SEOUL, Sept. 10 (Yonhap ) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday that the need for intercultural understanding and cooperation have never been so necessary in a speech to the leaders of the global tourism industry in
Speaking on the first day of the Summit of Asia World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC , for its acronym in English) , Blair called for governments to give more priority to the development of tourism.
“In an interdependent world , it connected people winning , and the future is open minds ," said the special envoy of the Quartet of Middle East, a group of national and international institutions struggle to resolve the Israeli- Palestinian .
“We need to know about each other, as it is ignorance that breeds fear and fear that engenders conflict."
The former prime minister also said that the world is unpredictable and rapidly changing geopolitics with going from West to East.
“As the result of today's decisions is so unpredictable , the only real recourse is to follow your instincts leadership , do what is right and let your values be your guide ," said Blair.
"In a rapidly changing world, we must change or be left behind ," he said , adding that the West has to find a "new spirit of cooperation with the East, in which power is shared " .
During the speech of the opening ceremony, the president of the WTTC , David Scowsill , emphasized in
"In the next 10 years, the travel and tourism industry in
He stressed that direct economy of tourism in
Asia , on the other hand , will create 17 million jobs in travel and tourism for 2012 , he said , with growth mainly driven by the middle class in Asia, particularly in
It is expected that more than 400 tourism leaders attending the two-day summit , including the CEO of the Travel Association of Asia Pacific , Martin Craig .
The WTTC is the nonprofit organization world's largest travel and tourism , and is composed of global business leaders in the sector. The event marks the first time the summit is held in
