01 Oct 2012
Youth tourism needs more attention say student travel groups
BY Kate Corney
Governments and businesses in the travel industry need to spend more on developing youth travel to benefit from its potential according to the World Youth Student & Education Travel Confederation and World Tourism Organisation.
The recommendation is part of a special Declaration by more than 700 delegates at the World Youth & Student Travel Conference in San Diego, USA, this month, attended by youth travel professionals and government officials.
The aim of the Declaration is to provide tourism groups with a platform to lobby governments to fund and help boost youth travel and tourism.
The Declaration, tweeted and blogged by many of the delegates, also calls for policy and decision-makers to act on issues including promoting principles of fair trade, inclusive economic development and protection of human rights for the economically poor.
It asks that social and economic programmes for young people be highlighted and that tourism authorities develop strategies that benefit from the positive impacts youth travel can bring.
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