00:00How are governments and businesses embracing tourism to boost economies built
00:05resilience and underscore soft power we talked to a panel of experts at the euro
00:10news hub at davos here's what they had to say
00:15you
00:20it is my pleasure to address you today on
00:25diplomacy of the tourism a subject that sits at the crossroads of
00:30economic growth international cooperation and long-term
00:35stability or sustainability our economy is very much dependent on mining
00:40so that is why we are aiming to diversify our economy that's why
00:45tourism is viewed as second
00:50sector of mongolia it is the strategic pillar of our economic
00:55diplomacy and long-term drive to inclusive economic growth
01:00mongolia is country of great
01:05skills of authenticity
01:10west untouched land rich history
01:15the legacy of chingis khan mongolia's rising star of tourism
01:20the growth is a result of deliberate policy choices including visa
01:25transportation air transport liberalization digital out
01:30public and cross-border tourism cooperation
01:32come to mongolia
01:34this
01:35which is all this or island of democracy in our region
01:39come
01:40to a land
01:41to a land
01:41to a land
01:41to a land
01:41to a land
01:41to a land
01:41to a land where tourism services
01:42to a land where tourism services diplomacy
01:44and invest
01:45to a land
01:46to a land
01:46to a land
01:47to a land
01:47to a land
01:48to a land
01:49to a land
01:49to a land
01:50to a land
01:51to a land
01:52to a land
01:53to a land
01:54to a land
01:55to a land
01:56to a land
01:57to a land
01:58to a land
01:59to a land
02:00to a land
02:01to a land
02:02to a land
02:03to a land
02:04to a land
02:05to a land
02:06to a land
02:07to a land
02:08to a land
02:09to a land
02:10to a land
02:11to a land
02:12to a land
02:13to a land
02:14to a land
01:50One of the things
01:55that makes your industry different
01:57is that there's still a positive story.
02:00To tell to the world,
02:01how do you see the perspectives in 2026?
02:04Because...
02:05It is a positive story.
02:06It is a positive industry.
02:08But it does not...
02:10Live in a silo.
02:11Obviously, the global context can't have an impact.
02:13So how do you see the two coming together?
02:15So jumping directly to your question,
02:19I will...
02:20I will speak on a perspective of an African country
02:23that, of course...
02:25feels the impact of all the situation.
02:30going on in the world.
02:32And Africa has the most...
02:35grown population in the world.
02:38And the youngest one.
02:40So the main challenge that...
02:45African countries face now is challenging.
02:50of the unemployment.
02:52So we are now focused...
02:55on those kind of industries that are intense...
03:00defensive in the human resources...
03:02that can fight the...
03:05unemployment that we see in our societies.
03:08So we need stability.
03:10We need the industries of peace.
03:13Tourism is one of them.
03:14As African...
03:15countries, we are strongly committed...
03:18on taking advantage...
03:20of this demographic advantage...
03:23for shifting our...
03:25economies...
03:26for being those...
03:27that are dependent...
03:29on the...
03:30extractive sector...
03:31like oil...
03:32diamonds...
03:33to go...
03:34to the...
03:35services...
03:36economy...
03:37with the...
03:38creative industries.
03:40cultural...
03:41tourism...
03:42and...
03:43there we can compete...
03:44with...
03:45the other countries.
03:46That's what I think.
03:48Minister...
03:49So just very briefly...
03:50what's your pitch...
03:51to European companies...
03:52who want to take that...
03:53on their word...
03:54who say...
03:55you know...
03:55what...
03:56we want to bet on Africa...
03:57our governments are telling us...
03:58we need to work with them...
03:59what do you...
04:00offer them?
04:01Yeah...
04:02and thank you...
04:03for your question...
04:04I believe that...
04:05a...
04:06foreign...
04:07direct investment...
04:08succeed...
04:09not only...
04:10when you have...
04:11good...
04:12business environment...
04:13with...
04:14good opportunities...
04:15but when...
04:16the companies...
04:17goes there...
04:18starting a business...
04:20with...
04:21zero...
04:22bureaucracy...
04:23as well...
04:24as we have done...
04:25in...
04:25Angola...
04:26we have declared...
04:27a war...
04:28to bureaucracy...
04:29in tourism...
04:30yeah...
04:31it's a war...
04:30declaration...
04:31so...
04:32that's why we are...
04:33we have received...
04:34the war...
04:35the...
04:36best...
04:37destination...
04:38for investment...
04:39tourism...
04:40let's...
04:40here with the Global Tourism Forum.
04:42From one of the top tier destinations in the world.
04:45Known by everyone across the world.
04:47How do you see this 2026 playing out?
04:50It's a very difficult global context.
04:51So where do you see challenges that can be addressed through partnerships?
04:55I do feel that I'm a little bit the opposite of what the Minister was just mentioning.
05:00The youngest continent in the moment.
05:03I sort of represent.
05:05A little bit the opposite.
05:06But, you know, with experience comes a legacy.
05:10It becomes a gravity that we need to bring forward.
05:13So in the setting of the example, there's a.
05:15A lot of positivity as well.
05:16I am a firm believer that that not only I mean.
05:20Tourism is the most positive industry in the world, but is also the most human and.
05:25Minister mentioned it correctly.
05:26I mean, if we want to generate jobs for the younger.
05:30generations and we want to keep it human, definitely tourism is an absolute resource.
05:35There is nothing like it, absolutely.
05:37There's no way it's going to get in the middle, no chat bot.
05:40That is going to substitute the human experience, you know, person to person exchange.
05:45Building long lasting memories, but, you know, we have a lot of.
05:50Things to do as well, I mean, who knew that Rome or the suburbs of Rome could.
05:55Become a number one congress destination in the world, which is a perfect.
06:00Segway now to Dr. Gopinath, I wonder for 2026, what kind of horizon do you look.
06:05At what are you expecting and again this question that we mentioned before you don't live in.
06:10In your own bubble, there's a broader context, which is challenging.
06:13So is that going to have any.
06:15Impact and if so, how do you mitigate?
06:17I'm very optimistic.
06:18The meeting industry brings.
06:20Overall, the knowledge, thought provoking, the innovation and also the future generation.
06:25Together and we see that from 25 to 26, the growth is about 64 percent.
06:30There are 864 new meetings have been launched in the last 24 months, only on the topic of.
06:35Now, when you start a meeting of that nature, it brings over 1,000.
06:40It brings economics together, it brings knowledge together, it brings academia together.
06:45It also brings innovation and creativity together.
06:48So there is huge opportunity.
06:50Across the world, I mean, we used to operate in about 70 plus countries.
06:55Five years ago.
06:56Now, we have gone to 108 countries.
06:58So you can see the potential.
07:00Everybody wants to invest.
07:01Why?
07:01Because the business, the investment, you talk about.
07:05Any topic, medical science, healthcare, you need an audience coming together.
07:10First of all, is it still possible to connect people, prevent perhaps?
07:15Conflict through the shared experience of tourism.
07:18Oh, I think it's entirely possible.
07:20We've experienced that in Sri Lanka for ourselves.
07:24That the people...
07:25People-to-people connections that tourism enables is one of the main factors.
07:30That has enriched our relationships and strengthened...
07:35Diplomacy throughout.
07:36So we are a prime example of how that works.
07:40Well, thank you, Prime Minister.
07:41And now also joining us on the panel, we have Kuban Omidaleev.
07:44He is the Secretary...
07:45Secretary General of the Organization of the Turkic States.
07:48Sir, how do you see...
07:50This new scenario playing out?
07:51Because a lot of things are changing.
07:54Yeah.
07:55Thank you very much.
07:55Tourism is one of the main parts of...
08:00in the economy now, not only in our countries, as just before.
08:05Mongolian Prime Minister mentioned, her excellency now is mentioned or in...
08:10our African friends mentioned, everywhere is tourism becoming is important.
08:15It is not only, you know, bringing people together, as just you mentioned...
08:20this changing political, not only daily, hourly changing now.
08:25But tourism will be to release of power.
08:30And really, two people, two people, Thai, is also our main...
08:35priority in our organization.
08:38And, you know, I want to ask you...
08:40just to very quickly follow up to what you said.
08:42There are some countries, potential visitors, who are only...
08:45now coming to know you.
08:46How do you pitch that?
08:50Our geography is stretching from Anatolia to Central Asia, from...
08:55Caspian to Altai, is really a big area, 4.5...
09:00million square kilometers in our territory...
09:05So, if you someone, guest coming...
09:08they...
09:09...
09:10...
09:11...
09:12...
09:13...
09:14...
09:15...
09:16...
09:17...
09:18...
09:19...
09:20...
09:21...
09:22...
09:23Well, thank you for that.
09:24And also joining us is Mishhari Al-Nahari. He is the CEO of...
09:28the Asir Investment Company, and it seems there's been a big push from the Kingdom Special in the...
09:32...Past five years to really open up and tell a narrative to say...
09:37...
09:42...
09:43...
09:42...
09:45...
09:46...
09:47...
09:47...
09:52...
09:53...
09:52...
09:57...
09:58...
09:57...
09:58...
09:59...
10:00...
10:01...
10:03...
10:05...
10:07...
10:08...
10:09...
10:11to try a specific asset or to taste...
10:14...
10:15...
10:16...
10:17...
10:18...
10:19...
10:20...
10:21...
10:22...
10:23...
10:24...
10:25...
10:26...
10:27with partners, with locals, with the community, from the people to the people.
10:32So people travel to see each other, to get to know each other, and to experience each other's culture.
10:37And just for administrators, I know you have to go to the final question, of course it's Davos, so we have to talk about business too.
10:42For an investor, for foreign money, what can they expect?
10:47We are looking to build that infrastructure, the infrastructure that is welcoming towards investors.
10:52One that's transparent, accountable, but I must say that we are looking for investors who are...
10:57interested in long term, and fits in with our overall economic and development vision.
11:02for a more inclusive, climate-friendly...
11:07country, and that's the kind of investment we look for even within the tourism sector.
11:12So the Vice President of the Republic of Suriname, of course...
11:17Thank you very much for being with us, in this very competitive market that is tourism.
11:22in which everyone obviously tries to make the best case for your country, what is the...
11:27or the case, or the pitch that you make to anyone who wants to visit?
11:31What can they expect?
11:32I must say that Suriname is going through some exciting times.
11:35And the nice thing about Suriname is...
11:37is that we have been able, over the last 100 years, that...
11:42that we are living very nicely together.
11:45Suriname, as far as...
11:47as far as the different populations is concerned, but also the religions, you know.
11:52live nicely together.
11:53And...
11:54it's the only place, I think, on earth.
11:57where you will find a synagogue next to a mosque.
12:02sitting together, and the people looking after each other.
12:05We also have...
12:06We also have...
12:07I think...
12:08very interesting for...
12:09as far as tourism is concerned.
12:11...
12:12People must recognize that Suriname is one of the three only countries in the world.
12:17That are carbon negative.
12:19Well, thank you very much and of course we continue now our panel.
12:22Please allow me to introduce Randy Durbin.
12:24He is the CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance.
12:27Christopher Kisling, he is the president of the Loro Parque Foundation.
12:30I've got to say I've been to them.
12:32Many times in the past and Nicole Mongeau, she is director, senior director.
12:37Of course, I'm sure it does not escape to you, however, that the global...
12:42...conversation around sustainability has really changed and some argue it's not really at the forefront.
12:47...anymore.
12:48So what is the impact in your different perspectives and...
12:52Is that still the case?
12:53You know, is it still relevant or actually it's hard to pitch it now as a...
12:57...premium element in a package.
12:58We can start with you, sir.
13:01I believe it's our responsibility.
13:02We are an educational center, so we're inspiring lots of young...
13:07...children, so when they come to the park and when they meet the animals, live animals...
13:12...in a controlled environment, not impacting, which is the natural habitats...
13:17...then they get this inspiration, which in the future will cause a more...
13:22...sustainable world, which we need nowadays.
13:24And on that note, perhaps for you, Mr.
13:27Dermot, is the sustainable conversation still relevant when it comes to the specific sector?
13:32...of tourism and gathering convenient people?
13:35I think it's more relevant today than...
13:37...than ever, and I would push back on whether it was ever niche or...
13:40...or going...
13:42...in a way.
13:43All generations, young generations, are very angry at the world they're inheriting.
13:47And we're seeing now in satisfaction data on travel and...
13:52...tourism, that the traveler wants it.
13:54So I push back on two levels.
13:56The...
13:57...capital markets want sustainability, and I would argue the travelers want it.
14:02I think there's...
14:02...so many misconceptions.
14:03Is it perhaps wrong, the...
14:05...the way that sustainability...
14:07...is measured?
14:08Is it...
14:09...is there perhaps an issue in the way that we...
14:11...we...
14:12...we use the...
14:12...the metrics or the data that's used?
14:13Because some look at sustainability as something that's really a pain.
14:17You know, it's...
14:18...you travel, oh, I'm such a horrible human being, I got on a plane.
14:21I think it's linking...
14:22...to these other kind of...
14:23Benefits.
14:24...these other benefits.
14:25I think...
14:26I truly do think...
14:27...linking it to the economic benefit is important, I think.
14:30And I also think there's a piece of it around...
14:32...making people part of the solution as well, and not just...
14:36...not just creating...
14:37...a narrative where there are problems.
14:38So...
14:39...is also a way to sort of shift and change that.
14:42...narrative and how they talk about it.
14:44But that's just one way.
14:47That's all we have time for.
14:49You can watch the full conversation on Euronews.com.
14:52Thanks for watching.
14:57We'll see you next time.
Comments