Greece Welcomes Global Tourism Leaders for WTFL Think Tank 2018

Global leaders in travel, tourism and hospitality will be in Greece during March 2-3 to attend the 6th World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL) Think Tank at Costa Navarino in the Peloponnese.

A highly focused, top level and strategic body, the WTFL Think Tank every year convenes in some part of the world and gathers an exclusive group of influential leaders from inside and outside the industry to meet for a forward-looking discussion on key challenges and opportunities in the global travel, tourism and hospitality.

At the initiative of Greek Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura, Greece was selected as the host destination for this year’s forum.

The key focus of the WTFL Think Tank 2018 will be Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism Growth.

As noted in an announcement by the organizers, over the next 20 years, a near doubling of international tourist arrivals and even more impressive growth in domestic tourism is expected. “To sustain this growth in a way that is consistent with our goals of environmental sustainability and social inclusion, massive new infrastructure investment will be required from inside and outside our sector.”

The WTFL Think Tank will explore issues from the perspective of policy makers, investors, private operators, academia and other stakeholders.

Key note speakers at this year’s WTFL Think Tank include Elena Kountoura; Greek Tourism Minister; Edmund Bartlett, Jamaican Tourism Minister; Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Former Secretary-General; Alain Dupeyras, OECD Head of Regional Development & Tourism Division; Gerald Lawless, WTTC Chairman; and Paul Steele, IATA Senior Vice President of Member & External Relations and Corporate Secretary.

The WTFL Think Tank will begin on Friday with a welcome speech by Minister Kountoura and a presentation of Greece and the Peloponnese as the forum’s host destination. The audience will also be given a presentation of the story of Costa Navarino.

The 6th WTFL is being held with the support of the Region of the Peloponnese and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO).