(in cooperation with World Travel & Tourism Council)

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that the sector will grow its GDP contribution to $15.5TN by 2033 representing 11.6% of the global economy and will employ 430MN people around the world, with almost 12% of the working population employed in the sector. Ensuring this momentum and unlocking tourism’s potential increasingly means embracing new levels of innovation.

In cooperation with WTTC, this panel provides the industry’s perspective on how innovation and high-quality development can reshape the global tourism economy. Technology will continue to play an important role as a key enabler for a safe and seamless travel experience. What role will digital transformation play for Destination 2030? How can innovation better serve local communities, particularly youth and local SMEs? How has digitization unlocked the potential of the tourism sector? How can travel and tourism continue to be relevant and continue to adapt to evolving consumer trends? What innovations will contribute to a frictionless travel experience? How can businesses use this shift in traveler preferences to develop products that are both innovative and people-centered? From an industry perspective, what does the sector want to achieve in the next decade? 

Moderator

Maribel RODRIGUEZ，Senior Vice President, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) (United Kingdom)

Panelists (In alphabetical order by surname)

Svend LEIRVAAG，Vice President of Industry and Regulatory Affairs, Amadeus IT Group (Spain)

QU Guangji (曲光吉)，Executive Vice President, China Southern Air Holding Company Limited (Mainland China)

ZHOU Wei (周維)，Vice President of Jinjiang International Group (Mainland China)