9TH GLOBAL TRAVEL & TOURISM SUMMIT TO DEBATE NEW FORMS OF PARTNERSHIP

Kickstarting the Recovery of the Global Economy

INDUSTRY LEADERS AND GOVERNMENTS WILL MEET IN FLORIANÓPOLIS AT THE 9TH GLOBAL TRAVEL & TOURISM SUMMIT TO DEBATE NEW FORMS OF PARTNERSHIP AND HELP STIMULATE THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Transforming economies and removing barriers towards global integration through travel and tourism are two of the main themes of the 9th Global Travel and Tourism Summit, which is being organised under the patronage of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The two-day event will take place in Florianópolis, the capital of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, from May15-16.
    As the global business leaders' forum, comprising the presidents and chief executives of the foremost 100 travel and tourism companies around the world, WTTC's main mission is to promote the economic importance of the sector, which generates 9% of global GDP and employs as many as 220 million people worldwide.
    "This is the first time that the summit has been held in Latin America, and we are delighted to bring the summit to Santa Catarina, a state which offers enormous promise in terms of tourism development and opportunities for investors in travel and tourism, whether from Brazil or other countries,"says Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC's President and CEO The Summit's programme, organised under the theme Real Partners h i p s : E n e r g i s i n g Economies, and which includes high-level speakers from both the public and private sectors, will offer a unique opportunity to the global travel and tourism industry to create new forms of public-private sector partnership to stimulate travel and tourism demand and stimulate economic growth and employment.
    "Other sessions certain to attract huge interest include an international panel discussion on Changing Values," noted Ufi Ibrahim, chief operating officer of WTTC and author of the summit programme. Panellists in this session will debate the main value drivers of key stakeholders in travel and tourism, and try to determine how these will evolve over the coming years.
    "The travel and tourism industry is already struggling to meet the challenges posed by the current economic and financial crisis. And these have been exacerbated by the recent swine flu outbreak," adds Baumgarten. This year's Global Travel and Tourism Summit in Brazil offers a timely opportunity for leaders from all sectors of the industry to meet together and discuss the challenges facing the industry in order to come up with innovative solutions.
    The 50 speakers and panellists from all four corners of the globe who are participating in the two-day summit include: Paulo Nogueira Batista Jr, Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Brazil, Latin America and the Caribbean; Firmin Antonio, president of Accor Brasil; John Walker, chairman of Oxford and Tourism Economics; Martin Felstein, consultant to the council of Economic Advisers; Hubert Joly, CEO of Carlson; Fernando Pinto, CEO of TAP Air Portugal; Sebastián Escarrer, vice-president of Sol Meliá; Domenico de Masi, Professor of Labour Sociology and Strategy at the University of Rome; Jabu Mabuza, president of South Africa Tourism; Sonu Shivdasani, chairman & CEO, Six Senses Resorts & Spas; and Gerald Lawless, executive president of the Indian hotel and resort chain Jumeirah.
TOURISM IN BRAZIL
In Brazil, tourism turns over US$40 billion and creates around 6 million job opportunities a year. "The revenue generated by tourism has risen by 132% in the last five years, " says Jeanine Pires, President of the Brazilian Tourism Institute and one of the speakers at the Summit. These results make Brazil the first country in Latin America to enter the Top 10 in terms of global tourism events.
    WTTC and its research partner Oxford Economics will also be presenting a report to summit delegates on the impact of tourism on Santa Catarina's economy – a much awaited assessment of the state's potential for growth and investment.
    "The state and federal governments' commitment to the conservation of natural and cultural resources in the State of Santa Catarina was one of the main factors in attracting 9th Global Travel and Tourism Summit to Brazil, and it will contribute significantly to the development and prosperity of our community," concludes Luiz Henrique da Silveira ,the Governor of Santa Catarina State.

GEOFFREY KENT

JEAN-CLAUDE BAUMGARTEN

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