ICAO, UNWTO Partner On Aviation, Tourism

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), have signed a corporation agreement on issues of common priority.

This is contained in the March edition of UNWTO Journal.

According to the journal, the joint statement was signed by ICAO’s Secretary-General, Raymond Benjamin, and UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, on the occasion of the official opening of the ICAO Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference.

The statement read that visa facilitation, taxation, modernisation of aviation regulations, development of convergent rules for travellers and enterprise protection were key areas for improved collaboration.

“Separate sectional policies on air transport and tourism result in a fundamental and, too often, even conflicting disconnect which constitutes a severe constraint on the development of travel and tourism.

“The signing of this statement, therefore, represents a defining moment, one which can set air transport and tourism on a common path on matters of shared concern with considerable mutual benefit.

“Based on ICAO’s latest forecasts, aircraft departures are forecast to grow from 30 million to 60 million by 2030.’’

“These figures support the UNWTO’s tourism projections.

“They also highlight how important it is that our organisations continue to address air transport system capacity and related challenges, in order to maximise the economic development aspects of air transport and tourism.’’

The statement outlined other areas for future cooperation by ICAO and the UNWTO to included air passenger flow management at airports and air capacity for least developed countries.

It also listed continued reduction of environmental impacts resulting from international air travel and tourism.

It added that due consideration would be maintained on the importance of air transport to tourism development in long-haul destinations and landlocked or island states.