Peruvian star chef Gaston Acurio and foremost economist Hernando de Soto have been confirmed as two of the keynote speakers at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) 2014 Americas Summit scheduled for 10-11 September in Lima, Peru.
This summit is set to discuss the most pressing questions facing Travel & Tourism in the Americas today and to identify what needs to be done now to ensure the long term sustainable future of the sector.
A series of keynotes, panel sessions and interviews, Travel & Tourism leaders and government ministers from across South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and North America are coming together with top executives from the public and private sectors, NGOs, and opinion-formers from academia and the media.
Other speakers at the Summit include Darren Huston, President & CEO, The Priceline Group, H.E. Vinícius Lages, Minister of Tourism, Brazil, and John Perrottet, Global Lead - Tourism, Investment Climate for Industry/ Senior Industry Specialist, The World Bank (please see attached programme for the full list of speakers).
Announcing the program, entitled ‘Facing Challenges - Finding Opportunities’, David Scowsill, President & CEO of WTTC, described Travel & Tourism in the Americas as being at a critical moment.
“As countries seek to diversify their economies and become more competitive, Travel & Tourism is emerging as a key sector in the Americas for enhancing trade linkages, stimulating exports, attracting investment, and creating jobs. A strong internal market, economic recovery in the USA and Europe, and the growth of new markets in Asia now offer massive opportunities,” he said.
Mr. Scowsill went on to add this summit will bring together global and regional leaders in Travel & Tourism to showcase the opportunities and shape the future sustainable growth of the sector, a sector which has the potential to be far more important for the economies of the region.
He continued; “There is a lot to talk about and some outstanding speakers to help us address the biggest global issues affecting the sector in the Americas: how can the combined strengths of the sector come together now to leverage more sustainable growth for the region?”
The WTTC's president noted that while some destinations prosper, others struggle and speakers will explore how collaboration can solve problems that market forces alone cannot address, how competitiveness can be strengthened through cooperation, and how the Americas can keep up with growing destinations in Asia.
WTTC’s Economic Impact 2014 research shows that Travel & Tourism already accounts for US$286 billion in visitor exports, contributes 8.5% to the economy and supports 1 in 11 jobs in the Americas.
The agenda of the Americas Summit will focus not only on the traditional intra-regional flows of business in the Americas but also on the recovery of the inbound market, fuelled by the growth of BRIC nations.
Presentations of best practice from inside and outside the region will be combined with lively debates around future trends and current policies.
Hosted by the Peru Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), the Global Summit will be held in Lima’s Westin Hotel over the course of a day and a half.
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Published: 8/31/2014