MADRID, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Taleb Rifai, secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) who will step down from office this month, highlighted the key role of tourism in helping with sustainable development.
"I think the most important thing that happened in the last 10 years is the recognition of tourism as an important and vital sector," Rifai said during an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
"Ten years ago if you had asked any public official or the public about tourism, nobody linked that to development to job creation, to economic growth, development, environmental or cultural preservation," he added.
Over the past 10 years, international tourist numbers have climbed over the billion mark with a 7-percent growth in 2017, taking the number of international travelers to nearly 1.3 billion.
2017 has been declared as the Year of International Tourism for Development, something Rifai described as "the best thing that ever happened to me, because the U.N. and the international community recognize that tourism is a development tool and a development sector."
Rifai has long stressed the benefits of tourism, arguing that it can help lead to improved education as the sector needs more trained personnel in developing nations, which can also help empower women.
Travelers from different cultures will meet and share each other's cultures, which can help promote understanding between people and promote peace, Rifai explained.
