WTM WRTD Events 2011

WTM WRTD has helped to lead the way in responsible tourism over the past 16 years. The WTM WRTD event programme is unique and forward looking. It aims to tease out the challenges and constructively seek solutions to difficult dilemmas faced by businesses and destinations.

Our goal is to be realistic and reliable. A source of balanced, accurate and easily understood information that is both beneficial and practical as well as offering inspiration, integrity and hope for the future success and sustainability of international travel and tourism.

The Business Case For Taking Responsibility For Ensuring Access For All
11.00 – 12.00, North Gallery Room 4/5

There are significant numbers of people with disabilities who wish to travel, the diversity of disabilities is often still not recognised. It is not just about wheelchair access. Four panellists shared their experience of the issues and why it makes business sense to provide holidays for disabled people. It is challenging but it makes good business sense.

Chairperson
John de Vial, ABTA

Speaker(s)
Craig Grimes, The Experience Community
Keith Richards, Director, Raleo Ltd
Jennifer Littman, Chief Executive, Tourism for All UK
Magnus Berglund, Disability Ambassador

Are Tourism Jobs Good Jobs? Tourism and Livelihoods
12.30 - 13.30, North Gallery Room 8

The tourism industry is often perceived as providing low paid casual employment, too often people dismiss tourism jobs as frivolous and undesirable. The industry has done little to challenge this widely held prejudice. Panellists shared examples of good quality jobs in tourism and of the opportunities for progression in an industry where experience and in-service training can provide worthwhile careers and promotion opportunities.

Chairperson
Mark Tanzer, ABTA

Speaker(s)
Costas Christ, Editor and Columnist, National Geographic Traveler
Faye Chua, Head of Research, People 1st
Nicole Häusler, Responsible Tourism Consultant, Mascontour – Sustainable Tourism-Consulting & Communication AND Associate of International Centre for Responsible Tourism AND WTM WRTD Advisory Panel Member
Márcio Favilla, Executive Director in charge of Competitiveness, External Relations and Partnerships , UNWTO

What is the Role of Government in Making Tourism More Sustainable?
12.30 – 13.30, North Gallery Room 4/5

Tourism takes place in destinations, tourists, the tourism industry and local communities interact in places where local communities live out their lives, some working in tourism most earning their living in other ways. Governments exist to manage public space, provide security and public services, to plan, encourage economic development and make better places for people to live in. What can governments do, at national and local level, to ensure the negative impacts of tourism are minimised and its power to contribute to making better places to live in is maximised.

Chairperson
Ransford Smith , Deputy Secretary General Commonwealth Secretariat

Speaker(s)
Hon. Richard Skerritt , Minister of Tourism St Kitts / Chairman Caribbean Tourism Organisation
Deirdre Shurland, UNEP , Global Sustainable Tourism Partnership
Fiona Buchner, Regional Director for Europe, SA
U.V. Jose, Department of Tourism, Kerala, India

Tools and training taster session for ‘greening’ your business
12.30 - 13.30, North Gallery Room 10

The Travel Foundation have a wealth of resources to help travel companies green their businesses and influence their supply chain. This fun and interactive session gave attendees a taste of their tools, showing you how you can incorporate them within your business. Taking action on sustainable tourism is good for your business;  it reduces costs, improves efficiency, offers enriched experiences for your customers and builds greater value into your brand.  

Speaker(s)
Julie Middleton, Industry Programmes Manager , The Travel Foundation
Suzannah Newham, Industry Programmes Officer , The Travel Foundation

Making Destinations More Sustainable – a report on work in progress in Egypt, India and Sri Lanka
14.00 - 15.00, North Gallery Room 8

Achieving sustainable tourism in destinations requires partnerships. Partnerships in which government and the private sector work together to take responsibility for making tourism more sustainable for the benefit of local communities their culture, local economy and environment. Drawing on examples from Egypt and India this panel explored what outbound tour operators, national, state and local government can do make better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit.

Chairperson
Professor Harold Goodwin, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management, International Centre for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University

Speaker(s)
Hisham Zaazou , Senior Assistant Minister of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism – Egypt
Nikki White, Head of Sustainability and Destinations , ABTA
Srilal Miththapala, Project Director , SWITCH Asia Greening Sri Lanka Hotels Project, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
Ms. Dhanya M R, President of Kumarakam Panchayat, CommSec
U.V. Jose, Department of Tourism, Kerala, India

How Responsible are All-Inclusives?
16.00 – 17.30,  North Gallery Room 6/7

The debate about how responsible all-inclusive holidays are rages on. Critics argue that by discouraging holidaymakers from venturing out of resorts local businesses and communities loose out, others argue that some forms of indulgent holidaying are best done away from local communities. Operators point to extended seasons and occupancy rates, increased spend in the local supply chain and the interest that all-inclusive resorts have in encouraging their guests to venture out rather than eating and drinking in the hotel. This seminar, with panellists with very different perspectives seeked to shed light on these issues which fuel this heated debate.

Chairperson
Professor Harold Goodwin, International Centre for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management

Speaker(s)
Adama Bah, Project Manager - The Gambia, The Travel Foundation
Jane Ashton, Director of Group Sustainable Development , TUI
Tricia Barnett, Director , Tourism Concern
Wayne Cummings, Director, Business Processes & Administration, Sandals Resorts International

Official WTM WRTD Opening
10.30 – 11.00 Platinum Suite 3 & 4

Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the UK’s Fairtrade Foundation - an organisation that has dramatically transformed shopping habits and improved the lives of millions across the globe – officially opened WTM World Responsible Tourism Day.

Harriet Lamb, Fairtrade Foundation, UK, Executive Director

The Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards
11.00 – 12.00 Platinum Suite 3 & 4

Presentation of the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2011, the largest awards of their kind in the world. Organised by responsibletravel.com sponsored by Virgin Holidays and in partnership with Metro Newspaper, World Travel Market and Geographical.

WRTD Hot Seat
12.00 – 12.30 Platinum Suite 3 & 4

World Travel Market staged its most contentious face-to-face discussion ever when ethical writer Leo Hickman, author of the thought provoking book ‘The Final Call’ took the HOTseat with BBC World’s Stephen Sackur.

Chairperson
Stephen Sackur, BBC World News, Presenter of HARDtalk
Speaker(s)
Leo Hickman, Writer

WTM WRTD Lunch Sponsored by BBC World News
12.30 – 14.30, Platinum Suite 1

This lunch is by invitation only - WTM WRTD Lunch sponsored, organised and hosted by BBC World News.

Progress in Responsible Tourism
14.00 – 15.00, North Gallery Rooms 4/5

So what has been achieved? Is the industry making progress? Four individuals gave their personal assessments of how much progress we have made in encouraging individuals and companies to take responsibility for making tourism  more sustainable...

Chairperson
Professor Harold Goodwin, International Centre for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management

Speaker(s)
Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, UNWTO
Heidi Keyser, Cape Town South Africa
Michael Horton, Chairman and Founder, ConCERT
Ruth Holroyd, Group Head of Sustainability Thomas Cook

Who Profits From Tourism? WTM WRTD DEBATE
15.30 - 17.00, North Gallery Room  4/5

Tourism businesses argue that they deserve support from government seeking tax breaks and assistance with marketing, rarely does the industry address the question, who benefits from tourism? Business argues that the sector is big, “the world’s largest industry” and that they need help from government, and critics ask if they are so successful why they need government subsidies.
This panel debated the question “who profits from tourism?” Can tourism demonstrate that it contributes to making better places for people to live in? The motion “This house believes that the main beneficiaries of tourism are the industry and the consumers and that there is too little benefit for communities and their environment’ Two main protagonists each supported by two speakers. Each team had fifteen minutes of questions from the floor.

Chairperson  
Professor Harold Goodwin,Professor of Responsible Tourism Management
International Centre for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University

Speakers
Richard Sharpley, Professor of Tourism & Development, University of Central Lancashire
Luke Pollard Head of Public Affairs, ABTA – The Travel Association
Adama Bah, Project Manager - The Gambia, The Travel Foundation
Noel Josephides, Managing Director, Sunvil Holidays
Julia Bishop, Director , Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors
Ruth Holroyd,Group Head of Sustainability Thomas Cook
 

WTM WRTD Networking Reception
17.00 – 18.30 Platinum Suite 1

An unrivalled chance to meet and share views on responsible tourism with experts and those who are new to responsible tourism or are considering responsible tourism activity within their business for the first time.

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Meetings and Hospitality Industry
11.00 – 12.00,  North Gallery Room 6/7

Having corporate social responsibility credentials is becoming a source of competitive advantage, and in some cases a requirement to trade, in the meetings industry. From international conference tourism destinations seeking to secure large scale events, to smaller venues aiming to differentiate their product with local sourcing and sustainability values, the requirement for CSR accountability is increasing to communicate your brand and destination values, and part of supplier screening within requests for prices. What implications does this have for the meetings and hospitality industry, and for the conference tourism markets?

What implications does this have for the meetings and hospitality industry, and for the conference tourism markets?

Chairperson
Dr Xavier Font, Director of Studies, International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT)

Speaker(s)
Deborah Sexton , FASAE, President and CEO, PCMA
James Boardman, Representative on , Leeds Metropolitan University and Smyle Creative
James Mark, Services & 2012 Games Director , ExCeL London
Malcolm Johnson, Engineering Services Manager , (representing the) Barbican
Rebecca Saunders, Sustainable Consultant , (representing) Sustainable Events Limited and Meeting Professionals International (MPI)

Business and Human Rights: Challenges and Opportunities for Tourism
11:00 - 12:00, North Gallery Room 8

This event marked the exclusive launch of a new industry briefing by Tourism Concern making the business case for taking a human rights approach to tourism. The event was a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss major new thinking around business and human rights. Attendees heard from business leaders.

Chairperson
Ian Taylor, Executive Editor, Travel Weekly Group

Speaker(s)
Keith Weed, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Unilever
Peter Frankental, Economic Relations Programme Director, Amnesty International UK
Sabine Loetscher-Ehrler, Project Manager in Corporate Responsibility (CR), Kuoni Group
Tricia Barnett, Director , Tourism Concern

Securing the Commercial Advantage from Responsible Tourism Through Marketing
12.30 - 13.30, North Gallery Room 6/7

Consumers expect tourism businesses to take responsibility for their health and safety, the quality of their holiday and to provide information about their destination to enable them to get the most out of their holiday. Consumers want an increasingly authentic experience, they want to get closer to the people in the destination and to their culture and environment – the Responsible Tourism agenda can reassure the client about your business’s commitment and ability to deliver the best experiences, leading industry marketers shared how they use the sustainability agenda and gain market advantage.

Chairperson
Professor Harold Goodwin,Professor of Responsible Tourism Management, International Centre for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University

Speaker(s)
Christia n Cul l, Communicati ons Director , TUI UK
Justin Francis, ResponsibleTravel.com
Rachel McCaffery, Virgin Holidays
Dr Xavier Font, International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT), Director of Studies