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Rwanda announced as next WTTC Global Summit host
Rwanda, the home of
the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, will showcase the power of
sustainable tourism to protect biodiversity and create thriving communities.
WTTC closed its
largest ever Global Summit today with more than 3,000 delegates attending the
event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The global tourism
body's Global Summit saw speakers such as former UK Prime Minister Theresa
May, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and actor,
filmmaker, and Golden Globe winner, Edward Norton.
The most influential
Travel & Tourism event in the calendar, WTTC's record-breaking Global
Summit, was attended by more than 85 countries and over 50 ministers.
More than 250 media
delegates from around the world attended the event, with many
thousands of people around the world watching remotely.
During the event,
WTTC and the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched
the Environmental & Social Research (ESR).
This groundbreaking
new data details the climate footprint of the global Travel & Tourism
sector, and in a world-first, the research covers 185 countries
across all regions, and will be updated each year with the latest figures.
WTTC also launched
its Cities Economic Impact Report (EIR).
Sponsored by Visa,
the report shows cities remain the powerhouses of global tourism and will drive
the recovery of the sector and economies around the world.
Addressing delegates
during her closing speech, Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said:
"Saudi Arabia will be the next major destination for visitors as it
invests $800 billion in showcasing the Kingdom to the
world.
"From the Red
Sea to snow-capped mountains, Saudi is full of surprises.
"We are
incredibly excited that Rwanda will host our next Global Summit in
2023. An amazing country famous for its conservation work, Rwanda is
building its reputation as a must-see destination."
Under the theme
"Travel for a Better Future" the event in Riyadh focused on
the value of the sector, not only to the global economy, but to the planet and
communities around the world.
Image Credit: AA
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