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The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) is pleased to announce that Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship will attend City Fair 2011 in London on Monday 20th June. Whilst at the event, he will make a statement to the media; he will meet a select group of tourism industry leaders behind closed doors and he will take part in a wide ranging panel discussion in front of all the delegates.
Tom Jenkins, Executive Director, ETOA said: “It is extremely good news for the tourism industry that Commissioner Tajani is taking such an interest. Of all the industry sectors that have the potential to help Europe recover economically, tourism is the most potent. There is a lot that can be done at European level to stimulate the inbound industry and to have the EU’s most influential official on-side is extremely positive.”
Upon arrival at 11.30am Commissioner Tajani will make a presentation to the media at a press briefing followed by a short question and answer session. At the end of the morning, he will take part in a live panel discussion on the general theme of ‘How to Make Europe More Competitive as a Tourism Destination’. He will be joined in this by:
– Christopher Rodrigues, Chairman, Visit Britain
– Patrick Richards, Chairman, European Tour Operators Association
– Jennifer Tombaugh, Vice President, Tauck Travel
– John Vine, Independent Chief Inspector the of the UK Border Agency
– Urs Eberhard, Executive Vice President Markets and Meetings, Switzerland Tourism
The moderator will be Rajan Datar, presenter of the BBC’s travel show Fast Track and there will be an opportunity for members of the audience (both City Fair delegates and journalists) to raise questions or make comments.
Topics likely to be covered in the discussion include:
– Europe’s ongoing decline in market share
– Political support for, and understanding of, tourism
– Visas, including problems issuing tourist visas and the proposed tightening of Schengen visas in the face of immigration from North Africa
– How tourism is taxed in Europe
– The 2012 Olympics and its impact on tourism
– Emerging markets and preparedness for the needs of specific, emerging demographic groups such as those in South America
– How to market Europe in the 21st Century
– Innovation
– New destinations.
With just one week to go until the first ever City Fair opens its doors, over 130 professional buyers and 120 tourist boards and tourism suppliers have registered for what promises to be a very busy and productive workshop.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
