AUSTRALIA: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched ‘Together in Travel’ at its 2024 Global Summit in Perth, Western Australia.
The initiative is aimed at providing support and resources to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the global Travel & Tourism sector, with data from UN Tourism suggesting up to 80 per cent of the sector comprises SMEs.
Together in Travel will offer a free-to-subscribe platform with tools and resources needed to help SMEs grow, with content, networking opportunities, and educational programmes all accessible.
Next year, the initiative will introduce additional paid subscriber options, offering “enhanced features.”
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “SMEs are a cornerstone of Travel & Tourism with millions of small enterprises providing services to customers, creating innovative start-ups and providing local knowledge to larger partners.
“For the first time ever, these SMEs can join a community to share ideas and tools to strengthen their businesses.”
Matthew Upchurch, vice chair of membership at WTTC and chairman & CEO of Virtuoso, said: “As the travel sector continues to navigate the challenges brought about by the global pandemic, initiatives like this are essential in building a more resilient and sustainable future for all stakeholders involved.”
Ryan Mossny, co-founder Matagarup Zip+Climb, said “As a small business, accessing the vital resources and industry connections needed to thrive in the travel sector can be challenging.
“WTTC’s new initiative has come at a perfect time; through tailored support, we will be able to directly tackle our problem areas head-on, allowing us not only to survive but to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.”
Last week the WTTC said travel and tourism emissions were down from the peak time in 2019 despite Travel & Tourism’s contribution to global GDP levels being within 4 per cent.
WTTC says travel and tourism emissions down from peak in 2019
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