According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the next decade will involve a major growth of the tourism industry, generating one in every ten jobs worldwide.
With the right promotion and marketing campaigns, most countries have the potential to appeal to tourists. It is a matter of finding the ideal tourist ‘hook’ and building on it. Studies have shown that tourism generates considerable income and many countries rely on profits brought by visitors entirely. One of the greatest aspects of the travel and tourism sector is the fact it creates jobs. For example, in 2011 alone three million new jobs are expected to emerge in the industry worldwide. The WTTC believe the industry is set to become one of the world’s faster growing sectors. In fact, by 2021, it is predicted to generate one in ten jobs.
The crisis of 2008/2009 is nearing its end and while tourism suffered as travelers often decided not to go on holidays, in 2010, the sector grew by 4.5%. While the predictions are very positive, governments of emerging economies are still hesitant to invest more money into tourism. There are many regulations which play an integral part in its development, as well as fear of terrorism, which is very apparent in several regions. Also, many tourist authorities have trouble organizing effective and efficient marketing campaigns, which are expensive to launch and essentially unsuccessful.
However, experts agree that the future lies in substituting classic tourism by ‘smart’ tourism - sustainable, green and ethical. Focusing directly on quality and the customer needs is the future of the industry.