Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This is the organization founded in 1991 by James Robinson III, the CEO of American
Express, who teamed up with the U.N. World Tourism Organization to produce the Satel-
lite Accounts system that governments use to measure income from tourism.
At the time of the Brazil conference, the satellite system reported that the industry con-
tributed $5.474 trillion to the world economy in 2009, more than 9 percent of the world's
GDP and the biggest employer in the world with 235 million jobs. (Academics and eco-
nomists dispute some of the industry's claims, although most agree that tourism is the
largest service sector industry and the largest employer.)
Some of those attending were government tourism directors from China and South
Africa; the secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and busi-
ness executives from American Express, Carlson Hotels, Accor Hotels, IBM, Orbitz, Mar-
riott, Gap Adventures, Jones Lang LaSalle, Abercrombie & Kent, the Jumeirah Group and
Silversea Cruises.
At the conference the industry leaders spoke as if they were leading the charge toward
reform. Green was the theme. It was held at Costão do Santinho, a luxury resort on
Brazil's Atlantic Coast, with a nod to Brazil's rainforest. The WTTC Tourism for Tomor-
row Awards for best sustainable-tourism practices were integrated into the annual confer-
ence for the first time.
I was able to attend the conference thanks to Kathleen Matthews, Marriott's executive
vice president for global communication and public affairs. We started out together as
young journalists in Washington—she was an ABC television correspondent at the local
Washington station when I was a Washington Post reporter covering local politics. Now
she is an advocate of sustainable tourism within the industry. When I first interviewed her
about Marriott and tourism, she said she couldn't keep up with all of the requests she re-
ceived from the tourism reformers to meet with their groups.
Marriott was one of three finalists for the top prize of Global Tourism Business Award
at the WTTC conference. The company's entry was its underwriting of more than 1.4
million acres of pristine protected Brazilian rainforest to offset the carbon emitted in the
corporation's daily business—part of its evolving sustainable-tourism program to alter how
the company administers its 3,000 Marriott hotels to improve the environment.
The awards ceremonies were dazzling. Rajan Datan, a BBC television host who ap-
pears on the program Rough Guide to the World , roamed the stage as if this were a deluxe
variety show, introducing each of the nominees and showing videos of their accomplish-
ments. Spotlights crisscrossed the hall as the winners were announced with applause and
smiles.
Marriott won the big prize. Accepting the award was Ed Fuller, president of Marriott
International. In his acceptance speech and in his comments to reporters afterward, the
Marriott executive sounded more like a reformer than the reformers. “We are very proud
of our award for sustainable tourism. We are actually stewarding these 1.4 million acres of
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