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Global Champion Awards announced by WTTC

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The countries and leaders who have made a difference to increase the competitiveness of the Travel & Tourism sector within their countries have been recognized at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Champions Awards at the WTTC Global Summit in Seville this week.


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The inaugural WTTC Global Champions Awards recognizes those countries from 185 around the world which have used policy initiatives to create the conditions to promote the long-term sustainable growth of our sector.

The categories of awards and the recipients are as follows:

Security & Seamless Travel Experience which recognizes leadership in transforming border security and the traveler experience through the use of technology and facial recognition systems – awarded to Kevin McAleenan, Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, USA.

Resilience which recognizes leadership by a country which has demonstrated success in recovery from adverse events – H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Tourism, Arab Republic of Egypt.

Social Impact which recognizes leadership in enabling gender equality and diversity; engaging local communities and making the sector more attractive for future generations – awarded to Hon. Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism & Wildlife in the Government of Kenya.

Destination Stewardship which recognizes leadership for work undertaken to overcome seasonality as a way of improving the year-round tourism experience – H.E. Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism, Government of Greece.

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Crisis Preparedness, Management & Recovery which recognizes leadership in disaster preparedness and having effective response systems at both national and local levels – H.E. Keiichi Ishii, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Government of Japan.

Innovation and Technology recognizes leadership in innovation and the implementation of technology that meets the needs of tomorrow’s travelers and fosters sustainable tourism growth – awarded to H.E. Maria Reyes Maroto Illera, Minister of Tourism, Government of Spain.

The awards ceremony took place at the Gala Dinner of the WTTC Global Summit which was held in Seville, Spain, and hosted by Ayuntamiento of Seville, Turismo Andaluz and Turespana.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, commented: “The WTTC Global Champions Awards are designed to recognize those countries and individuals whose policies or initiatives have made a significant contribution to the creation of jobs in our sector in a range of different ways.

“Promoting the long-term sustainable growth of our sector is critical and the winners will help those countries and individuals whose actions have had the greatest impact.”

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Bartlett hosts successful community meeting with Jamaican Diaspora in the UK

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says his recent meeting with key members of the Jamaican Diaspora in London was very successful.

Speaking at a community meeting, held at the Jamaican High Commission in London, United Kingdom, yesterday, Minister Bartlett spoke of the importance and impact of the UK and global diaspora on the economy of Jamaica. He also commented that nobody can promote and advocate for Jamaica better than Jamaicans living around the world.

With visitor figures for January – March 2019 already outperforming the previous period in 2018 by 13 per cent, Minister Bartlett updated the diaspora community on the island’s key tourism developments for the year ahead including 10,000 additional rooms by the end of 2020.

He also highlighted the new graduate school for hospitality management and tourism and the wider upskilling programs and qualification opportunities for Jamaicans on the island, to continue to grow the direct economic benefits for the workers of the tourism industry first hand.

“Making up 10 per cent of all arrivals into Jamaica each year, and with one in five workers in the Caribbean employed by tourism, it’s important that we do not underestimate its penetration because if we do, we will lose sight of the fact that almost everyone in Jamaica has their being and sustenance connected to tourism.

Working closely with our diaspora communities around the world is vital to promoting our unique tourism message and we value them as advocates and ambassadors hugely,” said Minister Bartlett.

Minister Bartlett also talked in detail about the importance of the recently launched Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Jamaica. A first of its kind, the Centre offers a global tourism resource dedicated to research and analysis on destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions or crises around the world which is being pioneered at the University of the West Indies.

Minister Bartlett, who represented Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness at the Caribbean Council’s House of Lords Annual reception in London, returned to the island today.

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WTTC 19th Global Summit final program: Changemakers including President Obama meet in Seville

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The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) will be heading to Seville, Spain this week to attend the  19th Global Summit of WTTC on April 3 and 4. WTTC members are the chief executives, presidents, or chairs of the 100 largest companies from different sectors and regions within the travel and tourism industry. This year non-members are able to attend for a $4,000.00 ticket per delegate.

The event will be centered on the theme of ‘Changemakers’, harnessing the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world from Seville and the world-changing impact of that achievement.

WTTC aims to inspire delegates with change-making individuals and ideas to craft the future vision of Travel & Tourism. Entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation, diversity, and inclusivity will drive the conversation. Delegates invested heavily to bring one of the “changemakers” to the summit. He is former U.S. President Barack Obama.

This is the final version of the program as it stands today:

DAY 1: Wednesday 3 April

0930 OPENING CEREMONY

Christopher J. Nassetta, Chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) & CEO, Hilton

Hon Pedro Sánchez, President, Spain

Juan Espadas, Mayor, Seville

Juan Manuel Moreno, President, The Regional Government of Andalusia

Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO

1010 Opening speech: ‘Shaping the Future’

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC

1025 The Future is …

Three leaders will give short presentations followed by rapid-fire Q&A. The leaders will give their perspectives on what’s next in the world of communications, technology, and sustainability and the challenges and opportunities for Travel & Tourism as a leading force for change.

Keynote: José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman & CEO, Telefónica S.A.

Keynote: Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and President, Strategic Growth, Mastercard

Keynote: Gary Knell, Chairman, National Geographic Partners

Q&A: Kathleen Matthews, Journalist & Presenter

1115 In the Hotseat

Back to back interviews with industry leaders who will share their vision of the future and what it will take for the Travel & Tourism sector to keep ahead of the curve

Hotseat 1: Mark Okerstrom, President & CEO, Expedia Group

Interviewer: Glenda McNeal, President, Enterprise Strategic Partnerships, American Express Company

Hotseat 2: Keith Barr, CEO, IHG

Interviewer: Tanya Beckett, Journalist & Presenter, BBC

1145 BREAK

1215 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: Seamless Traveller Journey

WTTC’s Seamless Traveller Journey initiative aims to revolutionise travel security and facilitation by providing a seamless end-to-end journey which incorporates not only airports and airlines but cruise, hotel, car rental and other elements of the journey. Now in its second phase, the focus of Seamless Traveller Journey is on how the private sector and governments can work together to ensure increased security and less friction go hand in hand.

Scene setter: Kevin McAleenan, Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, US Government

Panelists: Sean Donohue, CEO, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

Richard D Fain, Chairman, and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises

Tadashi Fujita, Executive Vice President, Japan Airlines

Tony Smith, Former Director General, UK Border Agency

John Wagner, Deputy Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, US Government

Manel Villalante, CEO, Renfe Operadora

Moderator: Isabel Hill, Director, National Travel and Tourism Office, US Department of Commerce

1300 The View from Spain

Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Spain

1310 In the Hotseat

Back to back interviews with industry leaders who will share their vision of the future and what it will take for the Travel & Tourism sector to keep ahead of the curve

Hotseat 3: Fritz Joussen, CEO, TUI Group

Hotseat 4: Luis Maroto, President & CEO, Amadeus

Interviewer: Tanya Beckett, Journalist & Presenter, BBC

1335 The Speed of Change…

Geoffrey J W Kent, Founder, Chairman & CEO Abercrombie & Kent, in conversation with Formula One racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart.

1400 LUNCH

Special Lunch Session: Innovating the Traveller Experience

The reality of an integrated, frictionless traveler journey is upon us, paving a path to a seamless experience, improved facilitation and security, operational efficiency for travel providers, and the opportunity for elevated and personalized service throughout the journey. Our panelists are leaders in the fields of biometrics, digital identity, security, and travel technology. They will provide their views on the current state of biometrics and digital identity, paths to implementation broadly across the travel journey, and opportunities that this new technology presents to the future of travel and tourism.

Panelists: Diana Robino, Senior Vice President, Global Tourism Partnerships, Mastercard

Virginie Vacca Thrane, Head of Strategic partnerships – Digital Traveller ID, Amadeus

John Wagner, Deputy Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, US Government

Gordon Wilson, President, WorldReach Software

Moderator: Jimmy Samartzis, Senior Principal, Oliver Wyman

1515 A Conversation with President Barack Obama

Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America

A global political leader will give their perspective on the current state of the world and the important role Travel & Tourism plays as one of the world’s largest economic sectors.

Interviewer: Christopher J. Nassetta, Chairman, WTTC & CEO, Hilton

1615 Ahead of the Curve: The Consumers of Tomorrow

This session will look at different spectrums of the new global consumer and how T&T companies can ensure they are preparing for the consumer of tomorrow.

Part 1: How Young China and its Millennials want to see and feel the world

Zak Dychtwald, Founder & CEO, Young China Group

Part 2: The New Boomer Experiential Consumer

Ken Dychtwald, Founder & CEO, Age Wave

Moderator: Matthew Upchurch, CEO, Virtuoso

1710 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: Are Cities Future Ready?

Destination Stewardship is a strategic priority for WTTC. Huge tourism growth in cities over recent years has shone the spotlight on the need for good planning and management. WTTC has partnered with Jones Lang Lasalle on new research on cities and their preparedness for future growth. This session will look at the report’s findings and how cities around the world are planning and engaging communities in future growth.

Keynote: Dan Fenton, EVP, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group

Panellists:

H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, President, Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH)*

H.E. Elena Kountoura, Minister for Tourism, Greece

Steffan Panoho, Head of Tourism. Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development

Enrique Ybarra, CEO, City Sightseeing

Moderator: Mark Wynne Smith, Global CEO, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group

1745 CLOSE

DAY 2: Thursday 4 April

0900 OPENING

0905 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: Today’s Traveller: Authenticity, Values and Instagram

This session will explore what iconic landmarks and destinations can and are doing to ensure they connect with the consumers of the future. Today’s traveller has standards for authenticity, wants to do more than just consume, and then wants to Instagram about it. How do destinations adjust to satisfy the market? The discussion will highlight examples of engagement from retail to destination attractions and also cover how sustainability initiatives help tell a compelling story and elevate authenticity in the traveller’s experience.

Keynote: Anthony Malkin, Chairman & CEO, Empire State Realty Trust, Inc

Panellists: Desiree Bollier, Chair, Value Retail

Jean-François Clervoy, ESA Astronaut & CEO Novespace

Jeremy Jauncey, CEO, Beautiful Destinations

Anthony Malkin, Chairman & CEO, Empire State Realty Trust, Inc

Kike Sarasola, President & Founder, Room Mate Hotels & Bemate.com

Moderator: Jacqueline Gifford, Editor in Chief, Travel + Leisure

1000 Africa on the Rise

H.E. Margaret Kenyatta, First Lady of the Republic of Kenya

1015 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Ceremony

WTTC’s annual Tourism for Tomorrow Awards ceremony will showcase and celebrate the very best in sustainable tourism from around the world.

Fiona Jeffery, Founder & Chairman, Just a Drop and Chair, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards

Jeffrey C. Rutledge, CEO, AIG Travel

1100 BREAK Draft as at: 27 March 2019 (Please note all sessions, times, and speakers may change *=tbc)

1130 Strategic Insight Sessions PART 1

In recent years, the global Travel & Tourism industry has been redefined by changemakers who are constantly evolving and shaping our travel experience. In a special series of Strategic insight sessions, we explore just what these changemakers are doing to shape the industry and what our direction of travel might be in the future.

1) Embracing product diversity and inclusion – making business sense

2) Cyber-threat: you are compromised

3) What does it take to build successful future destinations?

4) The business case for sustainability

Alberto Durán, Executive Vice President, ONCE

Billy Kolber, Founder, HospitableMe

Deepak Ohri, CEO, lebua Hotels & Resorts

Stacy Ritter, CEO, Fort Lauderdale

Moderator:

Prof Graham Miller, Executive Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Surrey

Suzan Kereere, Global Head, Merchant Sales & Acquiring, Visa

Daniel Richards, CEO, Global Rescue

Jeffrey C. Rutledge, CEO, AIG Travel

Earl Anthony Wayne, Public Policy Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Moderator:

Paul Mee, Partner, Oliver Wyman

Fred Dixon, President & CEO NYC & Company

Aradhana Khowala, Managing Director, Tourism, NEOM

Desiree Maxino, Group Head – Government Policy and ASEAN, Air Asia

Aoife McArdle, Global Head of Business Affairs and Social Impact – Experiences, Airbnb

Eric Resnick, CEO, KSL Capital Partners

Moderator:

Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor, CBS News

Katie Fallon, EVP Global Head of Corporate Affairs, Hilton

Ana Gascón, Director of Corporate Responsibility,

Coca Cola (Spain)

Philippe Gombert, President International, Chairman of The Board, Relais & Châteaux

Simon Heppner, Director, The SRA (Sustainable Restaurant Association)

Geoff Townsend, Industry Fellow, Ecolab

Moderators:

Wendy Purcell and John D. Spengler, Harvard

 

1315 LUNCH

1415 WTTC FOCUS: Climate & Environment Action in Progress

Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of Mexico, 2006-2012

1430 WTTC FOCUS: Social Responsibility

This session will feature the latest updates on the WTTC Buenos Aires Declaration & action against the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) followed by the launch of a new human trafficking initiative.

1450 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: The Future of Jobs in the Age of Automation

As more and more jobs are at increasing risk of being automated or rendered obsolete by other technological changes in the next twenty years, this session will look at the opportunities and challenges around employment within the sector and wider society.

Keynote: Andrés Oppenheimer, Author & Presenter, CNN

Panellists: Greg O’Hara, Founder &, Managing Partner, Certares

Andrés Oppenheimer, Author & Presenter, The Miami Herald / CNN

Hiromi Tagawa, Chairman of the Board, JTB Corp

Claudia Tapardel, Member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, European Parliament

Joan Vilà, Executive Chairman, Hotelbeds

Moderator: Kathleen Matthews, Journalist & Presenter

1545 Vision of the Future

A special stream of keynotes will outline their vision of the future from high-speed transport to pushing the boundaries of disruption and innovation

Keynote: Dirk Alhborn, CEO, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

Keynote: Chandran Nair, Founder & CEO, The Global Institute for Tomorrow (GIFT)

Keynote: Matthew Devlin, Head of International Affairs, Uber

1630 Closing Ceremony

1645 End

eTurboNews is a media partner with the Summit and will be represented by Elisabeth Lang, who is based in Munich, Germany.

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Canada’s government officials announce support for victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302

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Today, the Honorable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the Honorable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement announcing Canada’s support to victim identification efforts following the tragic aircraft accident involving an Ethiopian Airlines Flight.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, we wish to extend our most sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who perished in this tragic accident.  Our thoughts continue to go out to each of the Canadian families, friends and communities affected by this awful accident.

The situation on the ground is fluid and may continue to evolve rapidly. Canada will remain ready to assist with the ongoing recovery efforts.

To this end, the Government of Canada, through the Government Operations Centre and Global Affairs Canada, is in constant contact with international and local officials to coordinate Canada’s contribution to these efforts, in support of Interpol’s call for assistance. At present, the RCMP has provided a team of three specialized personnel to assist with providing disaster victim identification support.

Four additional Canadian officials have been dispatched to Ethiopia to provide added capacity and expertise as well as support to affected families. Officials from the Embassy and from Global Affairs Canada’s Standing Rapid Deployment Team have been coordinating with local authorities in Addis Ababa. Officials have been supporting family members of Canadian victims who have travelled to Ethiopia, including by sharing updates on the situation, providing information about local contacts and services, and accompanying families to the site of the tragedy.

Canadian officials will continue to work closely with Ethiopian Airlines and local authorities on the gathering and sharing of information in real time with the families, including on questions relating to repatriation.

Friends and relatives in Canada who are in need of assistance should contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa at +1-613-996-8885 or email sos@international.gc.ca.

On behalf of all Canadians, we are grateful to all nations who have heeded the international call for assistance, and commend the Canadians who will solemnly perform their duties in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy.”

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Building Resilience of Caribbean SMTEs: OAS launches $500,000 project

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The Organization of American States (OAS) has launched a US$500,000 project to assist the region’s small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) to build resilience to natural disasters.

The project was launched during the 2nd Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs), hosted at the Montego Bay Convention Centre by the government and the United Nations World Tourism Organization on January 29.

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Speaking ahead of the launch, Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett said, “We are so happy to have the vast expertise of the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Nestor Mendez, at the launch who I am pleased to say comes bearing gifts. This very important resilience project for our SMTEs will help build the capacity of our sector to better help us become more resilient when disruptions occur.”

The project is funded by the United States Department of State and managed by the OAS Secretariat for Integral Development. It will assist small tourism enterprises in the Caribbean to overcome the various challenges that affect the ability of Governments and businesses alike to continue their business operations during and after catastrophic events in the Caribbean.

Participating countries set to benefit include: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

It will be carried out in a two-year period, with the primary aim being to reduce the severity, impact and duration of disruptions caused by a disaster on the operations of the small enterprises in the Caribbean.

“The Caribbean is among the most tourism-dependent regions in the world and there is no other region whose travel and tourism industry is as vulnerable to disasters as the Caribbean. It is undeniable that climate change presents an existential threat to small island developing states and low lying coastal areas, which include the countries of the Caribbean,” said Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Nestor Mendez.

He also noted that “The OAS identified, among the main long-term needs of the region, the need for tourism-related disaster preparedness and crisis management, communications plans as well as methodologies to follow before and after a disaster.”

This 2nd Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs), is a direct response to the global conference on jobs and inclusive growth hosted in Jamaica in 2017, which brought to the fore many of the perennial challenges faced by SMTEs, including issues of access to credit, marketing, technology and business development.

The conference organisers therefore saw it prudent to have another event focused solely on SMTEs and best practices that have direct relevance to their development.