Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2014 WTTC Americas Summit in Lima, Peru, David Scowsill called on the public and private sectors to protect and develop countries’ natural assets: “It is the reason so many of us travel the world. We search out authentic experiences that bring new understanding and meaning to our lives. Sensitive partnership between culture and commerce ensures that we all value and enjoy the extraordinary world that we inhabit. Our shared vision is to enable Travel & Tourism to be a force for good, bringing greater cultural understanding and building stronger bonds between nations.”
Over the course of a day and a half, through a series of keynotes, panel sessions and interviews, Travel & Tourism leaders and government ministers from across South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and North America have come together with top executives, NGOs, opinion-formers from academia and the media to discuss the most pressing questions facing Travel & Tourism in the Americas today and to identify what needs to be done to ensure the long-term sustainable future of the sector.
Discussions at the Summit have included how to foster real partnership between the public and private sectors and the importance of cultural heritage to the economic, social and spiritual growth of a country. Speakers on the subject of cultural heritage included Brett Tollman, President & CEO, The Travel Corporation, Carlos Alberto Arrarte, Chairman of the Board, LIMA TOURS, Todd Davidson, CEO, Travel Oregon, María Soledad Acosta, Director Of Tourism, PromPerú and Hon Marcela Bacigalupo, Executive Secretary Minister of the National Secretariat of Tourism (SENATUR), Government of Paraguay. Brett Tollman says it is vital to preserve cultural heritage for current and future generations: “Today we see globalization homogenizing destinations with global fashion and fast food brands on every street and literally every corner. Human footsteps, nature and other forces and influences continue to degrade, demolish and wear away at a country’s culture. Without cultural diversity and heritage, we’d be much the same and people would have little desire to travel to Europe, Asia, South America, India, Africa and other parts of the world.”
Hon. Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin, Minister of Tourism, Government of Haiti, also spoke at the Summit about the impact of tourism and how a spirit of co-operation has taken a country ravaged by the tragedy of natural disaster to a place today where partnership and collaboration is actively impacting on lives and futures.
In his speech at the closing ceremony, Mr. Scowsill said the industry had a vital part to play in ensuring that cultural heritage is valued by tourists, industry and government: “We must recognize our role as global leaders. We must demonstrate that we can be trusted with leadership, accountability and responsibility for the careful preservation of resources and protection of the planet.”
He continued, “If we understand our responsibilities and act upon them, we will deliver the very best for our industry, stimulating growth, building more understanding and creating a better connected world.”
