UNWTO responding to a turbulent economy and changing climate

MADRID – Faced with growing, economic uncertainty, UNWTO is examining how the tourism sector can respond effectively while building new frameworks to adapt to climate change and development imperatives. This will be the focus of the Global Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market (London, UK, November 11). A series of conferences focusing on the regional impacts and response will follow, starting in the Middle East.

The first UNWTO Regional Conference ­for the Middle East and Mediterranean will be held in Sharm el Sheikh (November 23-24) under the patronage of the Minister of Tourism of Egypt and the Egyptian Tourism Federation.

Against the backdrop of the London Ministers’ Summit, the Sharm el Sheikh event will be an opportunity for high-level, regional consideration of short- and long-term, structural challenges facing the sector:

– It will provide a basis for evaluating economic impacts and market tendancies, with a strong emphasis on responsive public / private sector actions.

– Special emphasis will be given to industry, resilience initiatives, as well as practical examples of climate response.

The Conference will be chaired by HE Zohair Garrana, Minister of Tourism of Egypt. Keynote speaker will be UNWTO Secretary General Francesco Frangialli.

All sessions will be highly interactive and solutions focused. Speakers from around the world will include:

– Peter Keller, former chair of the OECD Tourism Committee, who will discuss UNWTO’s New Economy Study

– Geoffrey Lipman , UNWTO assistant secretary-general, who will report on Tourism Climate Response

– Dr. Ghassan Aidi, president, International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), and Martin Brackenbury, president of the International Federation of Tour Operators (IFTO), both of whom will explore changing market realities and industry action.

There will be no conference fees and special rates are available for hotels and flights.