Going with the good news first: today we celebrate the UN World Tourism Day. You may not be in the mood for celebration just yet, but it does not hurt to use the occasion to reflect on some positives for our industry. The theme for the global event this year is Tourism for Inclusive Growth, a reminder of just how powerful tourism is as an agent for positive outcomes. Not just as an economic powerhouse but as a driver of social inclusion, regional employment, cultural and heritage protection, environmental sustainability and also health and wellbeing. We should be proud of how businesses, large and small, are genuinely contributing to a better world. ‘Travel for good’, a recent theme of TEQ’s efforts, is a reflection of this and can have real meaning and substance behind it. We have used the theme of World Tourism Day to launch our new Accessible Tourism module under our Quality Tourism Framework, a national program of the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC). More details of this new program can be found below.
