“Tourism is expected to keep growing as a sector over the coming years,” says Dirk Glaesser from the World Tourism Organization in an interview for ISOfocus. “The number of international tourist arrivals surpassed 1.4 billion in 2018, with the sector worth USD 1.5 trillion.”
The July/August 2019 issue of ISOfocus highlights the fastest growing trends in travel and tourism, including sustainability and medical tourism. It features everything from sustainable travel to eco-friendly retreats to diving do’s and don’ts to big adventure activities.
What we unpack in this issue is the contribution of ISO standards to solving many of today’s travel-related challenges, including the need to accelerate sustainable practices and production patterns. It explains the economics of the travel industry to create jobs, boost a country’s economy and raise living standards while protecting the best a country has to offer.
Javier García, CEO of the Spanish Association for Standardization, writes in his introductory remark: “Today, tourism standards have evolved into real tools that help organizations better position themselves on the market, increasing their competitiveness and contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations blueprint for a more sustainable world.”
By Elizabeth Gasiorowski-Denis