WTTC global summit for Japan

Clear message about global travel and tourism commitment event to open in earthquake and tsunami hit Sendai

Travel & Tourism leaders will gather in Sendai and Tokyo in April to discuss and debate some major issues facing the industry, during the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 12th Global Summit.

The Global Summit is attended by industry and government leaders from around the world.

Speakers from within and beyond the travel and tourism industry share their views with an international audience of prominent business, financial, political and media leaders.

This year’s Global Summit will tackle some of the biggest questions in the industry with the overall theme of ‘Leading a Dynamic Industry through Turbulent Times’.

David Scowsill, President & CEO, WTTC, said: "The Travel & Tourism industry is in a unique position to power sustainable growth. It has been a turbulent twelve months including unrest in Africa and the Middle East, impacting on traveller patterns and, last year’s devastating earthquake in Japan. Now it is more important than ever for us to discuss on how to ‘Lead a Dynamic Industry through such turbulent times’ and restore its economic power globally. This year’s Global Summit aims to inform the Travel & Tourism industry on how this can be achieved globally."

The Summit will be held in two locations to mark recent significant events in Japan:

A year after the Tohoku region was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011, the WTTC Global Summit will open with a dinner in Sendai City, the focal point of last year’s disaster recovery efforts. The Summit will commence with a Welcome Dinner on the evening of 16 April followed on 17 April by three sessions on disaster recovery and the place of Asia in world Travel & Tourism. WTTC’s Executive Committee and Annual General Meeting will take place at the same time as the Summit sessions.

In the evening of 17 April, the Global Summit will continue in Tokyo with its Opening Ceremony including WTTC’s prestigious Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. Hot topics are on the agenda for 18 and 19 April which are designed to inform delegates how to effectively lead the industry through difficult times. Sessions include: Japan: Where Now Where Next; Our Rapidly Changing World; Airlines: Their Role & Ever-Changing Nature; Our Story: Speaking with one Voice; Understanding Tomorrow’s Consumers; and Tourism for Tomorrow.

High-level industry leaders representing every sector of the global Travel & Tourism industry will participate in speaker sessions, interviews and panel debates.

David Scowsill continued: "Having the Global Summit in Sendai and Tokyo sends a clear message about our commitment to showing that Japan in general, and the Tohoku region in particular, have recovered from last year’s tragic events only a year after and are ready to rediscover their position among the world’s premier tourism destinations."

Atsutoshi Nishida, Chairman of the WTTC Global Summit 2012 Host Committee, welcomes delegates to Japan: "Japan has developed a distinct travel culture that is permeated with the spirit of hospitality. I want to make WTTC’s Global Summit a fusion of this unique culture and Japan’s cutting edge technology. The Global Summit will take place in April – a wonderful time of year in which spring can be enjoyed to the full, and the cherry blossoms – the symbol of Japan – are in full bloom. I look forward to hosting everyone during the time of year in which "the heart dances its most".

Valere Tjolle
Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2012 Special Offers HERE