The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched a new campaign calling on governments around the world to restart international travel and enable the world to ‘Reunite’ once again. After more than a year of lockdowns globally due to the pandemic, the campaign showcases the importance international travel has on individuals and businesses.
The campaign launches with a feel-good video showing that now is the time to get the world moving again, to reunite families, friends, colleagues, and communities. WTTC believes whilst travel and tourism makes a significant contribution to economies around the world, it also provides an essential way for individuals to connect, experience and discover cultures around the world.
It encourages travellers to share the positive impact travel makes to their lives and mental well-being by sharing stories on how tourism has made a difference and changed their lives. They can do this on WTTC’s social media channels for its ‘Reunite’ campaign.
This new campaign comes after WTTC’s drive to responsibly rekindle the wanderlust of travellers through its recent ‘Together in Travel’ campaign, despite the multiple global challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Virginia Messina, WTTC’s Acting CEO, said, “Travel gives us memories which last a lifetime and the most amazing experiences to share, so we are excited to launch a campaign that gets to the heart of what travel means to people. For the past year, WTTC has been hugely invested in advocating for the social and mental benefits of travel and tourism. Through this campaign, we hope to help kickstart the recovery of our sector through a truly worthwhile experience: reuniting with those who matter most to us.”
As vaccination rollouts advance in many countries and COVID-19 cases begin to drop, it is important for governments to recognise what travel and tourism brings to the economy and the population as a whole. It is equally as important to recognise that some regions and countries are still battling to put the pandemic under control, and that the majority of vaccinations have been in developed countries. This means that the pandemic will continue to spread in those countries that don’t have equal access to vaccines.
Travel and tourism is amongst the world’s largest and most important sectors, involving around 80% SME businesses. It is a powerful driver for socio-economic development and job creation, and plays an important role in driving prosperity, empowering women, youth, and other societal groups. It is also one of the most diverse sectors, employing people from all socio-economic backgrounds regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, and includes 54% women and 30% youth. Revenues generated by travel and tourism contributes to vital infrastructure projects, such as road, rail, and air links, as well as services which improve the quality of life for residents.
