Visa facilitation to create 2.6mn jobs
Facilitating visas will also create an additional US$ 89 billion in international tourism receipts generated by 57mn more tourists visiting APEC destinations.
Visa facilitation can contribute to advance APEC’s objectives and the balanced growth of its economies Encouraging freedom to travel is a strategic priority for WTTC. It is a step for Govts which create jobs & economic growth
Anew report by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) during APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Travel Facilitation in Indonesia shows that visa facilitation could create up to 2.6 million new jobs in the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies by 2016.
The report, ‘The Impact of Visa Facilitation’ in APEC Economies indicates that although there has been a successful collaboration and advances across the APEC region to facilitate visas, including progressive approaches to implement new visa policies, 21 per cent of expected international tourists arriving into APEC over the period 2014-2016 would still be required to obtain a traditional visa prior to travel under current visa policies.
Facilitating visas for these tourists could create as much as 2.6 million additional jobs in the APEC economies by 2016 and an additional US$ 89 billion in international tourism receipts generated by 57 million more tourists visiting APEC destinations.
Taleb Rifai, SecretaryGeneral, UNWTO said, “This report clearly shows that placing visa facilitation as a national priority can translate into significant socioeconomic benefits in terms of income and jobs generated by the growth of tourism demand. APEC has been a leading organisation in terms of regional integration and we believe that visa facilitation can contribute significantly to advance APEC’s objectives and the balanced growth of its economies.”
Here David Scowsill, President & CEO, WTTC, said, “Encouraging freedom to travel is a key strategic priority for WTTC. It is a simple step for Governments which create jobs, economic growth and incalculable social benefits. This report lays bare for the first time the precise opportunity in APEC economies and demands to be taken seriously by the region’s Governments.”