The Tourism, Sport & Mega Events International Summit - which included the first T20 Tourism Ministers Meeting - ended in Johannesburg yesterday, and I’m flippin sorry I wasn’t there.

Thank goodness for the Internet, though, where I found the speech that Talip Rifai delivered on Tuesday at the opening of the T20 Meeting (um - the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation: you mean you didn’t know?).

The T20 Ministers Meeting was a significant event both internationally and for South Africa. As Mr. Rifai said:

“The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is immensely grateful to the Government of the Republic of South Africa and in particular to our friend Minister Van Schalkwyk, as the inspiration of this inaugural T20 Ministerial meeting.

“It is however not surprising, given that South Africa is taking a leadership role in many areas relating to the rapidly evolving global agenda and representing an important view from the South along with other nations like Brazil, China and India, which are committed to balanced multilateral solutions and global positions.

“This is not only a first meeting of its kind, but the first time that so many important players have met to consider the importance of the tourism sector in the global agenda.”

(Just a gripe as an aside: was the media falling over itself to build up the T20 meeting beforehand? Were the journalists and economists commentating and making predictions in the popular press? Were the paparazzi papping all over the place? No. Why? Because the tourism industry doesn’t market itself as an industry. Which is strange because, although it’s got one of the most difficult marketing challenges of any sector of the economy - I mean, we’re selling airy-fairy experiences here people, not widgets that you can touch and trade - and although it rises to its task brilliantly, in South Africa at least it still hasn’t managed to establish itself as a force of the magnitude of, say, the mining industry. Which is nuts, considering its contribution to our gross national product. Gripe ends.)

Mr. Rifai said that the meeting was taking place “as we start to leave behind one of the most difficult periods of recent history.

“An unprecedented global economic crisis, coupled with mounting environmental challenges, and aggravated by the uncertainty arising from the (flu) pandemic, turned 2009 into one of toughest years for the tourism industry.”

But, he said, figures from recent months suggest that recuperation was underway. “Growth has returned to international tourism in the last quarter of 2009, contributing to a full-year result that was not as depressed as initially expected.

“International tourist arrivals fell by 4% in 2009 while earnings from international tourism have been somewhat more impacted.” (And only Africa bucked the trend. HAH!)

“The outlook is slightly brighter now than some months ago, given the trends of recent months and the fact that the global economy is recovering significantly faster than expected, according to the IMF.

“In this framework, UNWTO forecasts a growth of 3% to 4% in international tourist arrivals in 2010.

“Asia is expected to continue showing the strongest rebound, while Europe and the Americas are likely to recover at a more moderate pace. Growth is expected to return to the Middle East and I am very happy to say that Africa, which was actually the only region in the world to grow in 2009, is expected to continue with this positive trend, benefiting from the extra boost provided by the forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup,” he said.

But what lessons can we learn from the global economic crisis?

“First: Though there are positive signs emerging from the global economy, we all recognise that recovery is still weak and uneven and that many downside risks remain − unemployment in particular is our major challenge. Public debt and large budget deficits are also alarming.

“Second: It has become clear that global challenges such as the recent economic crisis and the climate imperatives can only be addressed in a global cooperative manner and in forums such as the UN or the G-20. But we have also learned that countries which have been quick in reacting and implementing measures to mitigate the crisis have seen that their action has made a difference. We know that some governments have specifically reduced taxes on hotels or provided funds to help small tourism enterprises and taken specific action to encourage demand.” (See? I told you so - remember my remark in Time To Re-think South Africa’s Tourism Industry?  “Lobby for tax breaks for new tourism products. (That’s a no brainer)”.)

“Third: Tourism is clearly influenced by a series of external factors that are not of the making of the tourism industry but that seriously impact our capacity to grow and to contribute to the global economy – security, armed conflicts, health scares, natural disasters, energy costs, higher appetitive for tax increases in view of growing public deficits and the like.

“Fourth: If there is a single common issue of concern at this point this is unemployment. The OECD, the World Bank and the IMF see little positive prospects in terms of global jobs before 2011. We know that tourism can rapidly create jobs, particularly for young people, seasonal workers, and women. We also know that labour markets are changing and that it is not just any jobs that will matter. Beyond the immediate term, it is skilled jobs, decent work, and green economy jobs that we must strive for.

“Fifth: The results of the Copenhagen Climate Summit can be interpreted in many ways but two realities emerged – the commitments by key countries to set reduction targets, and the agreement to provide significant adaptation funds for developing countries. How can we ensure that our commitment to the green economy puts tourism adaptation in the front line and highlights the needs of the poorest countries which can often best be served by our sector of the economy?

“Sixth: Despite the relatively positive tourism growth trends from both the emerging and the developing countries, the poverty gap is still massive and we are still far from fair globalisation. The need for transparency and global outreach is therefore essential in all our action. We already know that in the G-20 economic discussions, as well as in the global trade and climate negotiations, equitable inclusion of the non G-20 countries in any solution has been a priority. How can travel and tourism contribute to global equity and shared benefits?

“And this leads me to my final and most important point.

“We are not here to try to alter the set agenda of the G-20, or to try to reset its priorities. It is our hope however that such an initiative can underscore the contribution that the tourism sector can make to the main areas of action agreed by the G-20 Leaders at their most recent Summit in Pittsburgh last September, among which I would like to highlight a) a framework for strong, sustainable, and balanced growth; b) energy security and climate change; c) strengthening support for the most vulnerable; d) putting quality jobs at the heart of the recovery and e) an open global economy.

“In all of these areas, tourism can make a significant contribution. This is why we are here today.”

And once again I see how South Africa exists as a microcosm of the rest of the world - because every word of Mr. Rifai’s speech applies as much to us as it does to every tourism destination, everywhere.

Actually, if we took those highlights from the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, applied them to the South African tourism industry, and added a good dollop of self-promotion into the mix (see My Gripe above), we’d have the start of a pretty forceful strategy for the future, don’t you think?

A link to follow for further reading: Media Release: UNWTO welcomes the Outcome of the First T.20 Ministers’ Meeting in South Africa

Now go away on holiday. It’s in the economy’s best interests…