GCC tourism experts feel that tourism sector managers in the region should consider new strategies to close the gap in terms of cultural and customary differences among people of the world. This should be done in a way that is compatible with global efforts for world security and peace, and in a manner that promises development and nourishment for all global tourism sectors in the face of the various economic and political issues arising in the world today. Tourism, according to experts, is entering an era of increased growth, and one should take into consideration that tourism can be used as a way to fight terrorism by spreading awareness of world peace, and by creating mutual respect among people, with everybody living in harmony. These ideals have come forth after the World Tourism Organization (WTO) announced that tourism rates will increase significantly in 2010 after two tough years, with an expected increase of 3-4 percent in the number tourists. This is the same as the decline rate seen last year, when the number of tourists dropped to 880 million according to WTO statistics. “Tourism is always seen as a way to enrich the individuals and the collective,” said Noel Massoud, executive officer at Jinan Hotels & Resorts. “It also helps us meet new people in other parts of the world and to understand their culture, customs and their lifestyle, which helps humanity thrive in a world where everybody lives in peace, while adding more earnings to the income of different individuals and countries around the world.” According to the latest report issued by the Tourism and Travel Council on the performance of the tourism sector in 2009, the travel and tourism sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world - attracting a large of number of clients and offering 219 million job opportunities, equaling 6.7 percent of the international job market. This number is expected to grow to 275 million (job opportunities) by 2019. Massoud, whose company supervises eco-friendly hotels and adopts green standards in line with Abu Dhabi's vision for 2030, adds: “Traveling is one of the most important ways of exchanging knowledge and ideas - one of the most general and specific goals of tourism. It is general in the sense that travel helps spread knowledge among people, and it is specific in the sense that travel helps tourists develop personal skills by increasing their awareness and learning processes and by driving them to engage in literary activities that could change their lives completely. “The UAE's efforts in general - where the tourism sector is ranked 30th concerning contribution to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2009 - and Abu Dhabi's efforts in particular are completely in line with the Manila announcement of 1980, issued during a conference held in the Philippines under the patronage of the WTO, which stated that the right of entertainment, vacationing and travel are elements that help individuals discover themselves according to the standards set by the international human rights, which the Bali Conference of 1996 in Indonesia adopted.
