The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has called for a higher level of support for tourism in international financing for development, and to maximise the sector’s contribution to sustainable development across the globe.

Despite being a high impact economic activity, a major job generator and key export sector, accounting for 6 percent of total world trade, tourism receives only 0.78 percent of the total Air for Trade disbursements and 0.097 percent of the total Official Development Assistance.

UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai said that tourism has been identified by half of the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) as a priority instrument for poverty reduction.

“For an increasing number of developing countries tourism means jobs, poverty eradication, community development, and the protection of natural and cultural heritage. Yet, in order to maximize tourism’s contribution to the development objectives, it is critical to address the disparity between the sector´s capacity to foster development and the low priority it has been given so far in terms of financial support in the development cooperation agenda”, said Mr Rifai.

Tourism also plays a massive part in route development and vice versa, and this resonates in the increasing number of tourism authorities attending Routes events.

Historically, the relationship between airports and tourism authorities was considerably weaker than it is today however; there has been a fundamental shift in recognising tourism’s vital contribution to air service development.

Airlines fly to destinations rather than airports, and airlines want to know who will fill the seats when they begin a service to a new destination. Including tourism authorities in discussions about new routes and services – with their expert knowledge of hotels, local attractions and facilities can only be beneficial.

Subsequently, the impact of air services on tourism can go even further and also become beneficial to cruise operators.

The importance of tourism authorities and airports as a unitary power is becoming even more apparent - particularly at Routes events, with this year’s World Routes forum in Durban, South Africa hosted by the Province of KwaZulu-Natal tourism authority.

The airport/tourism authority pairing appears to be an increasingly popular and successful method at Routes events, with next year’s Routes Americas hosted by Puerto Rico tourism authority, ‘Meet Puerto Rico’, and Luis Munoz Marin International Airport and Routes Asia 2016 is to be hosted by ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ – the Philippine Department of Tourism.

According to UNWTO, Tourism’s cross-cutting nature and multiple links to other economic sectors positions it as an effective multiplier in global development strategies as tourism often provides one of the few competitive options for developing countries to take part in the global economy.

“2015 is the year for action. As we move forward to adopt a new sustainable development agenda, we have a unique opportunity to raise the level of assistance in tourism to further harness its vast potential for stimulating green growth and inclusive development worldwide, particularly for the countries most in need”, concluded Mr Rifai.