ATTENTION TO QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE IN TOURISM

VATICAN CITY, JUN 4, 2003 (VIS) - Today at 1 p.m. Msgr. Piero Monni, Holy See permanent observer to the World Tourism Organization, gave a speech during the 70th Session of the Executive Committee of the WTO which is taking place from June 3-4 in Madrid, Spain.

Msgr. Monni affirmed that "today development in the tourism sector requires more institutional and programmatic transparency. This is necessary so as to match long term policies to the relative base infrastructures. On the other hand, an increase in the quality of services and accommodations by private investors is desirable."

"This is because," he continued, "it seems impossible that globalization only takes into consideration the economic aspect of tourism and is not accompanied by a globalization of solidarity. It is also for this reason that the transformation of the World Tourism Organization into a United Nations Specialized Institution is desirable."

The permanent observer to the WTO indicated that "the means to confer continuity and harmonious development in the field of tourism is by planning specific and targeted policies; together with paying constant attention to 'quality' and 'excellence' in this field. In this way, the growing need for professional tour operators and managers becomes apparent. The educational sector in tourism should represent an essential and fundamental step in all of the mentioned operative programs."

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