UAE – Mubasher: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) on Thursday announced it will host the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Middle East & North Africa Leaders Forum 2019 for the first time in the region next October.
The one-day forum will be held on 2 October at Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Center in Ras Al Khaimah, according to a press release.
The programme aims at bringing together government agencies, key industry leaders, and media from across the region to tackle possible growth opportunities and explore core issues facing the travel and tourism sector in the region.
Raki Phillips, CEO of RAKTDA, said: “We are delighted to host the first edition of the WTTC Middle East & North Africa Leaders Forum in Ras Al Khaimah. We look forward to welcoming all delegates and hope to impress them with a spectacular diversity of landscapes and authentic Arabian hospitality that Ras Al Khaimah is known for.”
“The opportunity to host this prestigious industry forum comes at a pivotal time as we aim to fuel a sustainable tourism-driven economic growth in Ras Al Khaimah, as guided by our current Destination Strategy 2019-2021. Tourism remains one of the key drivers of the Emirate’s continued growth in GDP and employment,” Phillips added.
Local and regional experts from both the public and private sectors are set to explore investment opportunities and discuss key obstacles faced by the region’s travel and tourism sector under key panel discussions such as ‘Leading by Example’, the release highlighted.
Among these experts are South Africa’s minister of tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, chief environmental sustainability officer of the Red Sea Project Rusty Brainard, vice president of Expo 2020 Dubai Shaun Vorster, and CEO of RAK Hospitality Holding Alison Grinnell.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the travel and tourism private sector globally, works on promoting the sector as one of the world's largest economic sectors.
In 2018, the travel and tourism sector had generated around 10.4% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).
