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WTM – LONDON- REPORT: The highly-successful UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit is to have a sister event in 2012 – the UNWTO and ATM Forum which will take place at Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
The UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market 2011, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the fifth consecutive edition of the unique event for the world’s tourism ministers to discuss the state of the industry and agree on common strategies to address on-going challenges.
It is now a firm fixture on the tourism ministers’ calendar with up to 200 ministers and senior aides attended the 2011 UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit discussing issues such as the impact of fiscal consolidation on tourism in Europe or the future of travel in the Middle East and North Africa..
The UNWTO & ATM Forum at Arabian Travel Market on Monday 30th April 2012, will play a similar role in bring together the leaders of the region for the increasingly important Middle Eastern travel and tourism industry.
Reed Travel Exhibitions Group Exhibition Director Arabian Travel Market Mark Walsh said: “The growth in tourism arrivals since the turn of the century means a forum of this kind is essential for both tourism ministers and private sector to discuss future possibilities. As the premier travel trade exhibition for the region ATM is the only place to host such an event.”
The Middle East has been one of the fastest growing tourism regions this last decade. International tourist arrivals grew from 24 million in 2000 to more than 60 million in 2010, generating as much as US $50 billion in export earnings for the destinations in the region.
UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said: “The Middle East has been the region with the fastest growth during the last decade and in spite of current challenges prospects continue very positive in the long term, as shown by the new UNWTO forecast Tourism Towards 2030 as well as by the projects of infrastructure, airline expansion and hotel capacity in the pipeline for the region”.
The conclusions from the UNWTO & ATM event on The Future of Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa, taking place at World Travel Market on Wednesday 9 November at 11am will set the agenda for the first UNWTO & ATM forum next May.
High-profile speakers at the event at WTM include:
– Mr. Mounir Fakhry Abdel-Nour, Minister of Tourism of Egypt
– Mr. Ahmed A. Al-Nuaimi, Chairman, Qatar Tourism Authority
– Mr. Mehdi Houas, Minister of Tourism of Tunisia
– Mr. Guy Crawford, Chief Executive Officer, Jumeirah Group Dubai
– Mr. Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice President, International & Public Affairs, Etihad Airways
– Mr. Tony Hopkins, UK Customer Director, Thomas Cook
– Mr. Ghassan Aridi, Chief Executive Officer, Alpha Tours Dubai Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, UNWTO.
RTE representatives will be Simon Press Exhibition Director World Travel Market, Lucie James Marketing Manager Arabian Travel Market and Nadege Noblet Regional Account Manager Middle East, North Africa & Hotel Companies Arabian Travel Market.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
