The ratio of trade to GDP for the world as a whole – a commonly-used measure of the openness of economies – has increased from 39% in 1990 to 59% in

1. The total value of global trade today exceeds US$ 20 trillion. 

The explosion in global trade that has occurred in the last two decades is in part a reflection of the innovations in logistics and supply chain as well as changes in

policies in countries around the world that have led to a reduction in the costs

of shipping goods and services across borders.

Transportation is one of the world’s largest industries and is a crucial driver of economic growth, poverty reduction, and achievement of the Sustainable   Development Goals (SDGs). Efficient Transport networks are central to improving connectivity and facilitating economic growth. For example, more than five billion bus journeys are made in the UK annually generating over £64bn. The USA transport and Logistics sector employs an estimated 8.9 million people accounting for some $671 billion worth of manufactured and retail goods transported in the U.S.A. alone.

Transport infrastructure and services still need to be made safer, cleaner and more affordable, particularly in developing countries. Provision of transportation must respond to increasing urbanization and motorization. 

The transport sector must be more responsive to creating long-term skilled

employment, to support the agricultural sector towards achieving food 

security as well as adaptation to climate change.

In 2008, 924 million tourists travelled abroad. That is over 100,000 people

every hour. Three-quarters of these journeys started in a high or upper-middle income country. Remarkably 40 per cent of these journeys ended in a developing country destination. International tourists are significantly better than development agencies at spending money in poor countries. In 2007 tourists spent US$295 billion in developing countries – almost three times the level of official development assistance. 

It is for this reason that tourism has been described as the world’s largest voluntary transfer of resources from rich people to poor. In 2003, Travel & Tourism’s total contribution to the global economy rose to 9.5% of global GDP (US $7 trillion) growing faster than other significant sectors such as financial and business services, transport and manufacturing.

These tours are very revealing as it opens up special career entrepreneurial pathways that are uncommon if not unknown by majority of educators, parents and students. For now we are concentrating on the maritime sector because most schools and students don’t know the untapped opportunities in the sector.