education. Through the power of tourism we can authentically help people live better lives.

Sustainable tourism is not a buzzword, it is a very real duty. I have made it my life’s work due to
my humble background. I have been there. I want to bring UNWTO to new heights, building
on the legacy received.” noted Dho Young-Shim.

Dho Young-Shim has nominated Spanish national Carlos Vogeler as her running partner.
Both Carlos Vogeler and Dho Young-Shim have extensive experience working with the UNWTO,
Vogeler is a current Executive Director with more than three decades in the global tourism
sector. Combined they bring extraordinary depth of skills and understanding within an industry
and to a world that needs inclusive, cohesive leadership.

In a recent paper UNWTO provided an overview of the primary responsibilities of the Secretary
General position, emphasizing the importance of increasing membership from tourism
destinations not currently participating in the UNWTO. These countries include USA,
Singapore, United Kingdom, Sweden, New Zealand and other major tourism destinations.
” I firmly believe there is great strength in unity. UNWTO’s core foundation embodies unity
through tourism. There is also a duty of responsibility when tourism is a major economic driver
within a country. Bringing more nations into the UNWTO, uniting together, we can make very
real, measurable differences globally. ” said Dho Young-Shim.

Voting for the new Secretary General of the UNWTO will take place in Madrid
May 11, 2017, with seven candidates on the ballot. Handing the reins over to a new Secretary
General is a large responsibility in the capable hands of voting members of UNWTO. It is
reasonable to believe the voting members will read between the lines of candidate campaign
trail soundbites and maneuvers in the press while jockeying for the highly sought-after position.
The global tourism industry as a whole requires a thoughtful election to take place next month.
Turning away from narratives that do not authentically behoove global tourism interests, while
embracing fresh perspectives that will bring people together for the greater good is vital for the
stability of tourism in turbulent times.

“We need more genuine leadership in the world, not divisiveness . The power of tourism is
enormous. Uniting together we can bring about change to this planet of ours, all while fully
supporting stakeholders. With unity comes strength.” said Dho Young-Shim.

Travel & Tourism generated 1 in 10 of the world’s jobs in 2016 as the sector grew by 3.3%, outpacing the global economy for the sixth year in a row, reads a new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC’s Economic Impact Report 2017, which is conducted in conjunction with Oxford Economics, researches the economic impact of Travel & Tourism impact on global level, for 25 regions, and 185 countries.

According to the research, Travel & Tourism grew by 3.3% in 2016, generating US$7.6 trillion worldwide, which is 10.2% of global GDP when the direct, indirect and induced impacts are taken into account. The sector supported a total of 292 million jobs in 2016, which is 1 in 10 of all jobs in the world

Additionally, global visitor exports, which is money spent by foreign visitors, accounted for 6.6% of total world exports, and almost 30% of total world services exports.

David Scowsill, President & CEO, WTTC, said: “This is the sixth year in a row that Travel & Tourism has outpaced the global economy, showing the sector’s resilience, and the eagerness of people to continue to travel and discover new places, despite economic and political challenges across the world.

The continuous growth of our sector underlines the significance of business and leisure travel in driving economic development and job creation throughout the world.”

Southeast Asia (8.3%) was the region with the fastest growing Travel & Tourism sector in 2016, driven by the expanding Chinese outbound market and the countries own growing markets. Latin America (0.2%) was the slowest growing region. Some countries performed well above the world average, but the Brazilian economy dragged down the whole region.

The other regions registered the following growth: South Asia (7.9%), North East Asia (4.6%), Oceania (4.4%), the Caribbean (3.2%), North America (3.1%), the Middle East (2.7%), Sub-Saharan Africa (2.4%) and Europe (1.6%).
Travel & Tourism is expected to grow by 3.8% in 2017, generating US$ 7.9 trillion. This growth is slower than previously forecast, as a result of a downgrade to the global economy and a dampening of consumer spending.

Over the next decade the sector is forecast to grow at an average of 3.9% per year. By 2027 it will generate more than 11% of the world’s GDP and employ a total of 380 million people. One quarter of all jobs created in the next decade will be supported by Travel & Tourism.

Scowsill continued “The future prospects for Travel & Tourism are good, but the sector continues to face challenges. The impact of terrorism and the rise of populism pose a severe risk to the ability of people to travel efficiently and securely. The sector itself needs urgently to address the impact of growth on destinations and its own contribution to climate change if it is to be sustainable in the long term. The UN’s 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is a perfect opportunity to explore solutions together. We look forward to welcoming delegates at our upcoming Global Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, 26-27 April where these challenges will be addressed.”

The Zimbabwe UNWTO Candidate for Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Eng. Walter Mzembi, landed an African Union (AU) Leadership position in Lome, Togo on 17 March 2017.

African Tourism, Energy and Infrastructure Ministers in Togo for the AU STC Meetings reaffirm their faith in Zimbabwe leadership in Tourism and elected the Hon. Eng. Walter Mzembi, Tourism & Hospitality Industry Government of Zimbabwe, as their Vice Chair of the Bureau of the AU-STC.

This is seen as another important step to accept the Zimbabwe minister to lead UNWTO starting 2018.

The Zimbabwe delegation to the First Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism, led by the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Hon. Anastancia Ndhlovu (MP), has made Zimbabwe proud after the Southern African nation was unanimously elected to the position of the Vice Chair. The AU-STC met on 17 March 2017 in Lome, Togo and elected the Bureau on the basis of Rule Number 16 of the Rules of Procedure under the African Union Commission on Infrastructure and Energy.

The Bureau is made up of the Chairperson, 3 Vice Chairpersons, as well as a Rapporteur. Zimbabwe was elected as the 2nd Vice Chair, representing the Tourism sector and the Southern African region in the AU-STC for the next two years, until 2019. The other members of the Bureau which will meet once every year are Togo -Chairperson (representing the Transport sector and the West African region), Mauritania-1st Vice Chair (representing the Energy sector and the North African region), Ethiopia-3rd Vice Chair (representing the Energy sector and the East African region) and Congo -Rapporteur (representing the Transport sector and the Central African region). The Bureau is the Executive Organ of Ministers responsible for Infrastructure, Energy, Transport and Tourism sectors tasked with providing policy and oversight leadership role to the Work Programmes of the African Union Commission on Infrastructure and Energy, and the Specialised Technical Committee of Experts.

The election of Zimbabwe into the Bureau of the African Union Commission on Infrastructure and Energy has come hardly a year following yet another successful tenure of Zimbabwe’s Chairmanship of the AU by His Excellency the President, Cde R.G. Mugabe, from January 2015 to January 2016. Following this election, the elated Deputy Minister Hon. Anastancia Ndhlovu said, “This election is the approval and endorsement of the great work done by the greatest son of Africa, His Excellency, President R.G. Mugabe, when he steered the AU Summit to a landmark adoption of the Agenda 2063, anchored on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This is very exciting indeed and it only confirms the legacy of the unparalled leadership of His Excellency, the President”.

The election of Zimbabwe to lead the Southern Region of Africa in the Bureau of the African Union Commission on Infrastructure and Energy representing the Tourism sector, is happening when the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon. Dr. Walter Mzembi has successfully submitted his application to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), for the next 4 years, from 2018 to 2021, to the Headquarters of the Madrid-based global tourism organization. Hon. Dr Walter Mzembi is currently continuing with his world-wide outreach effort to garner international support for the countrys bid represented by him to secure the top job at the UNWTO. Elections for the next Secretary General will take place at the UNWTO Headquarters in Madrid, Spain from 11 to 12 May 2017, during the course of the 105th session of the Organisations 33 member Executive Council meeting.

Asked what the election into AU-STC Bureau means to Zimbabwe’s bid for the top UNWTO post, Deputy Minister Anastancia Ndhlovu had this to say, “I can confirm that the election of Zimbabwe further re-affirms the visionary leadership qualities of Hon. Minister Mzembi, as the current Chairperson of the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa (CAF) and the African Union-endorsed candidate for the UNWTO post, who has been very articulate on Zimbabwe’s and African tourism issues at a global scale. Therefore, this election will definitely be a boost to Hon. Minister Mzembi’s election bid, since the policy issues we pushed through to the apex of the African Union Commission on Infrastructure and Energy today reflect his vision for Africa’s tourism and the global tourism industry”.

The unanimous election of Zimbabwe to lead the AU-STC Bureau in the area of Tourism came against the background of a protracted discussion in the STC meetings that saw Zimbabwe taking a stand for the mainstreaming and the institutionalization of tourism in the 2063 Agenda of the AU and its structures, respectively. The sterling presentation and articulation of these policy issues by Zimbabwe paid dividend when the African Union Commission on Infrastructure and Energy agreed to establish a Directorate or Unit on Tourism in the structures of the Organisation by December 2018, in order to provide policy support and coordination of the proposed African Tourism Organisation. Currently, there is no physical presence of tourism in all the structures of the AUC, despite the celebration of the sector as the third economic activity after fuels and chemicals, on the global scale.

The UNWTO 2016 Report indicates that global tourism grew by 4.6% in the year 2015 while Africa declined by 3% in the same year, the trend Zimbabwe is fighting to reverse for the benefit of all African countries and other developing tourist destinations of the world.

The Secretariat of the World Tourism Organization referring to decision CE/DEC/15(CIV) of the Executive Council at its 104th session (Luxor, Egypt, 30 October – 1 November 2016), on the procedure for the election of the Secretary-General, informs in regards to the election for the post of Secretary-General for the period 2018-2021, that as of 11 March 2017, 24:00 hours, Madrid time, the deadline for the submission of candidatures in accordance with the aforementioned decision, the following candidatures were complete and duly accompanied by the required documents (letter of the candidate, curriculum vitae, statement of policy and management intent and a certificate of good health signed by a recognized medical facility), along with the letter of support from the Government of the country endorsing a candidate (listed in alphabetical order of the Member State):

Armenia:

Mr. Vahan Martirosyan submitted with the support of the Government of Armenia and received on 10 March 2017;

Brazil:

Mr. Márcio Favilla submitted with the support of the Government of Brazil and received on 6 March 2017;

Colombia:

Mr. Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente submitted with the support of the Government of Colombia and received on 6 March 2017;

Georgia:

Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili submitted with the support of the Government of Georgia and received on 2 December 2016;

Republic of Korea:

Mrs. Young-shim Dho submitted with the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea and received on 24 February 2017;

Seychelles:

Mr. Alain St. Ange submitted with the support of the Government of Seychelles and received on 18 January 2017;

Zimbabwe:

Mr. Walter Mzembi submitted with the support of the Government of Zimbabwe and received on 4 March 2017;

The Secretariat received seven other applications which were not accompanied by the required documents. Consequently, the applications will not be submitted to the 105th session of the Executive Council.

The project was presented for the first time in January 2016 at the FITUR Tourism Fair under the title “Spanish companies driving responsible tourism.” During the event, the participating companies publicly signed the Private Sector Commitment to the UWNTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and took part in a debate about the challenges, strategies and tools to achieve a responsible and sustainable tourism sector by engaging in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

With globalization, growing mobility and competitiveness, the safeguarding of human rights and respect for the environment and society in the way of doing business have suffered in many industrial sectors, including tourism. One way of addressing the negative impacts of business has been through voluntary commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR).

CSR involves business practices aimed at increasing revenues while benefiting the local communities in which companies operate, contributing to a lasting, sustainable and more competitive business model.
To leverage transparent and responsible business practices, the UNWTO Secretariat initiated in 2011 a campaign geared towards the private sector by inviting tourism enterprises and their trade associations to adhere to the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

At ITB in Berlin last night the Republic of the Seychelles had many reasons to celebrate.

The national carrier Air Seychelles announced a twice a week non-stop flight from Seychelles to Duesseldorf, Germany.

This is an achievement for the tourism industry not only to promote to tourists in Germany wanting to explore the beaches of the Indian Ocean country,  but also for citizens of the Seychelles ready to explore Duesseldorf as a shopping destination.

The event last night also had a different highly political twist. The active fight for the post of the next secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was on the center stage. Candidate and former minister of tourism for the Seychelles, Alain St. Ange managed to bring the current secretary general Taleb Rifai to the stand, along with the ministers of tourism for the Seychelles and Mauritius and VP’s for Air Seychelles and the airline’s main investor Etihad Airways.

Carlos Vogeler, running mate for the Korean candidate  for the UNWTO Post Dho Young-shim was spotted in the high level audience.

See for yourself:

Today the Korean Embassy in Berlin, Germany invited top VIP’s including ministers and members of the diplomatic community into the legendary Kempinski Adlon Hotel next to Brandenburg gate in Berlin for a breakfast meeting.

Ambassador Dho Young-shim from the Republic of Korea together with her running made Carlos Vogeler from Spain made their case why they should be elected to become the new Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization UNWTO.

Introduced by the Korean Ambassador to Berlin Ambassador Dho introduced a clever and convicting made video to relate her case to delegates and dignitaries attending the breakfast

Among the VIP’s attending the breakfast was the current UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai.
He made his case and told the audience what he thinks about candidate Dho Young shim

Put in video Taleb case.

Currently 7 candidates are competing for the highest post in travel and tourism.