An opposing view on the 'war on business travel' by Roslyn McLeod OAM, Managing Director, arinex pty. limited.
It’s time to limit travel for pleasure.
Why should tourists be allowed to explore the world at their leisure?
Look at all the carbon emissions they are generating, all for a good time on that trip of a life time after forty years working to save for their holiday.
Worse still are those more fortunate well-to-do people who commute across borders to spend time in the sun in their retirement.
Then there are the business executives who at the weekend like to get away from the pressures of business life by relaxing in the sun recharging their batteries to enable them to face another week at the grindstone reeling in the dollars to fund the next excursion and the next generation of their families.
Leisure, pleasure, rewarding retirement, exploring and adventure – all dirty words when it comes to clocking up mileage in our current green environment and should these positives be abolished?
One has to ask the question: Is it vital to society that these people be allowed to squander carbon credits on purely enjoyable activities?
The answer is ‘No, they shouldn’t’ but who is the brave politician who is going to get up and declare war on having a good time?
So what do they do? They pull the rug out from under the feet of the generation who are hard at work generating the income to support our growing aging population.
Does it make sense? Not really but it is more politically palatable to pick on business tourism and point the finger at those travelling for business. Well you know when you point the finger of blame, one has to look at where the other three fingers are pointing…back at the person casting the blame!
It’s time for business events to revolt! We are not leisure and pleasure, we are meaningful and progressive, we generate revenue for governments to provide for the less fortunate or those who need funding.
We demand respect and will not tolerate the constant nitpicking for political gain. We are serious aabout networking to advance our society and it is important exchange that brings people across the globe to discuss cancer research, energy solutions and business practice.
Give us a break. Why not make it mandatory that every trip include a business event – that would generate healthy economies, fruitful exchange and local revenue for all those businesses that are dependent on tourism?
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