‘I Am Travel’: WTTC Launches Campaign for the Freedom of Travel

“It’s a simple, yet significant thought. We should all have the right for travel freedom.”

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) on Tuesday launched its first social media campaign about one of it’s strategic priorities: Freedom To Travel.

The campaign, named “I Am Travel”, centres around the idea of travel freedom and the benefits of facilitating travel for all. The message is encapusulated in the following video:

The WTTC notes:

“In all our research about Travel & Tourism, we talk about the importance of the sector to global GDP and employment. Travel & Tourism is one of the largest employers in the world and contributes nearly 10% to the world’s GDP. But what about the people factor in all of this? Countless travellers speak of the marvels of far off places; of the eye-opening experiences they’ve had in culturally opposite countries; the mind-expanding benefits of leaving their comfort zones and speaking to new people; and the palette-challenging excitement of devouring new types of cuisines.

Don’t we all deserve that right? Yet people born in certain countries enjoy more travel freedom than others. For example, Norwegian or British passport holders can travel to the most countries globally without the need for prior approval or visas, whereas people from places like Nepal or many African or Middle Eastern countries do not enjoy that same ease of entry to countries.

And while there are many political reasons for this, our idea is simple: our common desire for travel is a great equalizer. Of course, there are a few good reasons for visa processes (which you can read more about here), but everybody would benefit a lot more from facilitating these processes and making it possible and easier for more people to travel. Not only would it benefit the receiving countries, but the amount of people touched by travel increases, both those travelling and those sharing their countries’ wonders with visitors.

So, say it with us: WE ALL WANT THE RIGHT FOR TRAVEL FREEDOM. #IAMTRAVEL”

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WTTC will also be sharing multiple travellers’ perspectives on its blog, found here, as well as sharing stories from prominent travel bloggers about the message of Freedom To Travel.