With dates and schedule for WTM London confirmed, hopes are now pinned on the meet to give the now rudderless travel and tourism industry a definite course for the years to come. Although WTM is an annual feature, but the way COVID-19 has made a catastrophic effect on the industry, this year’s met has garnered much interest among the tourism leaders worldwide to see what lies ahead. Therefore, there is no doubt that Ministers’ Summit at WTM has gained importance to set out a roadmap for a safer, greener and smarter future for the sector.
The summit is the largest annual gathering of tourism ministers and will feature a day-long think-tank on Monday 2nd November during WTM London – the leading global event for the travel industry. About 100 ministers are expected to take part, along with 100 industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts.
For more than 10 years, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and WTM have partnered to use the London event to host a high-level summit, focusing on key challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The 2020 Summit will present an opportunity for leaders to share their experiences and plans for recovery in a post-pandemic world.
Given the unprecedented scale of the challenge facing tourism, UNWTO and WTM will partner with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global travel & tourism private sector for the event for the first time in its history, making it the UNWTO, WTTC & WTM Ministers’ Summit.
WTM London’s Senior Director, Simon Press, said: “This will be our 14th Ministers’ Summit and it will come at a momentous time. The summit will be the first opportunity for ministers and global industry leaders to meet in the wake of the pandemic and offers an unrivalled platform for exploring the best ways to ‘recover, rebuild and accelerate. WTM London is at the forefront of setting the agenda for travel and tourism, so we have a bold ambition for this event.
“We want the summit to design a new tourism and travel industry, to generate a more positive social and environmental impact. Our previous summits have sparked important debates and generated powerful ideas. We can build on that notable legacy to help our industry, the communities we support, and the environment.”
Valuable Platform for High-Level Collaboration UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvil will once again be in attendance. Since the start of the crisis, he has represented tourism at the highest political level, calling on governments and international organisations to support tourism politically and financially.
Pololikashvili said, “Tourism has proven its resilience and has the power to lead the recovery of whole societies. UNWTO is working closely with governments around the world, as well as with the private sector, and key UN agencies to guide the responsible and sustainable restart of tourism, making clear our sector’s unique potential to create jobs, support livelihoods and protect heritage. The Ministers’ Summit provides a valuable platform for high-level dialogue, uniting public and private sector leaders as we work together to build for the future.”
Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said, “Since the beginning of this pandemic, WTTC has been leading the global private sector recovery and has been working tirelessly with our Members and governments around the world to rebuild the Travel & Tourism sector, which is responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million total), makes a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generates one in four of all new jobs.
“This summit comes at a crucial time and will offer a vital forum for planning and sharing ideas for 2021 and onwards, as we begin to recover from this global pandemic, which has had a devastating impact on our industry and has threatened the jobs of millions of people whose very livelihoods depend on a thriving Travel & Tourism sector.”
Simon Press concluded, “The pandemic has highlighted the vital importance of travel and tourism for economies, jobs and human wellbeing around the world. By bringing together 200 international leaders from the tourism industry, we can provide concrete solutions to our challenges. The manifesto from the summit will influence governments and key global policies in the next decade, creating a safer, greener and smarter travel and tourism industry.”
Physical distancing and other safety measures will be in place, with Ministers and WTM London both committing to following Public Health England directives and government guidelines.
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