International Tourism and Road Safety

1. International Tourism and Road Safety Dr. Dirk Glaesser Chief, Risk and Crisis Management World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

2. The role of mobility • Mobility is by definition component of tourism • Mobility is equally important for domestic and international tourism • International tourism arrivals are dominated by arrivals by air, but then usually followed by transportation on roads

3. The importance of tourism • Tourism is globally one of the most important economic activities, sometimes the absolutely dominating economic activity • Used as a priority tool for economic development in many less and least developed countries • Highly sensitive activity and heavily depending on perceptions

4. shark = high • Fear of every beach holiday • 71 shark attacks in 2007 • 5-10 deaths a year • coconut = low • symbol of holidays • about 150 deathsa year caused by falling coconuts

5. The subjective risk perception is a very important element of the tourism decision process • Especially as the tourism product is • predominantly immaterial, as other service products • produced in the future • distance between place of purchase and where service is provided and consequently a trust or belief product

6. The challenges

7. Vulnerability of tourists • Tourists are vulnerable as they • are unfamiliar with the (emergency) infrastructure and systems • Unfamiliar with many risks of the place and society • and often not familiar with the languages of the destination • But they are looking for ‘the other thing’ • And do what they are usually are not doing

8. Road safety • We share the concerns of WHO and FIA and agree fully that road safety is a major global public health issue • Which is increasing in its importance and the number of deaths • It needs to be addressed to protect the same users of roads better • And the ensure that the ‘signaling-effects’, especially in tourism are avoided

9. Dependencies • Tourism takes only place in an intact environment • Whether this is the natural, cultural, social or human or animal health environment • Dysfunctions involving tourists and travelers are likely to make this environment perceived faster as not intact

10. Tourism as a driver of development • Tourism is a not only a ‘classical tool’ of development in less and least developed countries • It also can serve to improve overall standards and thus generate positive effects for the resident population

11. …Tourism as a driver of development • 68% of countries surveyed have a National Emergency Plan • 52% of those with NEP have tourism covered specifically • Improvements are so far driven by incidents • The data indicates that especially those events with high losses in bookings and reservations caused that tourism was addressed specifically • Helping to move from reaction to prevention

12. The way ahead

13. How to address the issue best • Guiding efforts: Indentify best practice and develop guidelines • Assist efforts especially where most needed, i.e. outside the ‘classical silo’ • Making efforts transparent: Benchmarking and promoting safe routes and destinations with safe roads • Assisting drivers intelligently through GPS based guidance and digital maps • Letting the work reach those who can make a difference, i.e. intelligent awareness campaigns

14. Conclusions • This is an important risk for the tourism and travel sector • It can and has to be addressed • For the benefit of the local population, travelers and tourists but also for the sustainable development of a country • UNWTO is prepared to work together with FIA on this important risk

15. Thank you! Dr. Dirk Glaesser Chief, Risk and Crisis Management World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ................................................................... Tel: + 34 91 5678 118 Fax: + 34 91 5713 733 email: glaesser@unwto.org www.unwto.org www.SOS.travel