WTM London 2018

WTM Responsible Tourism Programme November 2018

There are major changes this year in the events at WTM, London. Amongst many other changes, the Responsible Tourism programme will run on multiple stages around the show. This creates an excellent opportunity for us to take the messages to a much broader audience in all parts of the show.

https://news.wtm.com/wtm-london-2018-turns-the-spotlight-on-the-regions/

The stages will have common branding and there will be a Responsible Tourism programme published as well as a Responsible Tourism themed café area to provide a meeting place.

The WTM RT Printed Programme is online here 

The WTM London website RT Programme can be accessed here 

Podcasts of all sessions will be recorded

Monday 5th November

10:30 – 11:00 Business Taking Responsibility for Security, Health and Safety
Middle East & Africa Inspiration Zone AF190

At the heart of the responsibility, agenda is taking care of the security, health and safety of guests and visitors. In a ‘foreign’ place – even if they are a domestic tourist – there are health and safety risks with which they are unfamiliar. How best can these risks be managed and reduced? Whose responsibility is it? Our focus in this panel is on the role of businesses in ensuring the security, health and safety of guests and visitors.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
A.L.Nitin Kumar, Managing Director,  www.viharithetraveller.com
Dr Simon King, Founder, Park.Doctor
Heather Pennock, Destinations Manager, ABTA

11:00 – 12:00 Creating Shared Value
Middle East & Africa Inspiration Zone AF190

Porter, the Harvard Academic who gave us cluster theory, has been pointing to the importance of businesses going beyond CSR and creating shared value – creating and growing employment and enterprise opportunities for the communities in their neighbourhood. With the growth of the experience economy and increasing interest in the local the tourism industry has particular advantages, four businesses show how creating shared value makes business sense.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Jane Ashton, Director of Sustainability, TUI Group
Michael Dominic Director, CGH Earth, Experience Hotels
Glynn O’Leary, CEO, Transfrontier Parks Destinations
Derek Hanekom Minister of Tourism South Africa

12:30 – 13:30 Coping with Success in Major Cities
WTM Global Stage - AS1350

Barcelona has led the way in addressing the challenges of overtourism, other cities are beginning to address the problem of success. In order to tease out the available strategies for coping with success, managing ever greater numbers of domestic and international visitors in global cities, Martin Brackenbury will interview senior destination managers from  Amsterdam, Barcelona, London and New York What are the management strategies available, what works and what doesn’t?

Moderator: Martin Brackenbury
Frans van der Avert, CEO, Amsterdam Marketing
Joan Torrella, Managing Director of Turisme de Barcelona.
Laura Citron, Chief Executive, London & Partners
Fred Dixon, President & CEO, NYC & Company

14:15 – 15:15. How do we best achieve progress on Child Protection?
UKI&I Inspiration Zone - TA190

Since 2011 child protection has featured in the Responsible Tourism programme at WTM, London. After seven years it is time to take stock and reflect on how much progress has been made around the world in addressing the risks to children associated with travel and tourism: the issues of child labour, orphanages, begging, trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. Three experts discuss what we have learnt about the best ways of making progress on child protection.

Moderator Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Alex Christopoulos Lumos
Diana Strauss, Group Crisis Manager at Thomas Cook Group
Krish Kandiah Founding Director Home for Good
Emmanuelle Werner, Friends International
Jamie Sweeting G Adventures' Child Welfare Officer

15:15 – 16:15 Partnerships for Change and Development
UKI&I Inspiration Zone - TA190
Tourism takes place in destinations with multiple stakeholders, attractions, accommodation providers, transport, food and beverage providers, tour operators and guides, local people and local authorities. Rarely can much be achieved by one stakeholder working alone. Achieving change in destinations where tourism takes place generally requires that different interests work together. Five practitioners for a range of backgrounds will discuss what works and what doesn’t to shed light on how to do it better.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Elise Allart, Executive Director, TUI Care Foundation
Caroline Warburton, Regional Leadership Director (East) at VisitScotland
James Thornton, CEO, Intrepid Group
Glynn O’Leary, CEO, Transfrontier Parks Destinations
Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir, Chief Destination Management and Marketing Officer at The Royal Commission for Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Paula Vlamings,  CEO, Tourism Cares, USA

16:20 – 17:00 Is the industry reducing the plastic pollution it causes?
UKI&I Inspiration Zone - TA190

In the mainstream media and on social media there has been a stream of coverage of the plague of single-use plastic. Consumer awareness of the impacts of discarded plastic on our environment and on marine and terrestrial wildlife is rising fast. What have tourism businesses and destinations done to address the challenge of waste plastic? What are the most effective strategies and why is more not being done?

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Sören Stöber, Business Development Director ESG & Sustainability at Trucost, part of S&P Dow Jones Indices
Victoria Barlow, Environmental Manager, Thomas Cook.
Jo Hendrickx,Travel Without Plastic
Sherin Francis, CEO, Seychelles Tourism Board
Ian Rowlands, Director, www.incredibleoceans.org

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Tuesday 6th November

10:30 – 11:00 Responsible Tourism and China
Asia Inspiration Zone - AS1070

In 2017 there were 5bn+ visits to tourism sites by domestic tourists, including foreigners with local visitor permits and 139 million international arrivals. Only 7% of Chinese citizens have passports but they made 145m overseas trips in 2017. In 2016 Chinese tourists spent $2,611 million abroad, the Americans managed only $1,236 million. Internationally China has more impact on international travel and tourism than any other country. What are the prospects for Responsible Tourism in China and what impact will growing numbers of Chinese tourist have on the destinations they choose to visit?

Moderator: Xu Jing, UNWTO Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific,
Prof. Dr Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Director COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute
Daisy Wang Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, D&J Global Communications.

11:00 – 11:45 Wildlife: animal welfare and conservation.
Asia Inspiration Zone - AS1070

What responsibility do travel trade associations have to promote animal welfare amongst their members? New research from the University of Surrey supported by World Animal Protection examines whether responsibility is being taken towards sustainable development broadly and animal welfare in particular. An opportunity to share information about the current campaigns, to reflect on the success or otherwise of different approaches and to discuss priorities.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
David Ville Group Sustainability Manager at Thomas Cook Group
Tom Moorhouse, Researcher at Oxford University
Xavier Font, Professor at University of Surrey
Jane Edge, Managing Director, Fair Trade Tourism

11:45 – 12:30 She Trades: Empowering African Women Entrepreneurs through Tourism
Middle East & Africa Inspiration Zone - AF190

This panel brings together women who own tourism SMEs in the tourism sector in Kenya and Ghana. How can women in tourism best be supported and connected to the international market to enhance the business opportunities valuable to them and to empower them?

Moderator: Libby Owen- Edmunds Inclusive Business Advisor at Business Innovation Facility, PwC
Debbee Dale, Chairperson, Association of Women Travel Executives (AWTE)
Mary Ragui, Board Member, Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO)
Michelle Kristy, Associate Expert, SheTrades Initiative, International Trade Centre  

12:30 – 13:45 What can we learn from Barcelona?
Platinum Suite 4

Barcelona is offering a session where they will share with participants the ways in which they have tackled the challenges of overtourism in a city which resolutely avoided scapegoating tourists. City managers have been working for many years to develop mechanisms to better manage tourism in Barcelona, which the issues boiled over in street protects around the elections in 2015 they had the political support of the new mayor, Ada Colau. Over the last three years, they have tried a whole series of management initiatives from licencing Airbnb to moving bus stops. Barcelona will share with us the measures they have taken and discuss which have been the more successful. Invaluable knowledge for those struggling to cope with success or expecting to struggle in the future.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Agustí Colom, Barcelona City Council, Councillor for tourism, commerce and markets
Joan Torrella, Managing Director, Consorci Turisme de Barcelona:
Anna Sánchez, Head of the Tourist Promotion Office, Diputació de Barcelona

14:00 – 14:30 Inclusive Tourism countering Disadvantage & Disability
Platinum Suite 4
The disadvantaged are often excluded from employment and participation in travel and tourism.  Article 7 of the UNWTO’s Global Code of Ethics identifies the “universal right to tourism” as “the corollary of the right to rest and leisure” guaranteed by Article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In recent years at WTM, London we have had many panels focused on the rights and needs of people with disabilities with the financial resources to travel. This year our focus is on those without the resources to travel – what can businesses and destinations do to enable the disadvantaged to have a holiday or even a day-out? How can the disadvantaged benefit by becoming producers of tourism?

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
John Kinnear, Head of Programmes, Family Holiday Association
Jayni Gudka Unseen Tours

14:15 –  14:35 The Role  of  Storytelling in Sustainable Tourism
Middle East & Africa Inspiration Zone - AF190

Storytelling has the power to influence responsible tourism and sustainable tourism development through authentic, character-driven films and strategic distribution campaigns. GLP Films will share insight from a decade of award-winning storytelling and marketing campaigns for the travel industry. Learn from global case studies based on GLP's storytelling work producing 200+ films in 35 countries, in partnership with leading destinations, tour operators, media, and more.

Rob Holmes Founder & Chief Strategist of GLP Films

14.40 – 15.25 Communicating Responsible Tourism
Middle East & Africa Inspiration Zone - AF190

Leading practitioners in Responsible Tourism, in marketing and campaigning, discuss recent campaigns and throw light on the trends and the most effective means of communicating on the issues and the experience.

Moderator Justin Francis Founder and CEO at activist travel company Responsible Travel
Ian Corbett, Sustainable Business Manager, TUI UK & Ireland,
Debbie Hindle Managing director, Four Travel
Rob Holmes Founder & Chief Strategist of GLP Films
Vincent Nijs, Senior Researcher, Visit Flanders
James Thornton, CEO, Intrepid Group

15:30 - 16:00 Tourism and Water
Middle East & Africa Inspiration Zone - AF190

Sao Paulo and Cape Town have both had crises over the supply of potable water, many more cities and destinations face challenges. In this panel discussion, we’ll explore the scale of the problem and the measures which can be taken to avoid water shortages creating an economic crisis.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Helen Davies, Chief Director: Green Economy Western Cape Government, South Africa
Jacqueline Jackson, Account Director for EMEA & ROW for the Corporate Business at Trucost, part of S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Madhu Rajesh, Director, International Tourism Partnership

16:00 - 16:30 Tourism Investing in Africa's Future: The Gambia and Uganda
Middle East & Africa Inspiration Zone - AF190
Tourism is one of Africa’s most promising sectors for development. We look at two places where further investment could bring development by creating sustainable livelihoods for local people. At Bwindi in Uganda, local communities are successfully developing new products for sale to tourists and increasing their incomes. The new Gambian administration is promoting inclusive culture centred tourism. New community based responsible tourism initiatives disperse economic benefit to rural areas, diversify Gambia’s tourism product by providing new and authentic heritage excursions that build on the untapped potential of the River Gambia and extend the season.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Peter Nizette Independent Tourism Economy & Value Chain Development Consultant
Hamat Bah Minister of Tourism, The Gambia
Adama Bah Responsible Tourism Consultant & ICRT West Africa

17:00 Private Session

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Wednesday 7th November World Responsible Tourism Day

11.00 -13.00 – Europe Inspiration Zone EU80

11:00 WRTD Opening
Keynote speaker Derek Hanekom, Minister of Tourism, South Africa 

The new post-apartheid democratic government adopted Responsible Tourism understanding that the industry could create employment and offer development opportunities in rural and urban areas. Derek Hanekom will reflect on South Africa’s Responsible Tourism initiatives and talk about why this approach matters in South Africa and globally.

11:15-12:00 Responsible Tourism - how much progress have we made

The BBC’s Tanya Beckett will host a roundtable interview with women leaders in Responsible Tourism to consider how much progress the sector– tour operating, hotels, destination management and transport -  has made towards achieving sustainability. 2018 marks the centenary of the vote in the UK being extended to women over 30, the equal franchise came 10 years later. Has the emergence of women leaders in travel and tourism companies made a difference to the Responsible Tourism agenda and progress towards achieving it.

Susanne Becken, Professor of Sustainable Tourism at Griffith University
Helen Caron, TUI Group Purchasing Director
Inge Huijbrechts, Global Senior Vice President Responsible Business and Safety & Security at Radisson Hotel Group

12:00-13:00 The World Responsible Tourism Awards with interviews by Tanya Beckett

13:00-14:00 RT Lunch networking – celebrate the award winners

14:30-15:15 Employment and Decent Work
Americas Inspiration Zone - LA360

Tourism and the hospitality industry are often criticised for creating low-quality service employment. There are issues of poor wages, modern slavery, excessive hours, poor terms and conditions, lack of union recognition, equal opportunity and high staff turnover. However, there is much good practice in the industry. The tourism and hospitality industries remain remarkably open, many reach GM or Board level having started in entry-level jobs. We don’t talk enough about the progression which advantages so many in the industry. The sector provides entry-level jobs for young people and part-time work for people who, for a variety of reasons, do not want full-time work

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Kevin Curran Vice Chair of Unite London Hotel Workers Branch.
James Thornton, CEO, Intrepid Group
Patrick Langmaid, Mother Ivey's Bay Holiday Park
Madhu Rajesh, Director, International Tourism Partnership
Andreas Walmsley, University of Plymouth
Liutauras Vaitkevicius  London General Manager Good Hotel

15:15 -16:00 Indigenous Tourism
Americas Inspiration Zone - LA360

With the growth in experiential tourism and growing awareness of the scale of the contribution which well managed tourism can make to local economic development there is increasing awareness of, and interest in, indigenous tourism. What is best practice in indigenous tourism? How best to market and deliver it?

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor~
Mark Watson Tourism Concern
Camille Ferguson, Executive Director,  American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association
Cameron Taylor TTJ Tourism and Cameron Taylor Consulting  community-based sustainable tourism with the Nunavut