ETW Staff – Mumbai
The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2014 Global Summit which will be held on April 24-25 in Hainan, China, will examine the role of the industry as a force for good in the world, with headline contributions from Kofi Annan, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Yao Ming, economist Dame DeAnne Julius as well as many industry leaders. WTTC’s 14th Global Summit will explore ‘Changing world, new perspectives’. Public and private sector leaders from outside and inside the industry and government ministers from all continents will attend the summit to explore and challenge current received wisdom and their relevance for the near future. They will look at travel and tourism from a new angle and define a new proposition that goes beyond the economic agenda, identifying how businesses can benefit from this new way of thinking.
The Global Summit will be headlined by Kofi Annan, founding chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation and secretary-general of the United Nations, 1997-2006; Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO and co-founder of DreamWorks Animation SKG, will be interviewed by Geoffrey Kent, founder, executive chairman and CEO, Abercrombie & Kent; Yao Ming, former NBA Star, will be interviewed by Kathleen Matthews, executive vice president and chief global communications and public affairs officer, Marriott International; Dame DeAnne Julius, economist and chairman of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (2003-12), will provide an opening keynote on the world economy.
David Scowsill, president and CEO, WTTC said, “We have another outstanding line-up of speakers at our Global Summit in Hainan who will help us to answer some big questions: Can we rely on middle class growth in Asia to drive our industry forward globally? Are the industry’s perceptions of China still relevant in the face of China’s phenomenal economic and social developments? As travel and tourism increasingly has to compete with other industry sectors for natural and governmental resources, is the economic message the right one? What is the role of travel and tourism in the trade agenda? Or as a driver of peace, mutual understanding and security? There is a lot to talk about, and some outstanding speakers to help us address the biggest global issues affecting our industry.”
Other confirmed speakers/attendees include: Raymond Bickson, managing director and CEO, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces; Chen Feng, chairman of the board, HNA Group; Ken Chu, chairman and CEO, Mission Hills Group; DUAN Qiang, Beijing Tourism Group; Edouard Ettedgui, group chief executive, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group; Fan Min, vice chairman and president, Ctrip International; Jennifer Fox, president, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; Michael Frenzel, chairman of the supervisory board, TUI Deutschland GmbH and TUIfly GmbH, chairman, WTTC; Zhang Guanghui, president and CEO, Beijing Capital International Airport; Federico González Tejera, CEO, NH Hotels; Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports Corporation; Christophe Jouan, CEO, Future Foundation; Henrik Kjellberg, president, Hotwire and chairman of eLong; Clement Kwok, managing director and CEO, Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels; Gerald Lawless, president and group chief executive officer, Jumeirah Group; Alan Leibman, CEO, Kerzner International; Christopher J Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton Worldwide; Yu Ningning, president, CITS; Masaru Onishi, chairman, Japan Airlines; Taleb Rifai, secretary-general, UNWTO; Jeff Rutledge, president and chief executive officer, Travel Guard Worldwide; David Scowsill, president and CEO, WTTC; Richard Solomons, CEO, InterContinental Hotels Group; Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott International Inc.;Michel Taride, president, Hertz Europe; Brett Tollman, president and CEO, The Travel Corporation; John Walker, chairman, Oxford Economics; Adam Weissenberg, vice chairman and global leader of the travel, hospitality and leisure segment, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu; Gordon Wilson, CEO, Travelport; XIAO Qianhui, general manager, Shanghai Spring International Travel Services (Group); CC Zhuang, co-founder and CEO, Qunar.
