UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit 2021: Investing in Tourism’s Sustainable Future
2 November 2021, ExCel, London
When: 2 November 2021
Where: The WTM Global Stage (London, UK)
Around the world, extreme weather is becoming the new normal. Deadly flooding, heat waves, wildfires, and drought: the number of extreme events experienced during 2021 make clear the need for urgent action. The climate emergency is real and poses an existential threat to societies in both developed and developing countries.
With the broadest value chain of any sector, touching on almost every part of society, travel and tourism has a unique ability – and a responsibility – to lead positive action on climate change. At the World Travel Market 2021, UNWTO will be joined by WTTC to unite sector leaders and top thinkers to examine tourism’s sustainable future and the essential role targeted ‘green investments’ will play in achieving this.
Objectives and Intended Outputs
The objective of the session is to explore how the sector can facilitate and promote greater investment in tourism. Specifically, it will consider how this investment can be targeted so that it not only drives growth and recovery but lays the foundations for greater inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability. Finally, it will explore how can the multilateral system can support the sector better.
The event will provide a high-level platform for leaders from both the public and private sectors, including both governments and international finance, to outline their visions and ideas. It will also address key challenges such as:
- Why are government-led ease of doing business reforms so important?
- What can be done to make tourism more attractive to investors, particularly the tourism sectors of developing economies?
- What can the multilateral system provide to support tourism transformation and decarbonization?
Provisional Programme
Moderator: Zeinab Badawi (BBC)
Tuesday 2 November 2021 from 10:30-12:30
Opening & Welcome Remarks
- Simon Press, Reed Travel Exhibition, Director, WTM London
- Julia Simpson, CEO, WTTC
- Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO
Ministerial Discussion: Investing in Tourism’s Sustainable Future
- Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
- Ms. Julia Simpson, CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
- H.E. Zayed bin Rashid Alzayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of BAHRAIN
- H.E. Dr Khaled El-Enany, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt
- H.E. Vasilis Kikilias, Minister of Tourism of Greece
- H.E. Massimo Garavaglia, Minister for Tourism of Italy
- H.E. Rita Marques, Secretary of State for Tourism of Portugal
- H.E. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Tourism
- H.E. Mrs. Memunatu Pratt, Minsiter of Tourism and Culture Sierra Leone
- H.E. Nigel Huddleston, MP, Minister of Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society of United Kingdom
- Federico J. González, CEO Radisson Hotel Group
- Mr. David Lavorel, CEO of SITA AT AIRPORTS AND BORDERS
Closing Remarks
- Ministers Summit PDF Programme
- The climate emergency is a bigger threat than Covid
- UNWTO, WTTC & WTM Ministers’ Summit commits to Investing in Tourism’s Sustainable Future
- Concept Note
