Global commitment to recovery of international tourism
Global leaders in tourism from more than 95 countries have committed themselves in the Canary Islands to the recovery of international tourism with the signing of the La Palma Declaration which calls for the adoption of international protocols for tests at source, tourist corridors and contact tracing, during the International Conference on the recovery of post-COVID tourism.
The island of La Palma, located in the Canary Islands, has hosted world experts to discuss the recovery of the travel and tourism sector, an event organised by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism in collaboration with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). It brought together world tourism leaders from more than 95 countries and more than 100 Travel & Tourism companies, who have committed themselves to addressing the measures needed for the recovery of international tourism in the wake of the COVID-19.
As a result of the discussions, the 'La Palma Declaration' has been signed by all key parties, which includes, among several recommendations, the adoption of international protocols for COVID-19 tests prior to departure and the acceptance of the results upon arrival at destination in the form that some countries and regions have already implemented, such as Spain and the Canary Islands. The establishment of health control measures of this nature will allow for shorter quarantine periods on return to the country of origin, or even for their complete elimination.
The 'La Palma Declaration' also proposes to establish international agreements to implement international travel corridors to facilitate the return of both leisure and business travel between countries or cities with similar epidemiological situations. Travel & Tourism companies were also invited to propose further measures to adapt and facilitate travels in the context of the pandemic. These options included offering flexible bookings, payment terms, or changes, due to positive COVID-19, or offering affordable or higher value products to incentivise domestic and international travel.
Finally, The 'La Palma Declaration' urges all parties to adjust their business models to the new global situation and work together to develop new products that drive domestic and international Travel & Tourism, as well as implementing training programs to improve and train tourism workers and SMEs, empowering them with the digital skills needed to adapt to the "new normal". Lastly, a more inclusive and resilient industry will be promoted by strengthening sustainability practices in tourism.
International cooperation to recover tourism
This event was organised as a result of WTTC's call for the leaders of G7+Spain, South Korea and Australia for an agreement at the highest level, to save the sector and the millions of jobs that depend on it. The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, reiterated his commitment to the sector and confirmed the leadership of Spain by holding a major conference to discuss key measures needed to revive international Travel & Tourism. The conference was a follow up to last month's first ever G20 public-private sector Tourism meeting, where around 45 CEOs and WTTC members were invited for the first time at the request of Saudi Arabia, host country.
The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, opened the Conference and said that the results of this Summit will benefit millions of families and businesses around the world. "The priority is to make it possible to restart international travel, and to do so, we must use new tools available, such as more accessible and reliable diagnostic tests, so that international travel ensures safety." During his address, he made it clear that we must turn the crisis into an opportunity to modernise the international tourism sector and make it more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable, and to spread wealth better. In conclusion, he said that a world without COVID-19 is drawing closer, but as this future comes, we have an obligation to mitigate the effects of this crisis on the Travel & Tourism sector.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, gave the closing speech, stressing "it is essential to have a coordinated international response that allows international travel to be restarted in a safe and viable manner, as this will allow the travel and tourism sector to recover more quickly." During her speech, Maroto stressed that La Palma conference is of extraordinary importance, because it is the first time that the public and private sectors have committed to working together for the recovery of global tourism.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: "WTTC is delighted to have been given the opportunity to work with closely with the government of Spain in organising this vital conference, as the biggest challenge the industry faces is international coordination."
For her part, the President of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Gloria Guevara, thanked the WTTC for having participated in the organization of this unprecedented event, where the greatest challenge is international collaboration. She acknowledged and congratulated the President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, for their leadership and commitment to coordinating work with leaders from the public and private sectors. "This is an historic meeting and will be fundamental to restarting international travel through close collaboration that will result in the implementation of key measures that will be necessary to recovery millions of jobs." She also highlighted that an international protocol of rapid test at departure is crucial for the sector, and therefore the La Palma Declaration will support in the execution of this and all of the proposals presented by WTTC at the G20 meeting last month.
The Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, stressed that "the resumption of tourism cannot wait, millions of livelihoods, including vulnerable populations, depend on our sector, which must return anchored in sustainability and innovation to grow better and generate benefits that go beyond tourism". He added that "international collaboration and coordination are key pieces in this journey and I congratulate the Government of Spain for supporting the tourism sector, and the UNWTO's coordination work within the United Nations to achieve this shared goal".
During the conference, two panels were held to analyse the future of the tourism sector. The first panel included the Secretary of State for Tourism for Portugal, Rita Marques; Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage of the UK, Nigel Huddleston; the CEO of IATA, Alexandre de Juniac; the CEO of Iberia, Javier Sánchez-Prieto; and the head of TUI, Friedrich Joussen.
The second panel was attended by videoconference by the Secretary of Tourism of Kenya, Najib Balala; Founder and Managing Partner Certares, Greg O'Hara; the Minister of Tourism of Argentina, Matías Lammens; the Vice President of Expedia, Jean-Philippe Monod; and the President of the Radisson Hotels Group, Federico González.
The event was also attended by the President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres; the Minister of Tourism of the Canary Islands Government, Yaiza Castilla; and the President of the La Palma Island Council, Mariano Hernández.