Travel is BIG Business…More than 75 Million Jobs Worldwide*
With concerns about the bottom line, employment, and pinching pennies, it is clear that the world has a different mindset than previous years regarding spending, return on investment, and job security. The travel industry must remind governments and the general public that travel is a BIG business providing not only great revenue, but also numerous jobs spanning various skill sets.
In an article published late July 2009, the Daily Sentinel wrote, “According to Alabama’s official tourism Web site, www.alabama.travel, over $702 million of state and local tax revenues were generated by travel and tourism activities in 2008. Without those taxes, each household in Alabama would have to pay $404 in additional taxes to maintain current services, according to the site. Nearly 170,000 jobs - 8.5 percent of non-agricultural employment in Alabama, the site says - were directly or indirectly linked to the travel and tourism industry in 2008.”
That example alone would illustrate the travel industry’s importance in this economic crisis. To strengthen this claim, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimated that travel and tourism supplies more than 75 million jobs worldwide. And, please note, that travel and tourism also promotes trade and enhances human understanding.
It is with this knowledge that .travel is proud to participate and plan a crucial role in the travel industry’s evolution to its next level.
What are you thoughts about the global economic crisis and the travel industry’s impact of the crucial times? Do you have other examples that you would like to share with the .travel community?
*According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) tourism is estimated to represent, directly and indirectly, 7.6% of the total workforce in 2009 (276 million jobs)
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