00:00One in ten people in the street is working for the tourism industry.
00:04Tourism cannot be desirable without the local community.
00:08If you cannot keep your country secure, how will you make the tourism?
00:18Welcome to The Big Question, the series from Euronews
00:21where we speak to some of the most influential people in the world of business.
00:26And today is no different.
00:29I'm Angela Barnes and today I'm joined by Bilit Bajay,
00:33the president of the World Tourism Forum Institute.
00:37Thank you very much for joining us on the programme.
00:39Thank you very much for hosting me.
00:40Well, first of all, let's just set the scene.
00:42Can you talk us through how big the global tourism industry is today
00:47and how big a player Europe is in the sector?
00:51Yeah, actually tourism industry is now globally
00:55is holding almost 11% of total GDP and plus of this is almost holding 10% of all job creation.
01:07It means that one in ten people in the street is working for the tourism industry.
01:14In the Europe, the number is 10.5% contribution getting from the GDP.
01:2210.5% we cannot describe tourism after these numbers as an industry.
01:28So can you imagine that the one sector is blocking almost 11% of total world GDP?
01:36So for us, we are describing tourism as a macroeconomic infrastructure.
01:42And is it likely to, do you project it growing or declining?
01:46So it's growing, it's growing.
01:48There was a slightly decline on the COVID, but it's growing.
01:52I mean, when we look at numbers globally, even up to the last year, it grew up.
01:58Our forecast is almost it will grow again up to 10%.
02:01In three, four years, grow again 10%.
02:04It's Europe's next phase of tourism growth about new destinations or smarter investments,
02:17would you say?
02:17Europe is one of the most tourist-sending destinations.
02:22Also, Europe is one of the most tourist-attracting destinations.
02:26But now tourism is going to be reflected with AI, all the datas, all the informations and everything.
02:33And Europe is leading the way.
02:34So what Europe does, the others follow after 2030.
02:39The most important thing, and the industry have to be focused, it have to be well done in the data management.
02:46If you know the data, if you know who is coming to your country, which destinations they visit,
02:51during that destination visit, which transfer they use.
02:54So we have to align all this data together.
02:58And can you imagine that when this data is merged?
03:00Tourism in Europe is in many parts oversaturated.
03:06We've seen protests against in many countries about that.
03:10What are your thoughts on that?
03:11Where do you still see real opportunities for growth?
03:15So, of course, opportunities come with some troubles.
03:19Some people and citizens don't want to over-tourism.
03:23The most important and the key thing is here.
03:26When the tourist is following a destination, how the authorities are managing it?
03:30It's not only for the economic impact.
03:32It's also the social and it's also the climate impact.
03:36So, it's very important that when a destination is going to grow up, for the authorities to manage it with the local community.
03:46Because tourism cannot be desirable without the local community.
03:51And do you think there is enough investment to strike that balance at the moment?
03:56Of course, of course.
03:57I mean, the most important thing, what we look at, is safety.
04:00The second one is the connectivity.
04:02So, these two is 50%, 50% is important.
04:07If there is a safety but there is no connectivity, it's very hard to get an attract investment.
04:12Or vice versa, Albania is a good example.
04:16In three, four years, it became a touristic destination on the international level.
04:20So, it means that it's attracting also the investment.
04:23The people is around that regions are getting the jobs.
04:27SMEs are making the money through the tourists.
04:29So, the flights are making the money.
04:32So, everybody is getting the money around the tourism.
04:36And beyond Europe, where could increase investment in tourism be a real game changer?
04:42Me personally, I mean, the Asia and Africa is my personal interest.
04:46What we understand that in our trips, tourism not only for creating the jobs.
04:51Also, tourism is assisting for the countries, for the restructuring of the country.
04:56So, without the roads, it means it's civilization.
04:59Without the logistics, you have the beautiful beaches, but you don't have resorts or you don't have ports.
05:06So, it means tourism is the Bible to attract more and more investments.
05:15When we come to Africa, I can easily say that Congo DRC, Angola, these two is the leading the way in Africa.
05:25Well, because Angola specifically, they already did their infrastructure.
05:31So, when the infrastructure is done, as an investor, it's easy to come.
05:36But what I see, Congo DRC, is the leadership.
05:41They are trying to develop their infrastructure.
05:45With this infrastructure, more and more investment will come.
05:48So, especially when you come to Europe, and for my perspective, as a hotel investor, hospitality investor,
05:56so I see Belgium also is a good opportunity.
06:00Because there are lots of shortage and lackness in the hospitality in Belgium.
06:06And then Belgium is keeping the biggest, because NATO is here, European Union is here, all the institutions are here.
06:14So, it means that there are lots of potentials to build it up.
06:18I'm picking up on safety, because at the moment, government priorities and spending is very much focused on defense, security and technology.
06:26When it comes to investment, would you say that the tourism sector is on the back foot at the moment with government priorities?
06:32Yeah, actually, the government and authorities lead the way for the private sector.
06:38Of course, priorities are always change.
06:40I mean, as you said, now the focus is the defense, focus is the security.
06:45Also, this is the part of the tourism, because if you cannot keep your country secure, how will you make the tourism?
06:52It's impossible.
06:53It's part of the tourism and the first pillar to make the tourism buildup.
06:57What other trends do you see shaping the tourism industry in the years to come?
07:01AI will be more integrated in the tourism industry.
07:05I mean, it starts with the technological internet of things, first of all, in the tourism industry.
07:10But now, where the AI will replace most of the things, thanks to God.
07:15Our industry is the human-oriented, because the people is going there to get that service.
07:19So you cannot give the service feelings with the robots.
07:24The space tourism will be very, very, very interesting for everybody.
07:29The road is already open, and the competition has already started.
07:33After 2030, we will speak different things about the space, to creating the hotels in space, to creating the different accommodation services.
07:40Something like this will come very soon.
07:41Thank you very much for the conversation.
07:44It's been fantastic to get your insights.
07:46Thank you for joining us on the show.
07:48It's been a pleasure.
07:48Thank you.
07:48Thank you.
07:48Thank you.
07:58Thank you.
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