WTTC expresses its sympathy to all those affected by the blasts in London
LONDON, UK, July 7, 2005. The terrorist attacks which took place in Central London today have sent waves of the most profound shock around the world. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) expresses its deepest sympathy to all those whose lives have been touched, directly or indirectly, by the explosions.
It is too early to evaluate the full extent of the blasts at this stage. The number of lives lost, families affected and the impact on core infrastructure has yet to be determined. WTTC will closely monitor developments and keep contact with the authorities and its Members to assess the situation.
The very fact that one of the world's major cities has been targeted at a time when world leaders have come together in that same country to explore solutions to global poverty and climate change, shows that this act was designed to create maximum impact on a global scale.
While these attacks may have a short-term impact on the Travel & Tourism industry - an industry which represents 10.6 per cent of global GDP and 221 million jobs worldwide - past events have shown that peoples' desire to travel, experience new cultures and new places quickly bounces back. WTTC is confident that our industry will continue to grow, worldwide, as it has in the past.
WTTC President, Jean-Claude Baumgarten said, "Now, more than ever, people should keep their travel plans and take the opportunity to visit family, friends and new places all over the world in order to meet others, thus creating an international community of understanding and peace. Not doing this would be to play into the hands of the terrorists."
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