As our sector continues to change, it is important to share the vision of the National Travel Association Coalition (NTAC), the body recently set up to ensure we in the tourism and hospitality fields work more collaboratively to remind governments of the vital importance of our sector.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) should be thanked for recently gathering national travel associations at the 2016 WTTC Global Summit in Dallas to launch the idea of a National Travel Association Coalition.
At that inaugural meeting, CEOs of 11 national travel organizations agreed to form a loose affiliation of the national travel associations that represent, and advocate for, the sector among governments and legislators. They represent Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Egypt, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
NTAC’s goal is to provide a focused forum for national travel associations to support each other and ensure the sustainable growth of our sector. We have also agreed to use NTAC to amplify the voice of travel and tourism, and emphasize among policymakers the sector’s significant role as a major driver of economic progress, employment and sustainable development to ensure it is considered more seriously at the policy table.
In addition to working collectively and more effectively to elevate the perception of travel and tourism among decision-makers, we also want to learn how travel and tourism advocacy is conducted in different countries, particularly at election time.
We have agreed on the need for centralized funding and collaboration on common projects to improve cost efficiency, as well as the benefit of jointly seeking other sources of support.
By knowing each other better as we continue to build this strong, resourceful network of like-minded associations, we can also support each other in managing major issues we have in common and circulate relevant reports and global perspectives on new models such as the sharing economy and other innovations.
CHTA is a proud co-founder of NTAC, which we continue to support heartily in these changing times.
In partnership,
Karolin Troubetzkoy