WTTC Unveils Speakers for its 2020 Global Summit in Cancun

London (Great Britain) – February 12, 2020 (travelindex.com) – The World Travel and Tourism Council [WTTC], which represents the global travel and tourism private sector, today unveiled the first class speakers of its 20th Global Summit this year, in Cancun, Quintana Roo.

The Global Summit will feature the participation high-level leaders within the travel and tourism sector, including Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton; Alex Zozaya, President of Apple Leisure Group; Kim Day, CEO of Denver Airport and Richard Fain, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises.

The event will take place at the Moon Palace Convention Centre and will welcome first class speakers such as:

– Andy Duncan, CEO, Travelopia
– Brett Tollman, Chief Executive, The Travel Corporation
– Caroline Beteta, President & CEO, Visit California
– Darrell Wade, Co-founder & Chairman, Intrepid Group
– Deepak Ohri, CEO, lebua Hotels & Resorts
– Desiree Bollier, Chair, Value Retail
– Frank R. Rainieri, President & CEO, Grupo Puntacana
– Fred Dixon, President & CEO, NYC & Company
– Friedrich Joussen, CEO, TUI
– Gibran Chapur, Executive Vice President, Palace Resorts
– Greg O’Hara, Founder &, Managing Partner, Certares
– Hiromi Tagawa, Chairman of the Board, JTB Corp
– Jeffrey C. Rutledge, CEO, AIG Travel
– Joan Vilà, Executive Chairman, Hotelbeds
– John Sage, CEO & Founder, Accessible Travel Solutions
– John Wasson, President & CEO, ICF
– Julian Balbuena, CEO & Chairman of the board of Directors, Best Day Travel Group
– Keith Barr, CEO, InterContinental Group (IHG)
– Kike Sarasola, President & Founder Room Mate Hotels & Be Mate com
– Kurt Ekert, President & CEO, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
– Michel Taride, Chair, Global Travel & Tourism Partnership (GTTP) Advisory Board
– Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports International
– Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises
– Robin Ingle, Chairman & CEO, Ingle International
– Ryuhei Maeda, Member of the Board, ANA
– Scott Rosenberger, Global Sector Leader for Transportation, Hospitality & Services, Deloitte & Touche LLP
– Sean Donohue, CEO, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
– Stephen Colvin, Bloomberg
– Shirley Tan, CEO Rajawali Property Group

Over the next several weeks, WTTC will be celebrating its 30th anniversary while also preparing for the 20th Global Summit in Cancun. The theme for this year’s Summit; “Making a Lasting Difference”, will encourage delegates to discuss approaching the world differently, recognising that what has got us to this point, will not work to tackle global challenges and incite positive change for the future.

WTTC is focused on the ways that the world is changing, and how this will initiate a change in how we travel, and how the Travel & Tourism sector operates. Digital transformation and the emergence of new technologies such as 5G, combined with global challenges such as climate change and geopolitical and economic crises, will turn the world on its head once more. With such rapid, dramatic and interlinked changes, WTTC and its Members must be sure to stay ahead of the curve.

The world is on the edge of fascinating social change, driven by huge technological advance, with every generation having to adapt to this new world. WTTC will be part of that social change and, at the Summit, we intend to outline how we will reflect new ways of thinking in the Travel & Tourism sector for the next decade.

The most important annual event in Travel & Tourism, the WTTC Global Summit takes place in a different region every year, and important public figures have participated in the past such as Former Presidents of the United States Barack Obama and Bill Clinton; Felipe VI, King of Spain; Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Mauricio Macri, Former President of Argentina; José María Aznar, Former Prime Minister of Spain; as well as David Cameron and Tony Blair, former Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom. Quintana Roo is a trusted ally for growth, innovation and inclusion with a clear trend of openness to new markets and new businesses, making it the perfect place to welcome the distinguished speakers for this year’s summit.

“We are very proud to be able to attract this prestigious global event to Quintana Roo, which will focus the attention of the global tourism leaders towards Cancun and Quintana Roo, as well as the whole country” said Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez, Governor of the State of Quintana Roo.

“In Quintana Roo, we have the fortune of relying on tourism as one of the key pillars of investment, employment and economic prosperity in coordination with government, businesses and the community. We have positioned ourselves as the leader in international arrivals in Mexico and Latin America.”

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said, “The WTTC Global Summit will be the most important Travel & Tourism event of 2020, and a fitting recognition of a sector which last year, contributed 10.4% to global GDP and supported 319 million jobs worldwide.”

“The 20th Global Summit will benefit and showcase not only Quintana Roo, but Mexico, and the whole region including US, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. Cancun is a global icon and I feel honored to host the most important Travel & Tourism event of the year in my home country. Our Summit is the place where the future of our sector is shaped, and we look forward to hearing the insight of so many industry leaders, as we welcome them to our stage.”