Currently, travel and tourism supports roughly 190 million jobs, or 1 out of every 12 workers in the world. According to figures compiled by the World Travel and Tourism Council, the travel and tourism sector currently generates an annual gross output of some USD 3,600 billion - about 12 percent of the world's total Gross Domestic Product. than a third of the value of the world's manufactured exports are transported by air. Governments need to be reminded of these facts - because governments set the political and economic agenda for international air transport. It is governments that decide, ultimately, how much airport capacity is provided and where it is located. Governments either set, or approve, the charging policies for such facilities.
Environmental policy is set by governments.
The power to tax resides with governments. On some routes, such taxes can add 15 percent to the price of an airline ticket. IATA publishes a list of world-wide taxes on aviation which now runs to more than 1,300 entries. IATA makes representations on certain of these taxes, to governments, and also challenges some taxes in the courts. IATA aims to ensure that the airlines are charged only for the services they require and use, and that the charges are cost-related.