The September 11 terrorist attacks in the US have shaken the world tourism industry. To understand different dimensions of the impact of the attacks and other issues facing the tourism industry, teetering global economies, volatile security environment and a far from robust aviation scenario, Madhu Suri met Francesco Frangialli, secretary general of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), at its 14th bi-annual meeting which concluded at Seoul and Osaka in the beginning of the month.
WTO is a ministerial-level body with 138 countries as members and 350 affiliate members. The UN has entrusted it with the responsibility of promoting and developing global tourism. It is headquartered at Madrid.
This interview was conducted before the counter-attack on Afghanistan. Excerpts.
What has been the impact of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the tourism industry?
There have not been many cancellations of the current bookings but there is a strong diminution of future bookings. The most affected regions include the US and West Asia
