According to the United States government Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the US Travel Association almost 48% of all Americans report traveling either nationally or internationally by plane each year. This works out to approximately $246 billion dollars in spending in travel by US citizens alone. Increasing this income by the approximately 1.5 billion dollars in imports to the country via planes, trains and trucks and you have a booming opportunity for both job creation and tourism.
In less developed countries tourism is often seen as a high level goal, one that will help the overall economy and increase the awareness of the country itself. Through trade, however, dollars and investments come into the country that allow infrastructure building and improvements that make the tourism industry stronger. Through programs such as the Global Trade Points Network small business in both developing and developed countries can make direct contact with each other, increasing the change of international trade opportunities for both.
The developing countries get the much needed business, bringing more people, jobs and money into the country itself. The developed country business may find a new supplier, one offering a better product or raw material, or a company that is eager to start trading internationally.
Trade And Tourism Connections
History Of The Global Trade Point Network
With the internet making international trade much easier and an increase in fast, efficient and cost effective ways to ship materials and products coordinating a way for increasing the ability to trade was a focus for many countries. This has taken on several years ago in the early part of 1992 as the Trade Point Programme. The original program was developed and launched by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. While originally more designed to increase communication between businesses and marketing it has now become a much more comprehensive program.
One major feature or section of the original Trade Point Programme is the Global Trade Point Network, also known as GRPnet. As of 2000 the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development no longer managed the program, rather a separate entity known as the World Trade Point Federation or WTPF was established to oversee the initiative. It is designed to be an international, non-governmental organization that works with all countries and all business to create an access point for information on communication and marketing around the world.
The benefits of the Global Trade Point Network are huge for small to medium sized businesses in all countries. Not only can they market their goods but they can also find new sources for raw materials, new ideas for trade and even new customers anywhere in the world.