Tourism in the new "New Economy" - Speech by UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, at the New Economy Forum
"As we turn the page on a difficult year, a year in which global economic growth slowed and uncertainty picked-up, many look to 2013 with unease.
A recent report from the World Economic Forum pinpointed wealth gaps and unsustainable government debts as the top two risks facing the world in 2013.
We must be realistic. The global economic situation remains fragile and instability continues in the Eurozone. There are over 200 million unemployed around the world. According to the International Labour Organization, the world needs to create 600 million new jobs over the next decade to sustain economic growth and maintain social stability.
Yet today I am here to argue that despite the challenging times we find ourselves in, there are forces at work that, if properly harnessed, can transform this global panorama and shape our world for the better.
And among these forces, lies what we call Travel & Tourism."
