Carlos Gutierrez. WTO representative for the Americas

Q- Carlos, first of all I’d like to hear your views about the WTE, especially on the idea of presenting this World Tourism Expo as an international fair in Mexico.

A- All in all, I think it’s a great idea. Other countries, in other ways, have a similar version. I mean countries with an economic and tourist weight of their own in the Western Hemisphere. In the case of Latin America, we can mention the international tourism fairs in Argentina and Brazil. So, I believe it’s a good idea and a pretty good start.

Q- Can you sum up for us the content of the lecture you dictated at the WTE?

A- It (the lecture) hinged on the trends and outcomes of world tourism in 2002, mainly in the Americas, and on how the year 2003 has been faring so far, not so much from a quantitative standpoint –there’re already some official stats available about what’s going on in 2003 in the region, chiefly in some zones and countries- but rather homing in on something that Pedro Jesus Fernandez mentioned in his chat when he talked about qualitative changes that have occurred in terms of demand. And indeed these are not changes from a conceptual viewpoint, but rather overall structural changes.

Q- What do you think it’s going on in the realm of airlines and what ripple effects this is bringing for the Latin American region?

A- Airlines have been going through some hard times since 2001. In the case of the Americas, the world context is the starting block. It’s true that even before 9/11, airlines were scoring low, so the attacks only served to make the slope steeper. As far as Latin America is concerned, there are some serious problems with airlines, problems that are making growth chances for the tourist sector slimmer. There are some serious connectivity problems and a decline in the number of frequencies. According to several reports issued by civil aviation institutions, many companies are technically broke.

Q- What does the WTO, and you too, make of the bailout request some airlines are making to their governments, a petition that seems to be nearly an imposition?

A- I think they ought to be placed in each and every market. Of course, governments are the ones to weigh those problems their airlines have, problems that were caused by unpredictable occurrences, and the bailout package required in every case, either through social subsidization or direct aid. But it’s my belief that airlines, both generally and particularly –even though the concept of flag airline is a tad obsolete and is only construed in the light of bilateral agreements- that governments have two things to do. On the one hand, a very basic function that governments are to consider: territorial integration. On the other hand, the issue of development from a tourist point of view. Governments have to appraise these two concepts thoroughly when there’re airlines, either national or foreign, operating in their territories.