REPORT – JORDAN – UNWTO: UNWTO International Conference “Seizing Tourism market opportunities in times of rapid change” organized under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein starts today at King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center along the Dead Sea in Jordan…
REPORT – JORDAN – UNWTO: UNWTO International Conference “Seizing Tourism market opportunities in times of rapid change” organized under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein starts today at King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center along the Dead Sea in Jordan.
During the opening session, Dr Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization UNWTO, as well as H. E. Mr Nayef H. Al Fayez, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan will deliver a speech to the delegates. The first session of the Conference will analyze the global economy and the political, social, technological and legal changes faced by the travel industry. The panelists will then try to answer to questions about the effect of those changes on tourism flows and investments.
The second session will analyze consumers’ needs and how they can be reached. The moderator of this panel will be Martin Brackenburry, former President of the International Federation of Tour Operators. His presentation will highlight how tourists search, shop, buy and consume tourism and travel products. Also, they will examine the different consumer segments and how those segments respond to the trends.
Tourism relies heavily on aviation to grow and prosper. Expectations are huge for example for China alone which launched a development program aimed to build 97 new airports by 2020 to accommodate demand. However, this growth might be curtailed because of high fuel prices and carbon emissions, unless manufacturers can design a new aircraft offering improved efficiency including the use of bio fuels, the reduction of emissions and at the same time enhanced comfort. The infrastructure on the ground and air traffic control could also slowdown growth.
How is aviation going to become more competitive and sustainable when tourists want to pay less and less for air fares to be able to spend on their holiday destination ? To answer all those questions, airlines will during the third session of the conference give an input on their needs while manufacturers will present their latest research and some of their planning. Moderator will be Mr Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice President Etihad Airways.
During the fourth session, travel experts from Jordan will speak about the Jordanian experience. How a tourism destination such as Jordan has been able to capitalize on rapidly changing market conditions, especially for the global economy. These new market conditions must be embraced by consistent National Tourism policies and strategies. The panel of this session will show the context in which Jordanian Government as well as the Jordanian travel industry are planning their activities in the near future and outline key priority actions needed to ensure the implementation of strategic goals. The panel will also focus on product development, human resources, marketing and promotion, regulatory frameworks and stake-holder involvement. Moderator of the panel will be H. E. Aqel Biltaji, Senator and President, Heritage and Tourism Committee at the council of Senators.
Conclusion of the conference will be delivered by representatives of Foreign Direct Investment in tourism. FDI in hotels and resorts often are associated with major international brands, which are a guaranty for quality, knowledge, and good reputation. Competition for FDI is intense, especially in times of relatively scarce capital resources. The last panel will highlight the right conditions for successful FDI investment.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
