THE Philippines puts its best foot forward this week as it hosts for the first time, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Manila.
The influential private-sector led global tourism body has so far registered about 4,500 participants to the hybrid conference, according to local organizers, with 540 foreign delegates arriving to attend the event in person, on April 20-22 at the Manila Marriot Hotel.
Aileen Clemente, private sector representative to the National Organizing Committee, underscored the importance of the Philippines hosting this global event. “It’s not just because it’s being held for the first time in the Philippines. It’s the fact that Asia has been the most conservative to open up travel, and that the Philippines wants to be exemplary in opening up, yet taking health as an important priority. The two (removing travel restrictions and health) should not be polar opposites, but complementary.”
In addition, she told the BusinessMirror, “We need to be an influence of how travel should be moving forward. Sustainable. It’s a big word that people still relate to just the environment, but it should also include issues on protection on human and animal rights, gender equality, and so much more. These can’t just be big buzzwords but actually workable computations, and have monitored data.” Clemente, who is president of Rajah Travel Corp., will also be a panelist in a discussion on diversity hiring.
AsPac tourism nearing recovery this year
The WTTC Global Summit is taking place in the Philippines at a time when the country and the region begin to recover from the pandemic and will showcase the importance of travel and tourism in the region. The organization recently forecast that travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region could approach pre-pandemic levels this year.
According to the WTTC, the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to the Asia Pacific region’s gross domestic product could reach USD2.9 trillion, near pre-pandemic levels, while employment could reach over 190 million jobs, surpassing 2019 figures and providing an additional 5 million jobs to the sector.
To reach close to prepandemic levels this year, governments across the region and around the world must continue focusing on the vaccine and booster rollout — allowing fully vaccinated travelers to move freely without the need for testing, the WTTC said.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat, who is opening the summit on April 21 with WTTC chair Arnold Donald, said in a news statement, “Preparations are under way to ensure the success of WTTC’s Global Summit in Manila, which serves as the light at the end of tunnel following a long period of darkness for global tourism.”
She added, “It is heartening that these inspiring individuals have joined our efforts to bring the industry onward to full recovery.”
Young activist headlines event speakers
Among the major speakers at the global summit is Indonesian/Dutch activist Melati Wijsen, founder of Bye Bye Plastics – a global movement powered by youths around the world to end the use of plastic bags. In 2018, alongside her sister, she was named one of the “World’s Most Influential Teens” by Time magazine.
Also taking center stage at the global summit are tourism ministers from Spain, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, Japan, Maldives, and Barbados among others.
For her part, WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson, said: “We are delighted to have such influential speakers already confirmed for our Global Summit in Manila. “Melati is an inspiration to us all. A real changemaker, who from such a young age, has been instrumental in raising awareness of the damage caused by plastic and has inspired young people around the world to lead change.
She noted “After more than two years, the region is perfectly positioned to post the losses caused by the pandemic. WTTC’s Global Summit will act as a catalyst to drive forward the recovery of a sector that is critical for both the economy and jobs.”
The 21st WTTC Global Summit in Manila was moved twice due to Covid-19 travel restrictions all over the world.
Image credits: wttc.org/