The year 2017 marked a significant milestone in the history of global tourism, hosting the much-anticipated Global Tourism Summit. This international gathering brought together key stakeholders, policymakers, and enthusiasts from the world of travel and tourism. This article offers insights into the Summit’s proceedings, its key highlights, and the transformative ideas that were birthed during this dynamic event.
Overview
Originally called the Hawaii Tourism Conference, the Global Tourism Summit is an international gathering of leaders, workers, and participants in the travel industry who represent the global marketplace. The purpose of the Summit is for industry professionals to network, brainstorm, and educate themselves in ways to promote, stimulate, and advance the travel industry as a whole.
Hawaii was chosen as the venue for its thriving industry as well as its beautiful setting and famous aloha spirit. People attending the Summit include professionals working in accommodations, airlines & transportation, travel agencies, international media, and various other industry innovators & stakeholders.
All About Global Tourism Summit 2017
The event is being hosted by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the state agency for tourism and travel, as part of managing, developing, and coordinating tourism-related research and marketing to sustain a healthy visitor industry in Hawaii and around the globe.
Early registration closed on September 15th, but you can still register on-site. The Summit continues from Tuesday the 19th to Thursday the 21st, with a certification course on Friday the 22nd. The agenda from Tuesday to Thursday includes various keynote speeches, general sessions, luncheons, networking opportunities, and more. You can find out more about the event at their official website.
Keynote Speakers Featured
Billy Beane
Executive Vice President of Oakland Athletics who is famous for revolutionizing Major League Baseball by using statistical methodology. Beane was the focus of the best-selling book and Oscar-nominated film, Moneyball, which tells his story of turning around Oakland Athletics through innovation, technology, and analytics. Beane brings his statistical methodology techniques to the Summit as a case study to help travel industry professionals better tackle the problems of operating in a global market.
Neil Everett
Anchor at ESPN SportsCenter, shares his story about how living in Hawaii taught him the aloha spirit and how that shaped his life, career, and relationships.
Ted Allen
Chef, author, and host of the television series “Chopped” on Food Network, presents the importance of cuisine in promoting a destination during the Wednesday luncheon.
Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir
The Director General at Icelandic Tourist Board, leads the final keynote named “Holistic Tourism.” Atladóttir emphasizes both the dependence and impact of the travel industry on the world at large, including the daily lives of residents and how public goods and services are managed. She argues that this impact requires a comprehensive look at society and how we can better manage the costs and benefits of travel as a global community, using Iceland’s burgeoning tourism industry as a case study of the different complexities that arise today.
The Global Tourism Summit also includes over 70 more speakers from Hawaii and around the world at various sessions and workshops throughout the week. Tickets and certification costs are heavily discounted for students, making this a fantastic chance for professional development. There will be two of our staff members from HawaiiActivities.com attending. Keep updated to learn more!
