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Tourism : Taleb Rifai: Romania is a sort of 'morning star' in tourism; it is practically beginnig to shine
The World Tourism Organization (WTO) is delighted with the new Romanian tourism potential, the medical tourism, and will continue to support Romania, as it is beginning to shine in this area, WTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai said in the opening of the medical tourism international conference.
WTO will continue to support Romania, as it is some sort of 'morning star' in this area. It is practically beginning to shine in the tourism area and we are watching and supporting you. We are very delighted with this new tourism potential of Romania, Rifai said.
According to him, WTO ranked Romania as having a high technique expertise level, a high hospitality level and a very clear political determination in this area.
Moreover, the WTO representative appreciated the effort Romania made to promote tourism, in spite of the problems it was confronted with.
You have a true leadership spirit in the field and we want to congratulate you. This meeting is an example illustrating the way in which we must collaborate in all administrative structure levels to support tourism, he underscored.
Rifai showed that humankind was currently confronted with two revolutions. In the first place, there is the IT impact on people's lifestyles, which represents a true revolution, another level of this revolution being the tourist revolution.
This year, we registered one billion tourists moving in one direction or other in the world. Six years ago only 22 million people moved about the planet. This is how tourism and trips change people's lifestyles. Today, there is not one place on the planet that cannot be accessed by tourists. Tell me one place and I will take you there in about 36 hours, he highlighted.
Besides these one billion travelers, circulating at an international level, there are about two billion people traveling at a local level, the turnover currently registered in the tourism area standing at 1.3 trillion euros.
We are absolutely sure that in November and December 2012 we shall obtain historical figures of travelers registered worldwide and this happens in spite of all existing vicissitudes and problems and in spite of the economic uncertainty that we are confronted with. Although the global economy is not in good shape, there are people who spend money to travel, as traveling helps them achieve a certain kind of spirit, a certain kind of mental state, and people will continue to travel, Taleb Rifai added.
According to a WTO survey, by 2030 there will be 1.8 billion people crossing the borders of one country or another traveling. Moreover, the tourism sector registered a 5 percent growth, in spite of all the problems humankind is confronted with, not only economy-wise, but of other kind, too.