As part of PAM direct partnership with key actors to promote the Economic Recovery from COVID 19 pandemic, a Webinar coordination meeting with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) took place on 7 May 2020. Participants included, inter alia, Ms Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of theWTTC ; Hon. Pedro Roque (Portugal), PAM President Emeritus and President of the Committee on Economic, Social and Environmental Cooperation; Hon. Yana Chiara Ehm (Italy), President of the PAM Committee on Dialogue among Civilisations and Human Rights; and Ambassador Sergio Piazzi, PAM Secretary General.
The discussion focused on the current situation and on the measures required for safe resumption and promotion of both Travels and Tourism in the Euro-Mediterranean region and on WTTC’s suggested strategy in relation to sustaining and relaunching tourism in the aftermath of the acute phase of the pandemic. The sector, which represents 10.3 % of the global GDP, is a pivotal element of the recovery phase,.
In the exchange of views between the two organizations, it was stressed the absolute need for a global coherent and shared approach to the resumption of operations; the coordinated removal of travel obstacles and a synchronized reopening of national borders, even within the EU. In this regard, WTTC recalled and advocated for the leading role assumed by the G20 platform, as experienced during the financial crisis of 2008, to ensure a pro-active and interconnected collaboration between governments and relevant ministries (i.e. foreign affairs, interiors, transport, health, tourism,) in terms of selection and implementation of protocols, standard, procedures and documentation required.
As a useful reference, and in relation to the recovery of the tourism and travel sectors, WTTC will be issuing a document summarizing a set of Protocols & Standards, as identified by experts from the health and productive sectors to gain back travelers’ confidence. On its side, due to the strategic role of parliamentarians in addressing the matter, PAM will share this document with its national parliaments and partners in order to provide its delegates and MEPs with additional data and food for thoughts in facing the urgent needs of the Euro-Mediterranean region.
While some governments have already started encouraging domestic tourism as a way to restore confidence in tourism again, the proposed use of “vouchers” was also raised by PAM in the consultation with the WTTC. In this context, it was overemphasized the crucial need to provide immediately liquidity, loans and other support tools not only to large multinational travel entities, which normally act as intermediaries, but particularly to small enterprises and travel agencies to allow them to survive, and avoid the collapse of the whole ecosystem of micro and SMEs.
President Roque concluded the discussion highlighting the importance of rebuilding trust in tourism and travel sector, stating that the forthcoming summer represents an excellent opportunity in this regard. He emphasized the need of coordinated approach at the international, regional and national level for the recovery of the tourism sector, while ensuring the necessary health-safety measures.
This bilateral consultation, initiated by PAM, comes as part of its wider strategy to advise, share information and best practices with PAM member parliaments in addressing the recovery phase of the economic crisis caused by the COVID 19 Pandemic. The next step in PAM and WTCC cooperation will also include the development of a set of model standards and procedures that PAM national parliaments could use as a quick reference and check-list.
PAM is at present also working in close coordination with the World Health Organization, the UN World Tourism Organization, IATA, the World Trade Organization and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, among other partners, to support the PAM constituency with best practices and guidelines on legislative approaches in regard to the recovery phases of the pandemic.