The 13th annual World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit was attended by over 1,000 international delegates, the WTTC reports. Key speakers urged international cooperation and partnership.
Dr. Michael Frenzel, chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC); Chairman of the supervisory board, TUI Deutschland AG and TUIfly GmbH, set the scene for the two-day event, honing in on the theme of the summit – the role of leaders in influencing and effecting change at the very highest levels to drive the industry towards a sustainable future.
The conference hosts, the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Etihad Airways, also provided a cohesive vision for continued economic prosperity, underpinned by the potential of the tourism dollar.
Mubarak Al Muhairi, TCA Abu Dhabi Director General, reminded delegates of how modern day tourism transformed the UAE .
“This region is rich with hospitality heritage. It is part of a past we are proud of and, we believe, integral to the future ahead. Our ancestors left us a legacy of traditions to be proud of, and our mission is to maintain and develop them as assets of the nation for the benefit of future generations.
“Since Abu Dhabi began its tourism journey almost nine years ago, we have achieved a number of milestones. This summit ranks among them,” he said.
He also urged the international industry to look beyond its differences and work together to improve the quality of life for destinations and their people.
Al Muhairi’s message was echoed by James Hogan, president & CEO of Etihad Airways, who stressed the importance of strong leadership in developing the tourism offering.
“It is all about vision, partnership; and the relationship between Etihad Airways and TCA Abu Dhabi reflects a new economy that can generate a move forward, in a more aggressive way, in tourism. During the course of the next few days we will be talking about leadership and how economies can build on the back of partnership.”
Speaking on behalf of United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, Taleb Rifai, UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General called on the global tourism community to unite in the spirit of co-operation to “make a global movement of people for tourism, change billions of lives, and help us build the world we want.”
Rifai reminded delegates of the dual role of tourism as an enabler for developing world nations to “lift communities out of poverty.” “Tourism has become one of the most important economic sectors and social activities of our time. It accounts for 45 percent of exports in developing countries and thus can help developing worlds play a more active and competitive part in the global economy. Tourism can, and must, play a role in our shared efforts to create a new sustainable world,” he said.
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