Page 166 - Introduction to Tourism
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initiatives is to translate WTTC ’ s mission into action
by working with governments, local leaders, and WTTC
global
members with a regional presence to identify and
eliminate barriers to growth.
3. Economic Research. WTTC now uses Oxford
Economics and Accenture to undertake extensive
research to determine travel and tourism ’ s total size
and contribution to world, regional, and national
economies. The WTTC forecast is the primary vehicle
used to convey the message that tourism is the world ’
s largest industry, that it has been growing faster than
most other industries, that it will continue to grow
strongly, and that it can create jobs and increase gross
domestic product (GDP). WTTC plans to continue
publishing this forecast and enhance its methodology.
In fact, they continue to increase the number of
economic impact reports, and under the auspices of
the UNWTO, they have developed proposals for an
international standard Satellite Accounting System.
Their 2008 forecast covers
176 national economies and shows that the tourism
industry currently generates 238.2 million jobs and
contributes over 9.9 percent of global GDP. WTTC has
done more to create awareness of the economic
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