WTM's World Responsible Tourism Day event programme on Wednesday 12 November at ExCeL London aims to be the most ambitious and controversial ever.

The series of presentations, debates, seminars and workshops are expected to rocket responsible tourism issues to the very top of the agenda, pushing boundaries to a new level of scrutiny.

"World class leaders, international responsible tourism experts and many respected leaders with passion and commitment to a more sustainable world will be taking a lead in the sessions", said World Travel Market's Fiona Jeffery.

"We want to inspire, provoke and above all, make delegates think more deeply about the kind of legacy the industry wants the next generation to inherit.

"We will be asking the kind of difficult questions the industry frequently shies away from; we want to make people stop and think."

WTM's World Responsible Tourism Day, now in its second year, is in association with the UNWTO and backed by all the leading industry organisations. It is designed to encourage a collective day of global action on responsible tourism.

WTM's World Responsible Tourism Key Events
10:30 11:00 Official WRTD Opening with Fiona Jeffery, Chairperson WTM, featuring Mark Edwards, international photographer and part of his dramatic 'Hard Rain' presentation, with the music and words of singing icon Bob Dylan.
11:00 - 12:00 Hosted by Stephen Sackur, presenter, BBC World's 'Hard Talk' presentation of the Virgin Holidays Responsible Travel Awards

12:00 - 12:30 Stephen Sackur puts Ed Fuller, Marriott International's president, head of the world's biggest hotel group, in the 'Hot Seat'
12:30 - 12:40 Earth Lung presentation with Sri Lanka and the UNWTO
The afternoon will focus on the role of operators and hoteliers in developing the sustainable tourism agenda and the issues they can impact and influence:

14:00 - 15:00 WTM WRTD Tour Operators debate
15:30 - 16:30 WTM WRTD Hoteliers debate
16:30 - 17:15 Hard Rain presentation

17:15 WTM WRTD Networking Reception