TEHRAN – The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expects that global tourism will continue to grow at an average of 3 percent annually until 2030.

“This growth reflects the progressive expansion of access to tourism thanks to the decline in the price of transport, especially air transport, and growing middle classes worldwide,” the UN body announced in a statement to mark the World Tourism Day (September 27).

Over the past six decades, tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification, and it has become one of the fastest growing and most important economic sectors in the world, benefiting destinations and communities worldwide.

“International tourist arrivals worldwide have grown from 25 million in 1950 to nearly 1.3 billion today. Similarly, international tourism revenues earned by destinations around the world have grown from 2 billion U.S. dollars in 1950 to 1260 trillion in 2015. The sector represents an estimated 10 percent of the world’s GDP and 1 in 10 jobs globally.”

This year, the UNWTO has adopted the motto of “Tourism and Jobs: A Better Future for All” as the organization has set goals on development of skills, education and jobs, wishing to realize a better future.

The UN body also certifies that the tourism’s role in job creation is often undervalued, adding “This is despite the fact that tourism generates 1 percent of world jobs and is included in Sustainable Development Goal 8 for its potential to create decent work.”

It also mentions that new policies are needed in order to maximize tourism’s potential to create more and better jobs, especially for women and youth; to reflect and incorporate ongoing advances in technology; and eventually to address the current mismatch between tourism skills that are taught and those that tourism employers need.

Realizing such goals, according to the UN baby, requires a holistic approach to the future of work in tourism, with heightened cooperation between all actors, including the public and private sectors.

AFM/MG