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 WTO
AND "ROUTES" AGREE TO WORK FOR NEW AIR
ROUTES
MADRID:
The World Tourism Organization (WTO)
and
"Routes",
World Route Development Forum signed an
agreement on
cooperation
on
Monday, by which they will work together
to explore new air routes
for
tourism
generally and particularly consider ways
and means to initiate
an
African
Routes meeting in the coming twelve
months. The Memorandum of Understanding
highlighted the role of WTO in
developing
the
initiative Liberalization with a Human
Face to link fair trade,
sustainability
and poverty strategies for the
least-developed countries
and
particularly
for Africa. WTO is seeking to increase
aviation services
to
promote
tourism trade generally and specifically
to develop new routes
to
the
world's poorest countries as a vital tool
for export and investment.
The
document was signed by the WTO Deputy
Secretary-General Dr. Dawid
de
Villiers
and Managing Director of Routes Mike
Howarth, during the 10th
 World
Route Development Forum in
Madrid.
As said
Dr. Dawid de Villiers, Deputy
Secretary-General, "the WTO
is
advancing
Liberalization with a Human Face on all
fronts. This week we
will
urge
Civil Aviation leaders meeting in ICAO in
Montreal to create
new
framework
conditions for cheaper flights to poorer
countries. We
will
underscore
our Essential Tourism Development Route
(ETDR) proposal to
help
secure
investment in those services as part of
the overall
development
structure.
Here in Madrid our new agreement with
Routes will give
tourism
authorities
a seat at the table when new air services
are being planned.
The
agreement also gives an opportunity to
target new route development
for
the
world's poorest countries, particularly in
Africa."
"Routes"
is the "world route development forum" for
airports and
airlines
established
to promote route and service expansion. It
desires to involve
tourism
interests in its annual global and
regional meetings and
is
interested
in expanding airport activity and related
air services in
developing
countries. Mike Howarth, managing director
of Routes,
stressed
that
"the track record that Routes has in
helping countries and regions
to
build
their tourism industry through air service
development is
considerable
and we are delighted to be contributing
through the WTO to
the
UN
agenda of helping economic growth in
emerging countries."
The
parties have agreed within the Memorandum
to cooperate closely in
the
future.
WTO will associate itself with the global
and regional
Routes
meetings
and will encourage greater involvement by
tourism interests.
"Routes"
will apply for an Affiliate membership of
WTO and will support
the
ETDR
approach to air service expansion in
developing markets. Both
parties
will
consider ways and means to initiate an
African Routes meeting in
the
coming
twelve months and explore other regions
thereafter.
For
further information
contact:
Rok
Klancnik, WTO Press and Communications
Department
comm@world-tourism.org,
Tel. (+34) 91-567-8191
and
Sarah
Barnes, Routes
SBarnes@qbo-bellpottinger.co.uk;
Tel. +44 7775 582 497,
www.routesonline.
com
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