More than 50 speakers and panellists have been confirmed for the ninth annual Global Travel and Tourism Summit held by the World Travel & Tourism Council.
Themes for the two-day event in Brazil this month include ‘Transforming Economies’ and ‘Removing Barriers Towards Global Integration through Travel and Tourism’.
The Summit on May 15-16 comes against the backdrop of an industry struggling to meet the challenges posed by the current economic and financial crisis, according to president and CEO Jean-Claude Baumgarten.
"And these have been exacerbated by the recent swine flu outbreak," he said.
"The Summit’s rich programme, organised under the theme Real Partnerships: Energising Economies, and which includes high-level speakers from both the public and private sectors, will offer a unique opportunity to the global travel and tourism industry – not least in Brazil – to create new forms of public-private sector partnership to restore confidence, which in turn will help kick-start travel and tourism demand and stimulate economic growth and employment," Baumgarten said.
Industry speakers include Hubert Joly, president and CEO of Carlson; Fernando Pinto, CEO of TAP Air Portugal; Sebastián Escarrer, vice chairman of Sol Meliá; Sonu Shivdasani, chairman and CEO of Six Senses Resorts & Spas; and Gerald Lawless, executive chairman of Jumeirah Group.
The event takes place in Florianópolis, the capital of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.
*Look out for TravelMole coverage from the Summit.
