Day 1: Dec 8, 2015
0800 - 0855 - Breakfast & Coffee (MC Preston Auditorium - 1818 H St NW, Washington, D.C.)
0900 – 0920 - Opening Keynote: – Tourism & the Twin Goals
- Welcome and Keynote by Dr. Kim on the WBG’s renewed approach to tourism and the link to the Twin Goals
Host: Mr. Phillip Jeremy Hay, Communications Adviser, World Bank Group
Keynote: Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank Group
0920 – 1020 - Plenary Session 1: Tourism for Development
How can countries and regions harness tourism as a powerful tool to promote development and inclusion in emerging economies? How can the benefits of tourism be channeled those that need it most? How can the global development community & the World Bank Group play a better role?
Moderator:
Ms. Maggie Lake, Anchor/Correspondent, CNN
Panelists:
- Ms. Sandra Howard, Vice-Minister for Tourism, Colombia
- Mr. Christopher J. Nassetta, President & Chief Executive Officer, Hilton Worldwide
- Ms. Aireen Omar, CEO, AirAsia Berhad
- Mr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, UNWTO
1020 - 1040 - Coffee Break
1040 – 1140 - Plenary Session 2: Pathways to Growth
How can developing country destinations capture their share of global tourism? What destinations stand out as models to follow? Where will tourism growth come from in the future? What experiences are being sought by travelers? What are the key investments needed to support growth?
Moderator:
Ms. Anabel Gonzalez, Senior Director, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank Group
Panelists:
- Ms. Marta Blanco, Director General of Turespaña, Spain
- Mr. Francisco Eduardo Bonifaz R., Minister for Tourism, Guatemala
- Mr. Ramon Jimenez, Secretary of Tourism, Philippines
- Ms. Helen Marano, Vice President for Industry, WTTC
1140 – 1245 - Plenary Session 3: Tourism’s Sustainability & Inclusion
How can the drive for growth be balanced with protection for the environment, flora and fauna, cultural heritage and resource use? How have recent trends in greening tourism been implemented and what remains to be done? How can tourism better engage and integrate communities within and around destinations?
Moderator:
Ms. Paula Caballero, Senior Director Environment & Natural Resources, World Bank Group
Panelists:
- Mr. Mauricio Ventura Aragon, Minister for Tourism, Costa Rica
- Ms. Lynn Cutter, Executive Vice President, National Geographic Travel
- Mr. John Scanlon, Secretary General, CITES
1245 – 1345 - Lunch
1345 –1445 - Plenary Session 4: Growing the Business of Tourism
What makes a country or destination successful at the business of tourism? What types of legal frameworks and regulatory regimes need to be in place to attract, sustain and responsibly grow tourism? What are the elements to a successful tourism strategy? How does the new era of big data and online information affect destination development and growth?
Moderator:
Mr. Sergio Pimenta, Director, Manufacturing Agribusiness & Services, IFC
Panelists:
- Mr. Boubacar Djibo, Director, Air Transport Bureau, International Civil Aviation Organization
- Ms. Isabel Hill, US Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, U.S. Government
- Mr. John McCarthy, Ex-Director, FONATUR, Mexico
- Mr. Steven Paganelli, Head of Destination Marketing, Americas, TripAdvisor
1445 - 1545 - Plenary Session 5: Leveraging the Cultural & Heritage Assets of Tourism
Culture and heritage have been drivers of travel for millennia, how are they being effectively leveraged today? How do destinations value and leverage culture and heritage as draws for tourism while ensuring preservation for generations to come? Are there any existing and up-and-coming destinations that have done a good job of maintaining this balance?
Moderator: Ms. Anna Bjerde, Director, Strategy and Operations Sustainable Development Vice Presidency, WBG
Panelists:
- Ms. Keti Bochorrishvili, Deputy Minister of Economy & Sustainable Development, Georgia
- Mr. Nabil Sami Itani, Council of Development and Reconstruction, Lebanon
- Mr. Guido Licciardi, Senior Urban Specialist, World Bank Group
- Mr. You Ji, Urban Specialist, East Asia and Pacific Region, World Bank Group
1545 - 1600 - Coffee
1600 - 1700 - Plenary Session 6: Harnessing the Potential of Nature-based Tourism for Growth and Poverty Reduction
What are the many facets of nature-based tourism and how can it serve as an engine of growth for developing countries? What are the types of policies, projects, and partnerships that are needed to ensure that the potential of nature-based tourism is harnessed for economic growth and poverty reduction?
Moderator: Ms. Magda Lovei, Practice Manager, Environment Global Practice, World Bank Group
Panelists:
- Mr. Mauricio Ventura Aragon, Minister for Tourism, Costa Rica
- Mr. Costas Christ, Adviser, National Geographic Unique Lodges & Sustainability Program
- Dr. Yehya Khaled, Director General, Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, Jordan
- Mr. George Wambura, Executive Secretary, Authorized Association Consortium (AAC), Tanzania
1700 - 1930 - Reception & Closing Day 1
Day 2: Dec 9, 2015
0800 - 0900 - Breakfast & Coffee (IFC Auditorium - 2121 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C.)
0900 –1000 - Plenary Session 8: Confronting Crises and Reinforcing Resilience
How do natural, political and health crises affect tourism growth? How can countries prepare for, deliver during and recover from crises? What do recent country experiences tell us about resilience and recovery?
Moderator: Ms. Anita Mendiratta, Founder & Managing Director, CACHET Consulting
Panelists:
- Ms. Sandra Howard, Vice-Minister for Tourism, Colombia
- Mr. Nabil Sami Itani, Council of Development and Reconstruction, Lebanon
- Mr. Shannon Stowell, President, Adventure Travel Trade Association
- Mr. Hisham Zaazou, Minister for Tourism, Egypt (via VC)
1000 –1100 - Plenary Session 9: Skills for Growth & Inclusion (Special Focus: Women & Youth)
Is there a skills gap in tourism? How will the labor force in many developing countries meet the demand and potential of the tourism sector? What are the facts and fiction on tourism related skills and employment? How do training institutions & private sector driven capacity building ensure tourism delivers jobs and incomes to the communities?
Moderator: Ms. Louise Twinning Ward, CEO, Sustainable Travel International
Panelists:
- Mr. William S. Reese, President and CEO, International Youth Foundation
- Ms. Jennifer Silberman, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, Hilton Worldwide
- Ms. Helen Marano, Vice President for Industry, WTTC
1100 - 1115 - Coffee
1115 - 1215 - Plenary Session 10: Poverty Reduction & the Theory of Change for Tourism Driven Development
What have we learned about the way tourism impacts poverty? What approaches have proven successful? How can we better link tourism to development goals? What does the research tell us? Where are the gaps in research and analytics that need to be filled?
Moderator: Ms. Cecile Fruman, Director, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank Group
Panelists:
- Ms. Keti Bochorrishvili, Deputy Minister of Economy & Sustainable Development, Georgia
- Ms. Deepa Chakrapani, Head of IFC's Evaluation & Analytics Program, IFC, World Bank Group
- Mr. George Wambura, Executive Secretary, Authorized Association Consortium (AAC), Tanzania
1215 –1315 - Plenary Session 11: Destinations that Deliver: Destination Management Organizations
Can you ever have too much tourism? Who decides what is best for a destination, and how is that decision made? How can tourism development be managed by those closest to the destination; balancing the needs of visitors, local residents, businesses and the environment?
Moderator: Ms. Elizabeth Becker, Award Winning Author & Journalist
Panelists:
- Ms. Gabriella Crescini, Head Client & Partner Relationships, Swiss Contact (by VC)
- Mr. Cillian Murphy, Chairperson, Loop Head Tourism Ireland, Ireland
- Mr. Miguel Pena, Senior Sustainability Analyst, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
- Mr. Brian Said, Executive Director, Discover Philadelphia
Closing & Lunch
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