Speech at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Tourism Ministers Meeting
Date: 19 Mar 2004
Speaker: Secretary-General Don McKinnon
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I would like to join the Malaysian Tourism Minister, Dato' Abdul Kadir, in welcoming you all to the first ever Commonwealth Tourism Ministers Meeting.
I am very grateful to the Malaysian Government for initiating the idea of a Tourism Ministers Meeting and for offering to host this event in Kuala Lumpur.
I must also sincerely thank Prime Minister Badawi for personally supporting this meeting in spite of being in the thick of an election process.
My only regret is that I will not be able, on this occasion, to be here as a tourist myself and to spend time visiting your beautiful country! And that is what I have said to my Malaysian friends every time I've come here!
But we've all been made so welcome by the Malaysian Government that I certainly want to come back, and be able to see for myself why Malaysia is such an attractive tourism destination.
It is very fitting that the initiative of this meeting came from Malaysia, as Malaysia is a very committed member of the Commonwealth. Several important Commonwealth events have been held in Kuala Lumpur, including CHOGM in 1989 and the Commonwealth Games in 1998.
Moreover, Malaysia is an important source of technical assistance, training and 'best practice' for other countries in the Commonwealth, who want to emulate Malaysia and experience rapid growth.
Finally, Malaysia is an example unity in diversity - an ethnically and culturally diverse country which believes in democracy and social harmony. In this sense, it truly reflects the Commonwealth spirit of friendship and solidarity.
This is an important meeting. For three main reasons:
First, tourism among Commonwealth countries represents a huge growth potential and this meeting can help identify strategies to boost that potential and translate it into concrete outcomes.
Second, promoting tourism within the Commonwealth can be an important tool in the fight against poverty since tourism, for many Commonwealth countries, is one of the key instruments of economic development.
And finally, this Ministerial meeting, along with the Tourism Business Forum, organised by the Commonwealth Business Council and the Travel Mart, organised by Tourism Malaysia, will help identify ways in which we can cooperate on a range of issues, including security, investment and capacity building for the mutual benefit of all member countries.
1. Tapping into the potential of tourism
This meeting couldn't have come at a more appropriate time.
Since 9/11, the tourism industry has received many blows. Increased concern about global terrorism has had an important impact on tourist numbers and many countries in the Commonwealth, particularly small states, have been badly hit.
As if this was not enough, recent health crises such as SARS and, more recently, the bird flu, have further dented the growth of tourism.
This Meeting will be an ideal opportunity for you to discuss these urgent issues and identify joint solutions.
But despite many uncertainties in the global tourism industry today, tourism remains an important source of growth for many countries.
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. The Commonwealth accounts for about 20 per cent of this activity.
Global receipts were at the record level of US$474 billion in 2002, making tourism the world's largest economic sector.
Future prospects are also very strong: above the global average of 4% a year expansion.
And if anyone is in doubt about the upward trend in the tourism industry, just look at Malaysia: it recorded its highest monthly tourism arrival with over 1,400,000 tourists visiting the country last January.
The Commonwealth has a distinct advantage in the area of tourism. Here are some of the reasons why:
First, the Commonwealth offers a wide array of destinations catering for virtually every tourist need: from beach life in Fiji to night life in Jamaica, from mountain climbing in Kenya to scuba diving in Maldives, from temple gazing in India to whale watching in South Africa, from skiing in Canada to golfing here in Malaysia.
Second, societies and cultures in many parts of the Commonwealth, particularly Asia and Africa, are drawing increased interest from tourists in other parts of the Commonwealth. Commonwealth countries should work together to take advantage of this trend.
Third, Commonwealth sporting events offer us opportunities to experience first hand each others' culture. We should capitalise on that and use the Commonwealth Games as well as regional sporting events such as the cricket and rugby world cups to promote Commonwealth tourism.
Fourth, the common features shared by Commonwealth countries put them in a stronger position to work together to boost tourism. When I say that we speak the same language in the Commonwealth, I mean more than English: we share common values, common legal and political institutions, we have similar business practices, similar traditions and a common sense of culture and history.
As a Commonwealth citizen, travelling to another Commonwealth country can be a unique experience, which combines discovery and excitement with a certain sense of familiarity.
Speaking the same language, sharing similar worldviews also enables us to engage with the culture of the country at a deeper level.
This, again, is an important asset, particularly given the growing trend towards more active holidays, where tourists want to learn more about the countries they are visiting, about the people, the cultures and traditions they encounter.
This is all part of the Commonwealth's hidden capital. It is difficult to quantify, it is often imperceptible, but it's definitely there, and it makes a difference.
2. Tourism key to development
For many nations in the Commonwealth, including small states and developing countries, tourism is not only an important source of income, it plays an essential part in their efforts to lift themselves out of poverty.
For them, tourism is one of the key access routes into the global economy.
Tourism can play a key role in transforming the lives of poor people.
A vibrant tourism industry brings inward investment, foreign exchange earnings and stimulates employment. It is often a boon for small and medium enterprise.
The current trend towards discovery holidays can also help in the fight against poverty: when holidaymakers can be encouraged to go on nature trails, visit villages, engage with the local population by taking craft and cookery classes, for example, their presence in the country is more likely to benefit poor communities.
Moreover, tourism can have a significant impact on a number of other sectors in the economy: from agriculture to construction, from fisheries to furniture, from transport to handicrafts.
But for tourism to actually benefit the poor, some hurdles must be overcome.
One important issue which needs to be addressed, particularly in the case of developing nations, is the leakage of tourist spending. When goods and services for the tourism market have to be imported, this can lead to a significant loss in earnings. We therefore need to look at ways in which we can help countries build their tourism capacity, so that the money spent by tourists actually benefits the country's economy.
3. Learning from each other
Given the huge growth potential of the tourism sector and the wide ranging affinities shared by Commonwealth countries, a great deal can be achieved by working more closely together.
Tourism is a very competitive industry. Good marketing, therefore, is crucial but it is also expensive. That is why the Commonwealth has been, over a number of years, helping many member countries promote themselves as tourism destinations.
In the last five years, the Commonwealth Secretariat has provided over £1 million worth of assistance in support of the tourism sector in various member states.
Examples of programmes of assistance provided include:
- Market development programmes in Ghana, Lesotho and Cameroon
- Tourism advisers in the Pacific
- A tourism promotion programme for the SADC region
- A tourism human resources strategy for the Caribbean region
Of course, more could be done and this Meeting will offer you an opportunity to identify ways in which Commonwealth countries can further cooperate to strengthen tourism.
In this regard, the Malaysian Government's proposal to establish a Commonwealth Centre for Tourism Promotion is particularly welcome. The purpose of this Centre would be to promote tourism within the Commonwealth by undertaking promotional and publicity activities, facilitate the exchange of market information, encourage partnerships between the public and private sectors and facilitate the easing of barriers to travel.
In the present world climate, it is also very important for Commonwealth countries to cooperate on issues of public health and security. This meeting offers an ideal forum to develop common strategies in this area, particularly with regards to travel advisories.
There are many other ways in which the tourism industry can be encouraged. It may be useful, in that respect, to work in collaboration with other government departments. We could, for instance, think of ways of supporting "educational tourism" by encouraging young people on student exchange programmes to engage in tourism activities.
4. Conclusion
This first ever meeting of Tourism Ministers offers a great deal to look forward to.
It will enable you, Ministers, to explore ways in which we can capitalise on the "Commonwealth brand" and on the growth potential of tourism among Commonwealth member states.
I am confident that this meeting will mark the start of a new chapter in Commonwealth cooperation, as countries come together to promote tourism for the mutual benefit of all members, in the best spirit of Commonwealth friendship and solidarity.
I wish you much success in your deliberations.
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Speech at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Tourism Ministers Meeting
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