WYSTC 2016 well underway

Here in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, delegates are now deep into WYSTC 2016. The 25th edition and also the 10th anniversary of WYSE Travel Confederation.

WYSTC delegates received a very special welcome from Mr Zoltan Somogyi, Executive Director for Programme and Coordination, UNWTO and are also reminded that WYSE and the UNWTO have recently renewed their MOU – a framework seeking new opportunities that will continue to elevate and develop youth travel in 2017.

Following this great welcome another stellar programme kicked off with thought-provoking discussions about political unrest, youth and media: risks, opportunities, and destinations on the fringe.

The number of terrorist attacks around the world are staggering, it is astonishing to learn that there were approximately 11,800 terrorist attacks globally in 2015 and over 500 people died just in September 2016 as a result of terror and this month isn’t even over.

With tourism often taking a big hit following such incidents the road to recovery can be long and difficult for affected destinations, this is especially for countries vulnerable to politically motivated violence.

According to the World Tourism and Travel Council, it can take up to 13 months for a destination to recuperate and get their tourism industry back on track.

Bearing this in mind – youth travel is at the forefront of destination development and we are fortunate that the younger generation persists to travel and can aid destination recovery.

David Chapman, Director General of WYSE Travel Confederation stated that “youth travel should not be a marginalized tourism sector, instead elevated as a key source market to help destinations re-build and strengthen their visitor economies.”

So, he puts a call out to all national tourism boards and tourism ministers alike to recognize the value of investing into product development and marketing campaigns to attract youth visitation.

For more information, visit www.wystc.org

About WYSE Travel Confederation:
• The World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation is a global not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to promoting and developing opportunities for the youth, student and educational travel industry.

• Founded in 2006 and created from the merger of the Federation of International Youth Travel organisations (FIYTO) and the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) – both formed after World War II to inspire young people through international travel and to help remove cultural barriers – the confederation brings together 60 years of youth travel expertise.

• Providing international travel experiences to over 30 million youth and students each year, WYSE Travel Confederation’s global community of over 500 members spans more than 120 countries from a diverse range of sectors.

• From adventure tour operators to au pair agencies, cultural exchange programmes to language schools, hop-on-hop-off buses to student insurance and youth hostels to volunteer programmes, WYSE Travel Confederation is the world’s most powerful network of youth and student travel professionals, connecting key industry players with decision makers and government officials.

• The Confederation is committed to understanding the ever-changing characteristics, motivations and needs of young travellers. By gathering, analysing and sharing important market intelligence with members, academics and government decision-makers, the unique fast-changing needs of the youth market is at the forefront of its activities as it seeks to accelerate the development of youth travel.

• For more information, visit www.wysetc.org or follow the organisation on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn