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the objective to create ‗frictionless travel‘ that
can facilitate the movement of two billion
travellers (World Economic Forum, 2015).
The United Nations World Tourism
Organization also anticipates the growth of
international tourism to two billion arrivals
and calls for an increase in connectivity and
the push for further reduction in visa
requirements in order to facilitate travel
(United Nations World Tourism Organization,
2015).
Yet, despite the expansionism, the UNWTO,
WTTC and WEF also have sustainability as
significant programs of work within their
headline objectives. Cynics will question the
extent to which this is green-washing and
doubt the sincerity with which sustainability is
pursued in comparison with seeking further
economic returns. Given the strong coupling
that remains between growth and impacts, one
might even question the compatibility of
having growth and sustainability as parallel
programmes of work for travel and tourism.
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