A History of the World Tourism Organization

Peter Shackleford

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781787697980
• eBook ISBN: 9781787697997
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Tourism and travel have been with us since time immemorial. However, with the onset of the industrial age and the use of railways, ships, motorcars, and aeroplanes, travelling possibilities—for both business and pleasure, domestic and international—were transformed. The annals of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provide us with unmatched insights into this fascinating story, yet these archives have never been exhaustively exploited. 

The History of the World Tourism Organization takes us on a unique journey to explain how tourism has burgeoned between the early twentieth century and now. Drawing on the UNWTO's regularly published tourism statistics, this book provides comprehensive discussions of the consequences of an unhindered flow of tourists; the consequent protection of natural assets; the safeguarding of tourism resources; how frontier formalities affect this sector; how tourism impacts on world trade; and the promotion of tourism to countries in economic decline. Collectively, these investigations offer an impartial understanding of modern tourism and its effects. 

This definitive overview of this major intergovernmental organization is a must-read for students and scholars of tourism and hospitality, and it is of interest to anyone concerned with the past, present, and future of this ever-evolving and fundamentally human practice.

Chapter 1

The International Union of Official Tourist Propaganda Organizations (IUOTPO) 1925 to 1940

International organizations are not a recent phenomenon. The oldest intergovernmental organization – which is still active with headquarters in Strasbourg, France – is the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR), whose creation was agreed at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, though negotiations for finalization of its constitutive treaty (the Mainz Convention) were not completed until 1831.

Two trends were apparent during the nineteenth century. First was the development of such international conferences as the Congress of Vienna, emphasizing peace and political issues. Second was the emergence of international organizations or unions with a functional purpose (technical, economic or cultural). Above all, such unions offered a convenient institutional framework for international cooperation.

As Chadwick F. Alger, President of the ‘International Studies Association’ (a scholarly body of 6,500 members worldwide), asserted in 1979:

Although we lack a comprehensive understanding of the impact of international governmental organizations' growth on global systems, there is a tendency to view their development as a good thing. Cooperation among national governments in an increasing number of functional areas (economic development, health, employment, inflation, trade, ecology, etc.) is seen not only for global problem-solving but also as a way to build relationships that can diminish the likelihood of war. (Alger, 1979)

In travel and tourism, the first steps towards international cooperation among governments took place in the last years of the nineteenth century. Though not fully multilateral, groups of countries (such France, Portugal and Spain) united in a French-Hispanic-Portuguese Federation for tourism promotion and propaganda as early as 1911.

Organized tourism dates from Thomas Cook, a British minister of the church whose name has become synonymous with travel and adventure. It was in 1863 that he arranged a successful tour of Switzerland. While Cook did not start the trend for foreign travel, he certainly grasped the importance of the railways in making foreign destinations accessible and affordable. As Cook wrote in ‘The Excursionist’ of June 1863, ‘It is our intention to accompany a party to Geneva, Lucerne and other principal places in the Alpine and Lake Districts’. Cook's tours flourished and appear today (150 years later) to be remarkably similar to the packaged tours organized by private-sector tour operators. Indeed, it was only the outbreak of the Great War of 1914 that brought the growth of this organized tourism to a sudden halt.

While travel and tourism have existed in various forms for centuries (especially travel for trade and business, visiting friends and family, religious pilgrimages and cultural journeys), the recognition of tourism as an industry can with some confidence be assigned a precise date. That is 4 May 1925 when, at the invitation of the Dutch National Tourist Office and the authorities of the Netherlands, the first congress on international tourism was convened at the ‘Hotel des Indes’, in The Hague.

The reasons for holding the Congress, and for the subsequent creation of the International Union of Official Tourist Propaganda Organizations (IUOTPO), are not hard to find given the vocation of the Netherlands for international trade.

For the period subsequent to the Great War of 1914–1918 witnessed a profound modification in the economic situation. In the face of declining productive activity and rising social problems, many countries opted to safeguard their national industries, in short, to adopt protectionist policies. These policies in turn threatened international trade and the consequent circulation of capital resulting therefrom.

Faced moreover with the risk of large-scale unemployment, countries looked for new industrial opportunities. Among them was tourism which had tended to grow in the years following the Great War (otherwise known as the First World War).

Tourism, a service industry, was considered attractive for two reasons. Firstly, its development would turn to profitable account resources that already existed. They included the beauty of landscapes, the wealth of artistic treasures, the originality of costumes and folklore. Secondly, and in no small measure due to the incorporation of women into the salaried workforce, the pleasure of travelling, which was formerly the monopoly of the rich and prosperous, was extending to the families of other classes.

So the potential for tourist development existed. But an international tourist boom would depend critically on three factors. Firstly was awareness of foreign countries. In an age before radio and television, the interest of the public in travel depended crucially on books, posters and informative brochures (which were collectively called propaganda at the time). Secondly, there was the need to acquire a passport (a recent invention) whose issuance cost time and money. Finally, there was the obligation to acquire the currency of the country to be visited.

It does not require much imagination to see that, by adopting certain measures, States might discourage their nationals from travelling abroad. This might be achieved, for example, by making passports expensive, by granting limited foreign exchange or even by establishing a finite limit (or quota) on the number of nationals who could travel abroad.

So those who responded to the invitation of the Dutch National Tourist Office had in mind not only the need to promote tourism but also to defend it.

Who were the participants at this unprecedented gathering? Attending were 14 countries: Belgium (Mr Camille Joset), Czechoslovakia (Dr Pstros and Mr Matousek), Denmark (Mr Skat Rördam and Mr Ontzen), France (Compte de Barbeyrac de St. Maurice and Mr Beltram de Maurique), Germany (Mr Stricker, Dr Schumacher and Mr von Spaa), Greece (Mr George Sourlas), Italy (Dr Aldo Oberdorfer), the Netherlands (Professor Marie Willem Frederik Treub, Mr G. A. Pos, Mr W. P. F. Deventer and Mr C. L. H. Quarles van Ufford), Norway (Mr Gunnar Berg Lampe), Portugal (Mr Johan Voetelink), Spain (Mr Bertram), Sweden (Mr E. Peyron), Switzerland (Mr Albert Junod) and Yugoslavia (Mr Zizak). Those who attended came either from tourist offices or from the diplomatic and consular representations of those countries in the Netherlands. It was a remarkable achievement.

On the proposal of Belgium, the President of the Dutch National Tourist Office, Professor Wim Treub (a former Minister of State), was elected President of the Congress.

On 4 May 1925, Professor Treub opened the International Congress of Official Associations of Propaganda (Union Internationale des Organes Officiels de Propagande Touristique, n.d.). During the discussions it became clear, firstly, that the management of tourism by the State was still in its infancy and, secondly, that the manifest desire for countries to collaborate on an international level was counterbalanced by the logical economic and political rivalries that existed between them.

So it was decided to establish a framework for this envisaged cooperation. To this end, the following decisions were taken:

(1)To declare the Congress permanent under the title ‘The International Congress of Official Associations of Tourist Propaganda’.

(2)To appoint Mr W P F Deventer, Director of the Dutch National Tourist Office, as Secretary-General, with Head Office at The Hague.

(3)That only those organizations entrusted with foreign propaganda would be invited to attend.

(4)That each country would appoint one delegate only.

(5)That the Congress would meet in the various countries in turn.

(6)That the President of the receiving Organization would be the President of the Congress.

(7)That French would be the language used at meetings.

(8)That no subscription would be fixed.

Thus, the forerunner of the World Tourism Organization came into existence.

Transcending the debates, there was also a growing awareness of what are today called the spiritual values of tourism. This consisted of encouraging travel so that different peoples could understand and become better acquainted with each other, thus collaborating to the establishment of the peace so earnestly desired among peoples who had just survived a prolonged and deadly war. Tourism was destined to be, as was later proclaimed by IUOTO in 1967, a ‘Passport to Peace’.

In essence, Professor Treub asserted, there was too much rivalry between the various tourist offices which defended mainly the interests of their own countries. While competition was healthy, it was also desirable to collaborate not only on a practical level but also on an intellectual and moral level, a policy which would yield maximum returns for minimum effort.

The remarks of Professor Treub were supported by Mr F K J Heringa of the Netherlands Ministry of Work and Trade who wished the Conference every success.

The first item on the agenda gave the opportunity for the various countries to summarize the activities undertaken by their tourist offices and to report on their outcomes.

For Germany, Mr von Spaa explained the work of the various regional tourist offices of his country as well as the ‘Reichs-central’.

For Belgium, Mr Camille Joset reported that following the consequences of World War I, tourists were not accustomed to visiting his country. However, efforts were being made to arrange visits to the former battlefields, to establish tourist offices in major cities and to cooperate with the railways.

For Switzerland, Mr Albert Junod reported on the collaboration existing between the national tourist office and the hotels. He also emphasized the importance of gathering tourist statistics which greatly assisted in developing propaganda plans.

For Portugal, Mr Johan Voetelink reported on that country's propaganda efforts but regretted that Portugal and Madeira were still relatively unknown. Therefore, a Portuguese Tourist Office had been opened in Paris.

For Spain, Mr Bertram provided information on tourism in that country.

The President then proposed that the Congress discuss procedures for circulating tourist propaganda.

For the Netherlands, Mr Deventer noted that the majority of tourist offices present were accustomed to send large quantities of propaganda abroad. Perhaps it would be desirable to establish an inter-office regulation whereby the material would be exchanged between countries. This would not only be a courtesy but also would ensure that the material met its objectives better.

For Czechoslovakia, Dr Pstross considered that reciprocal international collaboration would be very useful. For Switzerland, Mr Junod considered it would be valuable to send material from Switzerland to authorized tourist information offices. Mr Joset (Belgium) and Dr Oberdorfer (Italy) concurred.

Then there was the question of distribution. Various railway companies could assist, as could mail boats. The Diplomatic Bag was also available in some countries.

It was therefore decided to create a Study Group to consider this subject in more detail. The members were Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

In addition to their working sessions, participants at the Congress also had the opportunity to get to know the Netherlands better. On the first day, they visited the Mauritshuis, on the second the Port of Rotterdam, on the third Amsterdam (visiting the Royal Palace and the Riksmuseum followed by a canal boat ride), on the fourth a floral exhibition at Heemstede and on the fifth day an excursion by aeroplane from Schipol. On the sixth day, an excursion to Boskoop was arranged.

It is a constant feature of the Congresses that the participants would have the opportunity to get to know the visited country very well. This tradition, once established, would be repeated at all the successive Congresses.

It is evident that the participants, inspired by the dynamism of their President, Professor Treub, were so satisfied that they resolved to meet again in a year's time.

We do not have full accounts of the discussions that took place at the subsequent Congresses held in 1926, 1927, 1928 and 1929. The confiscation of the Union's files and records at the outset of the Second World War makes reconstruction of the Union's history during this period extremely difficult. Therefore, only a summary can be offered.

The 1926 venue was the Czech capital of Prague with the proceedings running from 27 June to 5 July under the presidency of Dr Pstross. ⁱ The offer to host the Second Congress was made by the Czech delegation at The Hague. On this occasion, four new participants attended, namely Austria, Hungary, Poland and Turkey. Peru is also mentioned. It was decided to appoint an Executive Committee entrusted with implementing decisions adopted by the Congress. It would meet within the 6 months following the date of the preceding Congress. There were initially three members (Dr Junod of Switzerland, Mr Duchaine of Belgium and Professor Bognetti of Italy) and the Secretary-General of the Union (Mr Deventer).

The Third Congress took place in Belgrade from 21 September to 5 October 1927, under the Presidency of Dr Zizek (Yugoslavia). ⁱⁱ This time, the new participants were Bulgaria, Great Britain and the three Kingdoms of Serbia, Croatia and Slovakia. A new title was given to the Congress which became the International Congress of Official Tourist Organizations. It was also decided to levy an annual subscription of 100 Dutch florins. Evidently, enthusiasm for the annual Congress was growing apace. There were five main items on the agenda though we do not know the degree to which they were implemented:

(1)Exemption from customs duties of all material relating to international tourism.

(2)Establishment of a standard format for tourist propaganda: brochures and posters.

(3)Results concerning tourism statistics.

(4)Relations between national tourism organizations and enterprises located in the different countries.

(5)Joint design of a brochure destined for the United States of America with a print run of 100,000 copies.

The Fourth Congress took place in Budapest, Hungary, in September 1928. ⁱⁱⁱ There was participation of 18 states, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA and Yugoslavia. Most of the...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• About the Author
• Preface
• Acknowledgement
• Chapter 1 The International Union of Official Tourist Propaganda Organizations (IUOTPO) 1925 to 1940
• Chapter 2 The World Conference of National Tourist Organizations, London, October 1946
• Chapter 3 Developments in 1947 and 1948
• Chapter 4 The Term of Office of Secretary-General François Morin, 1948 to 1957
• Chapter 5 Enter Robert C. Lonati, IUOTO Secretary-General
• Chapter 6 Strengthening the IUOTO Secretariat, the Rome Conference of 1963
• Chapter 7 Follow-up to the Rome Conference
• Chapter 8 ‘Factors Which May Call for a Change in IUOTO's Status’
• Chapter 9 The Conference of Plenipotentiaries, Sofia 1969
• Chapter 10 The Road to Mexico City, 1970
• Chapter 11 Adoption of the (UN)WTO* Statutes
• Chapter 12 IUOTO in Transition
• Chapter 13 The Search for a Headquarters
• Chapter 14 The Move to Madrid
• Chapter 15 The World Tourism Conference
• Chapter 16 The World Tourism Meeting and the Visit to Headquarters of Pope John Paul II
• Chapter 17 The Tenth Anniversary and Winds of Change
• Chapter 18 The Good Intentions of Willibald Pahr
• Chapter 19 The Legacy of Cancún
• Chapter 20 1992, An Anniversary Year
• Chapter 21 The Second Term of Antonio Enríquez Savignac
• Chapter 22 Francesco Frangialli Becomes Secretary-General Ad Interim
• Chapter 23 One Assessment, Nine Major Challenges
• Chapter 24 The World Tourism Organization Becomes a UN-Specialized Agency
• Chapter 25 Francesco Frangialli’s Third Term
• Chapter 26 Turning a New Page – Dr Taleb Rifai Takes Charge 2009–2017
• Chapter 27 The Challenges Ahead
• Afterword: ‘In the Beginning Was the Election’
• References
• Index of Persons
• Index