The Tourism Society is delighted to announce that Mr Taleb Rifai, new Secretary General for the UNWTO, will be joining the panel for the Tourism Society and UNWTO debate on 14th July 2009 at the Royal College of Physicians, London.

Mr Rifai will be joined by Christopher Rodrigues, Chairman of VisitBritain; Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of South Africa; Lelei Lelau, former President, Counterpart International; Professor Geoffrey Lipman (UNWTO, Victoria University and Christel De Haan Institute) alongside other key industry figures to debate the role of tourism as an economic stimulator for the G:20 nations.

Rifai served as Deputy Secretary-General at the UNWTO from February 2006 to February 2009 and has an extensive background in international and national public service, the private sector and academia. Prior to joining UNWTO he was the Assistant Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO). He also served in several ministerial portfolios in the Government of Jordan as Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Minister of Information and Minister of Tourism and Antiquity.

The chairman of the debate will be Society President, Lord Thurso MP; current Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The debate will look at the implications of the G:20 summit outcomes on the international tourism industry; what the governments of the world are doing to combat the global recession and where tourism fits in. It is hoped that this exciting debate will herald a 'shift change' in attitudes of global governments who will finally take tourism seriously as a means to boost their ailing economies.

“As world leaders grapple with today’s unprecedented global economic conditions we want to stress the potential for tourism and travel to support short term stimulus actions as well as longer term transformation to a green economy, coherent with development and climate imperatives,” commented Professor Geoffrey Lipman, UNWTO.

The debate will follow the Society’s 32nd AGM in the afternoon; all members are welcome to attend. The Society has a number of other events coming up including the Annual Conference in York on 25th June.