International Hotel & Restaurant Association 55 Years of Service to the Global Hospitality Industry

Presentation to UNESCO World Heritage Centre ITB Berlin – Germany 15 March 2004 by Elizabeth Carroll-Simon Director Industry Affairs, IH&RA

Mission Statement IH&RA is the only international trade association exclusively devoted to promoting and defending the interests of the hotel & restaurant industry worldwide. Officially recognised by the United Nations, IH&RA permanently monitors major issues of concern and advocates industry positions before the international agencies.

Membership National Hotel and/or Restaurant Associations in over 100 countries International & National Hotel & Restaurant Chains throughout the world Through this unique network, IH&RA globally represents: hotels 8 million restaurants

IH&RAs Role MonitoringAdvocacy Information Dissemination Networking IH&RA Representation

To be the voice of the international hotel & restaurant industry To monitor all international organisations involved in tourism To position the hotel & restaurant industry on all major issues To resist potentially damaging or costly attempts to regulate the industry To advocate industry positions before policy-makers and international organisations Representation IH&RA Objectives MonitoringLobbying Information Dissemination Networking IH&RA Representation

IH&RAs national hotel & restaurant associations work at local level: They bring together local and regional hotel & restaurant associations who interact with local authorities and politicians They identify priority issues and consolidate support for them Representation At local level

IH&RAs national hotel & restaurant associations work at national level to: Defend and represent their industry Canvass and voice their members views Interact with government ministries, agencies and national politicians They are recognised as valid negotiating partners They influence national policies and legislation Representation At national level

IH&RA works at international level to: Defend the specificity of the hospitality industry Promote its image as a global industry Communicate its economic importance worldwide IH&RA is recognised as the only global body representing hospitality worldwide Representation At international level

IH&RA works at international level to: Canvass and voice the views of its national hotel & restaurant association members Provide a two-way communication channel between national members and international bodies IH&RA identifies priority issues and establishes agreed positions on them IH&RA interacts with inter-governmental organisations, international agencies and officials Representation At international level

IH&RA works at international level to: Defend the interests of the hospitality industry worldwide Influence international policies and legislation IH&RA is officially recognised as an International Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) IH&RA has well-established credibility as a valid international negotiating partner Representation At international level

IH&RAs contribution is regularly sought by all international agencies concerned with tourism & hospitality Only officially accredited international bodies are authorised to participate in this work Representation At international level

WHO - World Health Organisation WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organisation WTO - World Tourism Organization ILO - International Labour Organization Representation The UN Family UN - United Nations UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation UNEP - United Nations Environmental Program WTO - World Trade Organisation

IATA - International Air Transport Association ICC - International Chamber of Commerce IFTO - International Federation of Tour Operators IRU - International Road Transport Union ISO – International Organisation for Standardisation OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development PATA - Pacific Asia Travel Association UFTAA - Universal Federation of Travel Agents Associations WTTC - World Travel & Tourism Council Representation Public & Private Sector Organisations

Advocacy Taxation Traveller safety & security Human resources Sustainable development of tourism Industry statistics Monitoring International hotel classification scheme General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) Intellectual property Standards in tourism services Tobacco control Representation Current IH&RA Industry Issues

Environmental By encouraging environmental best practice through its annual environmental Award Social By combating the commercial sexual exploitation of children in tourism Economic By advocating that sustainable development makes good business sense and contributes significantly to GDP Sustainable Development of Tourism IH&RA promotes the 3 dimensions of sustainable development

Sustainable Development of Tourism / Hospitality Partnerships: UNESCO UNEP IHEI Green Globe 21

IH&RA / UNESCO Partnership Memories of the Future A co-operative programme designed to enhance & restore key cultural heritage sites around the world IH&RA encouraged its members to: è Make a financial contribution to a sites preservation è Restore and convert an historic building into a hotel

Hospitality - key figures: 300,000+ hotel properties 13 M rooms USD 202 billion revenue generated 60 M people employed Tourism Industry Report for the World Summit on Sustainable Development

Economic dimension: 80% SMEs / 20% branded Major contribution to GDP: Profits Taxes Jobs Sales Tourism Industry Report for WSSD (Hospitality Chapter)

Social dimension: Entry to labour market Possibility of further training Labour shortages / Worker mobility HIV/AIDS in the Workplace (UNAIDS) Youth Career Initiative Tourism Industry Report for WSSD (Hospitality Chapter)

Environmental dimension: Key resource of travel & tourism Direct & indirect effect on: Travel & tourism movements Employees Destination Energy conservation Waste disposal Infrastructure Supply chain / Goods & Services Tourism Industry Report for WSSD (Hospitality Chapter)

Conclusions: Business strategy: Triple bottom line Environmental good practice makes sound business sense Tourism Industry Report for WSSD (Hospitality Chapter)

Means of implementation: Environmental policy Voluntary initiatives Environmental Management Systems Education / Training / Information Tourism Industry Report for WSSD (Hospitality Chapter)

Future challenges & goals: Education: customers, staff, suppliers Consistent application of policies, procedures & audits Work with all stakeholders at destinations Tourism Industry Report for WSSD (Hospitality Chapter)

Website: Enhanced Members-only section (forum, newsletters, industry reports…) Dedicated platforms (educational institutions, consultants) Expanded Newsroom and more… Connect to IH&RA Communication Coming soon: IH&RA web site in Spanish

International Hotel & Restaurant Association 55 Years of Service to the Global Hospitality Industry