Prominent Speakers at World Tourism Conference 2016
The upcoming World Tourism Conference (WTC) 2016 in George Town, Penang, will feature an impressive line-up of local and international speakers, representing the who’s who of the tourism industry.
As in previous years, the fourth edition of WTC will bring notable speakers to present cases that have achieved excellence within the tourism industry so that they can serve as examples and lessons for the rest of the country. The speakers will address various issues based on their respective areas of expertise, in line with the theme “Tourism Delights: Delivering the Unexpected”.
A total of 14 speakers will be presenting a paper each during the three-day conference, which is divided into four sessions. Among the well-known luminaries who will be gracing the prestigious event this year and sharing their valuable insights are:
1) Gerald Lawless
Chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
Session 1: Tourism a Sunrise Industry? Now and Beyond
Topic: Tourism Future Trends Beyond 2030
2) Tan Sri Dr. Francis Yeoh
CEO, YTL Corporation
Session 2: Tourism Experiences: Breaking New Grounds
Topic: Luxury Hospitality from YTL’s Experiences
3) Tan Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes – TBC
CEO, AirAsia Group
Session 2: Tourism Experiences: Breaking New Grounds
Topic: AirAsia Experiences: Customers First
4) Nina Freysen-Pretorius
President, International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)
Session 2: Tourism Experiences: Breaking New Grounds
Topic: Global MICE Destinations: Strategize and Reinventing the Industry
5) Dato’ Sri Idris Jala
CEO, PEMANDU
Session 3: Tourism: Prospering Communities, Endless Opportunities
Topic: Optimising Economic Transformation in the Tourism Industry
6) David Chapman
Director General, World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation
Session 3: Tourism: Prospering Communities, Endless Opportunities
Topic: Youth Tourism and Volunteer Tourism: New Source of Growth
7) Jonathan Hyong-Joon Kim
Chief Creative Officer, Signal Pictures
Session 4: Tourists First: Maximising the Power of Marketing
Topic: Destination Branding: Learning from the Hallyu Effect
Other speakers include:
- Tan Sri Dr. Ong Hong Peng
Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia
Topic: Tourism Future Trends Beyond 2030: Megatrend-lens: Targeting and Matching Tourism Demand
- John Kester
Director of Tourism Market Trends Programme, UNWTO
Topic: Tourism Future Trends Beyond 2030
- Prof. Dr. Amran Hamzah from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Topic: Sustainable Tourism & Conservation Initiatives Lower Kinabatangan Sabah Malaysia
- Peter Semone
Chairman of PATA Foundation
Topic: Rural Tourism: Delighting Tourists, Prospering Communities
- Jackson Pek
Vice President and General Counsel, Asia Pacific, Amadeus Asia Limited
Topic: Innovative Marketing: Big Data Approach
- Helena Egan
Global Director Industry Relations, TripAdvisor
Topic: TripAdvisor: Discovering Tourism Delights
- Dr. Dzahar Mansor
National Technology Officer, Microsoft Malaysia
Topic: The 4th Industrial Revolution – Opportunities and Challenges
WTC 2016’s theme “Tourism Delights: Delivering The Unexpected” is certainly appropriate as tourists are becoming increasingly demanding and sophisticated in their requirements, hence the challenge for successful tourism business is to fulfil customers’ expectations, and surprise them on the upside by delivering the unexpected.
It is for the industry players to be able to understand the current tourism trend, anticipate future directions, and respond appropriately by walking the extra mile to fulfil tourist expectations by providing excellent products and services. The business that succeeds in the future will always be the one focused on the maxim of “Tourists First.” The innovations and areas of excellence could be in the areas of tourism policy, innovative products, marketing, service quality or corporate strategy.
The World Tourism Conference 2016 is organised by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) in George Town, Penang, from 17 to 19 October.
The conference will bring together world leaders in tourism, high-level policy-makers, specialists and experts from the public and private sectors, academicians and representatives from the media to exchange ideas and experiences, update their knowledge, and expand the existing network for future tourism growth and development.
Press contact:
Media Relations Unit:
Mohd Libra Lee Haniff, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8752
Email: mohdlibra@tourism.gov.my
Editorial Unit:
Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my