LIMA, Peru (eTN) – Day one of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Summit, themed “Facing Challenges Finding Opportunities,” is seeing a stellar lineup of speakers. The summit will run from today, September 10, 2014 through tomorrow, September 11, 2014 in Lima, Peru, at the Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center.

Opening the summit was Peru President Olanta Humala. Following HE Humala, President & CEO of WTTC, David Scowsill, spoke about the importance of the Americas for tourism. Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy, gave his keynote address.

The summit panel today included Maryse Robert, Director, Department of Economic and Social Development, Organization American States (OAS); Doug Anderson, President & CEO, Carlson Wagonlit Travel; Jay Jones, Senior Vice President, The Americas, Sabre Corporation; and Craig S. Smith, President of Caribbean and Latin America, Marriott International, Inc. Craig Smith spoke about the extent to which technology is entrenched in the travel process. He said governments should be happy for passports to become electronic.

Adnan Nawaz, BBC Anchor, moderated the panel at the Americas Summit.

“We don’t have time [to] think what can we do; time is run[ning] and technology, too. We need to give … solutions in real time,” tweeted Richard Rosales from the Summit.

Get the whole picture of the summit opening here.