Commonwealth Tourism Ministers Meeting
The first meeting of Commonwealth Tourism Ministers took place on 19-21 March, 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in response to an initiative taken by the Government of Malaysia. The theme of the meeting was "Promoting intra-Commonwealth Tourism".
Tourism is an increasingly important sector of the economy for many Commonwealth countries and is one of the sectors that can help a number of Commonwealth economies benefit from globalisation. It is a matter of serious concern that two important Commonwealth constituencies, small states and Africa, are not benefiting from globalisation. There is evidence that they are being marginalised. The share of these countries in global trade and investment is declining. Thirty-two of the 53 members are small states: primarily in the Caribbean and Pacific. Africa has 18 member states. It is, therefore, a major challenge to assist these countries to identify sectors with growth potential, i.e. sectors where they can be competitive.
Over the past half century, international tourist arrivals have risen dramatically – from 25 million arrivals a year in 1950 to almost 703 million in 2002. About 20 per cent of this activity takes place in Commonwealth countries. Global receipts were at the record level of $474 billion in 2002, making tourism the world's largest economic sector. Despite the security and public health related difficulties, which resulted in slight declines in tourism arrivals in 2001 and 2003, the World Tourism Organisation's Panel of Experts is strongly optimistic about the prospects for 2004 and beyond.
Key topics and areas for discussion
There were three events: the Ministerial Meeting; the Business Leaders' Forum (organised by the Commonwealth Business Council); and the Travel Mart (organised by Tourism Malaysia).
The following topics were addressed at the meetings of Ministers and business leaders:
- Tourism Promotion and Information Exchange
- Tourism and the Economy: Strengthening the Linkages
- Tourism Facilities and Common Security Arrangements (including Travel Advisories)
- Capacity-Building for Sustainable Tourism and Quality Services
- Mobilising Investment into the Tourism Sector in Commonwealth Countries
- Proposal for the Establishment of a Commonwealth Centre for Tourism Promotion (Ministers)
- The Travel Mart will provide an opportunity for firms in the travel, hotel and transportation trades to mount exhibits for both international audience as well as for locals who have been enjoying increasing incomes for many years.
The meeting was timely in terms of providing a forum for Ministers to discuss issues that have threatened to undermine the considerable growth potential of the tourism sector: safety and security and public health scares. The meeting provided an opportunity for Ministers and businessmen to learn about different experiences and distil best practice in these areas.