Tourism has become one of the most powerful forces for change in the world, as it is now one of the few ways in which the poorest countries have been able to take part in the global economy, UN Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette has said.

Ms Fréchette told the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in Beijing that, among the least developed countries, the travel trade is now the primary source of foreign exchange in all but a few, as it offers opportunities for job creation and infrastructure development, even in remote areas.

"Over the past half century, international tourist arrivals have risen dramatically - from 25 million tourist arrivals a year in 1950 to 715 million in 2002, " she said.

"This makes tourism the world's largest economic sector. And it makes tourism a central factor in the life of millions of people. Indeed, as it brings together people of different cultures on a scale previously unimagined, tourism is now one of the most powerful forces of change in the world."

However, Ms Fréchette warned that tourism must be managed carefully to prevent damage to the environment through overbuilding and irresponsible development, and organising sex tourism.

Ms Fréchette called on governments to adopt and enforce measures to combat all forms of sexual exploitation of children in tourism.

"Let us be clear: when it comes to exploiting children, there can be no excuses for tolerance," she said.

(gmcg)