Marriott CEO in plea for travel freedom
DUBAI – The world’s growing travel and tourism industry is a powerful engine building global opportunity, but governments need to work with business to promote the freedom of travel, the head of one of the world’s largest hotel management companies said this week.
J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr.chairman and CEO of Marriott International, told the World Travel and Tourism Council summit, “Globalisation is about movement, mobility, opportunity… and it has been a rising tide lifting 500 million people into better living conditions.â€
But he said governments, such as the US, “need to do more to put out the welcome mat at our airports and borders, such as streamlining visa and entry processes.”
Marriott said that in the US international trade contributes $1 trillion to the national economy, and that jobs connected to international activity pay between 13 and 18 percent more than jobs overall in the economy.
And, he asserted, “Bottom line, travel is trade.”
He said the WTTC reports that travel and tourism made up 12 percent of worldwide exports last year.
“Every time an international visitor visits Palm Island (Dubai), or shops on New York’s Fifth Avenue or Tokyo’s Ginza, it’s the same as exporting a Caterpillar tractor, an Airbus jet, a Sony Playstation or … oil.
“I think that a world full of travellers is a world humming with opportunity,” he said.
“Travel facilitates public diplomacy. That’s why we need to encourage people to move around the planet.”
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
All eyes on Qatar as Qatar Airways leads a season of global events