The event will be held on Monday 06 November at Platinum Suites 3 & 4 from 2.45 to 4.00 pm. and is open to all registered delegates at WTM. The theme is “Tourism – A Catalyst for Peace” and Dr.TalebRifai, Secretary General UNWTO, is the Chief Guest and Keynote speaker. The event will be hosted by Anita Mendiratta, Founder & President CACHET Consulting.
The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism has chosen 5 outstanding people from the world of travel and tourism to honour as the “Global Ambassadors of Peace Through Tourism” at the World Travel Market, London.
The event will be held on Monday 06 November at Platinum Suites 3 & 4 from 2.45 to 4.00 pm. and is open to all registered delegates at WTM.
The theme is “Tourism – A Catalyst for Peace” and Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General UNWTO, is the Chief Guest and Keynote speaker. The event will be hosted by Anita Mendiratta, Founder & President CACHET Consulting.
Supported by “Incredible India” and the UNWTO, the Awards are sponsored by Cox & Kings. The “Ambassadors of Peace” awards are being held for the first time at WTM London by IIPT and seek to build on the success of the “Celebrating Her” awards for Empowered Women in Tourism that IIPT has been conducting at ITB Berlin since 2016.
Speaking on the rationale of the Awards, Ajay Prakash President of IIPT India says, “Tourism and Peace are inextricably linked.Such a large industry has the power to shape the world and it is time to focus this power and harness the collective financial, political and moral resources of the travel & tourism industry and make it count. But for this to happen, the concept of tourism as a vehicle for peace has to be integrated into the core business philosophy of every stakeholder – tourism companies, host destinations, tourists and all service providers. And because tourism is such a people-centric activity it’s important to recognise and felicitate people who have devoted their energies to champion sustainable tourism practices that go beyond the commercial interest and embrace the higher paradigm of tourism – to nurture and save the planet and its people, tapping into the collective resources and social reach of the travel and tourism industry.Towards this end, we have been doing the ‘Celebrating Her’ awards for Empowered Women in Tourism at ITB Berlin for the last two years and we are very happy to present the first ‘Ambassadors of Peace’ awards at WTM this year.”
Founded in 1986 by Louis D’Amore, IIPT is built on two very simple but powerful premises: That tourism, perhaps the biggest industry in the world, can become the first global Peace Industry and that every tourist is potentially an Ambassador of Peace. Through global summits, conferences, the global Peace Parks initiative, consultations with governments and the UNWTO and a regular monthly newsletter, IIPT has worked conscientiously over the last 30 to make peace an integral part of the tourism ecosphere.
The IIPT Global Ambassadors of Peace Through Tourism 2017 are:
- HRH Princess Dana Firas of Jordan – Chairperson of the Petra National Trust & UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
- Fiona Jeffery OBE – Founder, Just a Drop Foundation
- Anita Mendiratta – Managing Director CACHET Consulting, Tourism author & thought leader
- Costas Christ – CEO, Beyond Green Travel and Senior Advisor for Sustainable Tourism, National Geographic
- Geoffrey Lipman – Director Green Growth & Travelism Institute & Co-Founder SunX Foundation
- David Scowsill – CEO EON Reality & Immed. Past President & CEO, WTTC
In addition, IIPT will confer the Lifetime Award on Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General UNWTO as a “Global Man of PeaceThrough Tourism.”
Louis D’Amore, Founder President of IIPT adds, “IIPT is privileged and grateful to pay tribute to Dr.TalebRifai for his global leadership these past eight years. We have been most honored to have Dr.Rifai grace the stage at IIPT World Travel Market events as our featured keynote speaker over the past several years and to have his unwavering support for IIPT initiatives in our mission to make the travel and tourism industry the world’s first global peace industry. We look forward to a continuing relationship with him in the years ahead as we join hands in efforts to promote the transformative role of tourism in ‘making the world a better place.’”
As the UN Year of Sustainable Development through Tourism draws to a close, there is a growing realisation that the work is far from complete; the geopolitical world situation is very alarming in many parts; the threat of imminent climate change is a real and present danger and the burgeoning tourist numbers could pose a serious ecological threat, especially in eco sensitive zones, if not managed correctly. At the same time, the peace accord between the FARC rebels and the Colombian government – after 50 years of civil strife, the increased access to clean water and sanitation for many poor communities and the commitment to the Paris Accord on climate change by all signatories – barring one – are positive developments and reason for hope.
Commenting on the awards, Peter Kerkar Group CEO of Cox & Kings, says “Cox & Kings is extremely proud to be sponsoring the ‘Global Ambassadors of Peace Through Tourism’ Awards and honouring those individuals who have devoted time and energy to promoting goodwill through travel. It is vital that we encourage peaceful cultural exchange and recognise those who have used tourism to facilitate philanthropic activities. These ideals are no better represented than by the IIPT and our ‘Global Man of Peace,’ Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the UNWTO.”
IIPT plans to make the “Ambassadors of Peace Through Tourism” awards an annual feature at WTM London.
WTM London welcomes 130+ new exhibitors for 2017
More than 130 new exhibitors from across the globe have signed up for WTM London. The newcomers represent every continent and every sector of the travel trade, including destinations, technology, hospitality, tour operating, cruising, insurance and car hire.
The fast-growing Asian markets are particularly well represented, with 33 of the new exhibitors from Asia.
Major new first-timers from Asia include Hong Kong International Airport (stand AS964) and Kazakhstan’s culture ministry (stand AS970).
Hong Kong International Airport handled 70.5 million passenger trips in 2016, and is seeing more growth this year. More than 100 airlines link Hong Kong with about 220 destinations worldwide every day, making it one of the world’s busiest passenger airports.
The Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan will highlight a wealth of tourism opportunities in the central Asian country, from wellness and activity holidays to adventure and heritage travel.
The largest city of Kazakhstan, Almaty, is also making its debut at WTM London (stand AS510). It is a bustling, leafy city, with museums, shops and nightclubs, and offers sporting breaks for skiers, hikers and cyclists.
Sri Lanka has a new exhibitor too: The Kingsbury Colombo (stand AS910), which is an award-winning luxury hotel in the heart of the country’s capital, with views over the Indian Ocean.
Elsewhere in Asia, there are new exhibitors from Iran, China, Japan, Russia, Vietnam, Nepal, Azerbaijan and Kurdistan.
The burgeoning technology sector is also brimming with new exhibitors, as 38 firms are making their debut at WTM London’s Travel Tech Show – the largest travel technology event in the UK.
Sceptre Hospitality Resources (stand TT229) works with thousands of hotels worldwide, with its Windsurfer reservation system and internet booking engine, TopSail.
Wetu (stand TT401) will show how it can add value to its clients by making business more efficient and increase their ability to convert opportunities.
Stardekk (stand TT255) – a preferred IT partner for major industry players such as Booking.com, Expedia, HRS and Google – will highlight its hotel software called Cubilis, which enables users to be better connected to their guests.
Dublin-based Innstant Group (stand GV275) will demonstrate its powerful booking platform with an extensive travel inventory featuring more than 300,000 properties.
Other sectors welcoming fresh faces are the tour operators and industry suppliers such as car hire and insurance markets.
Online specialist ImperaTours (stand GV345) promotes Italian hospitality and is part of Imperatore Travel World.
Car and van hire firm B-Rent (stand GV484) has a fleet of 2,000 cars and has started to specialise in luxury and wedding services.
Another growing car hire brand is Crete-based SurPrice Car Rental (GV370) which operates in 19 countries and is looking for further expansion opportunities.
WTM London, Senior Director, Simon Press said: “We are very encouraged by the sheer diversity and numbers of new exhibitors signing up for WTM London.
“These first-timers will see how the event is an excellent platform to develop their businesses and meet contacts from around the world in one place.
“The huge variety on offer ensures that visitors to WTM London can catch up with their established contacts to renew business deals, and negotiate fresh contracts with new partners too.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
