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Part I Reading and Translating

Reading A World Tourism Organization and Key Benefits of Tourism

World Tourism Organization

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) is the leading international organization in the field of travel and tourism. It serves as a global form for tourism, policy issues, and a practical source of tourism know-how. WTO’s membership includes 139 countries and territories and more than 350 affiliated members, representing local governments, tourism associations and private sector companies, including airlines, hotel groups, and tour operators. With its headquarter in Madrid, Spain, WTO is an inter-governmental body and trusted by the United Nation’s tourist promotion and development of tourism. Through tourism, WTO aims to stimulate economical growth and job creation, provide incentives for protecting the environment and heritage of destinations, and promote peace and nderstanding among all the nations of the world. Leading the world’s largest industry, the WTO believes that governments have a vital role to play in tourism. WTO exists to help nations throughout the world, maximize the positive impacts of tourism, such as job creation, new infrastructure, and foreign exchange earnings. While at the same time, minimize negative environmental or social impacts. Tourism is the world’s largest growth industry, with no signs of slowing down in the 21st century. Receipts from international tourism have increased by an average of 9% annually for the past 16 years to reach 476 billion US dollars in 2000. During the same period, international arrivals rose by a yearly average of 4.6% to reach 698 million in 2000. WTO forecasts that international arrivals will top 1 billion by 2010. Likewise, earnings are predicted to grow to 1550 billion US dollars by 2010.

Key Benefits of Tourism

Export Earnings

International tourism is the world’s largest export earner and an important factor in the balance of payment of many countries. Foreign currency receipt from international tourism reached 476 billion US dollars in 2000, outstripping export of petroleum products, motor vehicles, telecommunication equipments, textiles, or any other products or service.

Employment

Travel and tourism is an important job creator, employing estimated 100 million people around the world. The vast majority of tourism jobs are in small or medium sized family-owned enterprises. Research shows that job creation in tourism is growing 1.5 times faster than any other industrial sector.

Rural Opportunities

Tourism jobs and businesses are usually created in the most under-developed regions of a country, helping to equalize economical opportunities throughout a nation and providing an incentive for residents to remain in the rural areas rather than move to overcrowded cities.

Infrastructure Investment

Travel and tourism stimulates innumerous investments in new infrastructure, most of which helps to improve the living conditions of local residents as well as tourists. Tourism development projects often include airports, roads, marinas, sewage systems, water treatment plants, and reservation of cultural monuments, museums and nature interpretation centers.

Tax Revenues

The tourism industry provides governments with hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues each year through accommodation and restaurants taxes, airport users’ fees, sales taxes, park entrance fees, employee income tax, and many other fiscal measures.

Gross Domestic Products (GDP)

International and domestic tourism combined generates up to 10% of the world’s gross domestic products (GDP), and a considerably higher share in many small nations in developing countries.

New Words:

affiliate, equalize, forum, heritage, impact, incentive, infrastructure, know-how, marina, monument, outstripping, revenue, sewage