The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) unveiled the detailed agenda for the upcoming 5th Global Travel & Tourism Summit…
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) unveiled the detailed agenda for the upcoming 5th Global Travel & Tourism Summit which will take place in New Delhi from April 8-10, 2005. In a series of highly interactive discussions and key-note presentations, leading government, industry and media players from around the world will focus on the need for the Travel & Tourism sector to realize its full potential for social and economic good.
As one of the largest industries in the world today, responsible for employing more than 200 million people and generating over 10 per cent of global GDP, Travel & Tourism provides a gateway to economic progress particularly in areas where there are few alternatives. Delegates will discuss how success is being achieved, which companies and governments are leading the way and the impact of future developments.
Under the overall theme, `Realizing the Potential`, highlights of the agenda include:
- Summit inauguration by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, The Honourable President of India
- Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of Marriott International describing how the Travel & Tourism industry can create genuine prosperity for everyone involved
- A panel discussion focusing on where it will be right for the public and private sectors to collaborate and where it will not
- An investigation, involving Tourism ministers from four different continents, into the strategies necessary to make a destination successful
- Launch of a new economic tool that can help forecast the economic impact of a disaster and estimate the speed of recovery
- A debate about the best way for the industry to communicate in the face of natural and man-made catastrophes
- A premonition of the industry`s future with Roger Bootle, an economist with a reputation for making controversial predictions that have turned out to be correct
- Opinions from business leaders on the prospects for growth, consolidation and restructuring in the Travel & Tourism sector
- An investigation into the latest innovations and the implications of new technology
- Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman & CEO, Carlson Companies describing how companies and their people can work together for their mutual benefit
- A panel discussion on inspirational leadership in the Travel & Tourism industry
- Barry Sternlicht, Executive Chairman of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, giving his personal views on branding success
- A conversation about which is the better business strategy: to create or to trade?
- The final summing up by a panel of highly influential business leaders
In addition to the individuals mentioned above, the following speakers are also confirmed:
From India:–
- Raymond Bickson, Managing Director Indian Hotels Company Ltd
- Renuka Chowdhury, Minister of Tourism, India
- Dinesh Keskar, President Boeing, India
- PRS Oberoi, Chairman, The Oberoi Group
- Lalit Suri, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Hotels Ltd
From the rest of the world:–
- Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways & Chairman, Qatar Tourism Authority
- Ronald Andruff, President & CEO, Tralliance Corporation
- Giovanni Angelini, CEO & Managing Director, Shangri-la Hotels & Resorts
- Dimitris Avramopoulos, Minister of Tourism, Greece
- David Baffsky, Chairman, Accor Asia Pacific
- Douglas Baker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Service Industries, Tourism and Finance, US Department of Commerce
- Huseyin Baraner, Board Member, MNG Holding A.S.
- Henrik Bartl, Managing Director, Head of Specialized Property financing, Aareal Bank AG
- Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President, World Travel & Tourism Council
- Roger Bootle, Managing Director, Capital Economics
- Eulogio Bordas, CEO, THR Tourism Consultants and President of Dream Resorts
- Christopher Brown, Managing Director & Chief Executive, TTF Australia
- Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman & CEO, Carlson Companies
- Alex Christou, Partner, Travel Services, Accenture
- Jennie Chua, Chairman & CEO, Raffles International Ltd
- David Clifton, Managing Director, Europe & Asia, Interval International
- Glen Davidson, Senior VP Worldwide Travel Insurance & Related Services, American International Group (AIG)
- Peter de Jong, President & CEO, PATA
- Alain Demissy, President of the Executive Committee, Mondial Assistance Group
- Welf Ebeling, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, The Leading Hotels of the World Ltd
- Ahmed El Maghraby, Minister of Tourism, Egypt
- Sebastian Escarrer, Vice-Chairman, Sol Melia
- Manuel Fernando Espirito Santo, Chairman, Espirito Santo Tourism
- Edouard Ettedgui, Group Chief Executive, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
- Michael Frenzel, Chairman, TUI AG
- Laurence Geller, Chairman & CEO, Strategic Hotel Capital
- Douglas Gollan, President & Editor-in-Chief, Elite Traveler Magazine, Universal Media
- Nik Gowing, , BBC World
- Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor, NBC Today Program & Chief Correspondent, The Travel Channel,
- Nisid Hajari, Managing Editor, Newsweek International
- Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Founder & Chairman, easyGroup
- James Hogan, President and Chief Executive, Gulf Air
- Noel Irwin-Hentschel, Chairman & CEO, American Tours International
- Geoffrey JW Kent, Chairman & CEO, Abercrombie & Kent Group of Companies
- Alex Kyriakidis, Managing Partner, Travel Tourism & Leisure, Deloitte
- J Willard Marriott Jr., Chairman & CEO, Marriott International, Inc.
- Bruno Matheu, Vice President, Air France
- David McMillan, Chief Executive Officer, International Hotel & Restaurant Association
- Richard Miller, Executive Vice President, World Travel & Tourism Council
- David Mongeau, Vice Chairman, CIBC World Markets
- Erkan Mumcu, Minister of Tourism, Turkey
- Tom Nutley, Chairman, Reed Travel Exhibitions
- Alan Parker, Chief Executive, Whitbread plc
- Jean-Gabriel Peres, President & CEO, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts
- Dionisio Pestana, Chairman, Group Pestana
- Wang Ping, Chairman, Chamber of Tourism Commerce, China Federations of Industry Commerce
- Christopher Rodrigues, President & CEO, Visa International
- Judy Slatyer, CEO, Lonely Planet
- David F Stein, CEO, The Stein Group
- Barry Sternlicht, Executive Chairman, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
- Jonathan M Tisch, Chairman & CEO, Loews Hotels
- Daniela Wagner, Managing Director, International, Octopustravel.com
- Philip Wolf, CEO, PhoCusWright, Inc
- Vincent A Wolfington, Chairman, Carey International Inc.
- Peter Wong, Chairman, MK Corporation
- Peter C Yesawich PhD, Chairman & CEO, Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell
- Tim Zagat, Chairman & CEO, Zagat Survey LLC
- Sarmad Zok, Chief Executive Officer, Kingdom Hotel Investments
- Jose-Luis Zoreda, Chief Executive Officer, Exceltur
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, The Honourable President of India asked for the following message to be read out: Our global society continues to face major challenges, one of the most important being the imbalance between the `haves` and `have nots`. If the Travel & Tourism industry can realize its full potential, this will make a real difference.
Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC President, said: I am privileged to be launching such a superb programme. At the 5th Global Travel & Tourism Summit, all the major issues confronting our industry are on the agenda and each will be addressed by several top individuals from government and the private sector. Their views will be open to challenge from the audience in highly interactive discussions moderated by some of the world`s most prominent journalists. I am confident that the ideas and conclusions that emerge will stimulate progress on a global level.
Mr Lalit Suri, Chairman, WTTC India Initiative & Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Hotels concluded: India is a very fitting destination for the Summit. The WTTC India initiative has been working towards realizing the true potential of Travel & Tourism in this country for more than five years and as the Indian economy continues to grow, I believe that Travel & Tourism will make a major contribution. This event will bring together a vast pool of experience and knowledge from across the globe which is sure to benefit the Travel & Tourism industry in India and far beyond.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
