Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University
Chairperson Curro & Famous Brands, Board member : Telkom SA & Tiger brands (10 richest person in South Africa)
President, International Council of Tourism Partners
Board member World Tourism Forum Lucerne
The Government of Mauritius, through the Smart City Scheme, is offering a plethora of opportunities to global investors to share in the vision of Mauritius in creating intelligent, innovative and sustainable cities of tomorrow
Blessed with sunshine all year round, as well as a coastline that is bathed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is ‘the place to be’. Ever since the promulgation of a more liberal property market, Mauritius has gained rising popularity with the internationally mobile community comprising HNWIs and influential business personalities.
Tourism in Mauritius is one of the fastest growing sectors with an average growth rate of more than 8% over the past years. Sites are available for the development of luxurious hotels to accomodate the growing arrivals of tourists from new and emerging markets
The Air Corridor connecting Africa and Asia and a dominant investment in advanced technology has further cemented the country’s status as an empowered regional business and financial hub. This has propelled the existing business hotels to new heights and has opened significant scope for the growth of business tourism. Undeniably, the development of high-class business hotels is a highly lucrative area with untapped potentials.
Mauritius’ stunning natural marine assets are drawcards to attract marine tourists and to further diversify the tourism offering. The development of luxurious residential units has witnessed a large number of HNWIs acquiring yachts and super yachts for their leisure activities. Mauritius has thus tremendous potential to become a heaven for marine leisure activities.
Eco tourism and eco-friendly destinations have become catch phrases in the tourism industry. With the ambition of government to smooth out tourism seasonality, new avenues in the eco-tourism sector are being explored.
Mauritius is endowed with multifaceted attractions such as mountains, parks, valleys, rivers, sandy beaches, glorious traditions, flora and fauna. The country thus offers fantastic opportunities for eco-tourism development in terms of chalet residences, hiking, trekking, quad biking, mountaineering, bird and dolphin watching
Competitive medical prices, a safe judiciary framework as well as support from highly skilled multilingual professionals in specialised areas and the growing demand for medical services have created opportunities for global investors to invest in this business segment. The island also offers opportunities for investors to set up facilities for recovering patients
Hospitality and gaming consortia suitable for both business and leisure travellers comprising state-of-the-art convention and exhibition facilities, casinos, themed attractions, entertainment & performance venues and recreational facilities. Hotels and retail have the potential to create an industry for the domestic demand and a growing number of tourists.
Amusement parks are some of the most popular tourist attractions throughout the world. In Mauritius, there is an identified niche waiting to be filled for such attractions. With the increasing number of tourist arrivals, innovation is necessary for a constant rejuvenation of the existing tourist attractions.
ITIC will group the leading voices, luminaries, policy-makers and high net worth individuals from across the tourism sector globally. The Conference will contribute towards shaping and driving the industry forward in a sustainable manner conducive to harmonious socio-economic development in various destinations.
It will stimulate new partnerships among stakeholders and prompt a new dynamism through networking and sharing of information. Delegates will also get acquainted with the latest and upcoming global tourism trends and be exposed to sustainable tourism investment initiatives across the world, with a special focus on Day 2 on Africa and Island Destinations which are on the rise. It will also provide insights into new investment concepts and business models to drive new tourism projects to the next level, worthy of the expectations of the travellers of tomorrow.
The conference has a unique position on the market due to the maturity and high-level experience of its key drivers. It is developed as a tourism industry event, shaped by well-known stakeholders with a view to ensuring that it mirrors the key topics of interest for the travel, tourism and hospitality sector.
Delegates will have the opportunity to participate in:
Delegates will have access to:
Travel and tourism has become a major force of globalization, developing and accelerating at a phenomenon pace over the past decades. With improved connectivity, and major innovations in telecommunications and the web, the rate of growth of this sector has been accelerating at record height to stand out as one of the main economic pillars for destinations across the world.
The International Tourism and Investment Conference (ITIC) 2019 is meant to trigger a new thought process in tourism development in the wake of new technological innovation which is now being driven by block chain and artificial intelligence amidst changing geo-political forces.
Whilst world tourism is characterized by large inflows of visitors to Europe, America and Asia and Pacific, the potentials for tourism development in Africa are simply enormous. In focusing on the such developing regions, it is particularly important to highlight the contributions of island destinations in world tourism, as these are very attractive and are becoming the focus of the new generation of world travellers., yet they are particularly more vulnerable.
Likewise, the role of tourism towards more job and wealth creation signals a need for greater women participation and youth involvement in this dynamic industry. Empowering women and our youth to embark on a new and challenging mission for tourism should entail bigger investment and creativity for greater returns and value addition.
ITIC 2019 that will be held in November 2019 in London aims at addressing some of the key issues impacting on travel and tourism with a focus on investment potentials in new destinations, women entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and innovation. A wide cross-section of the business community is expected to participate in this important conference, which will also coincide with the World Travel Market. It will be an ideal platform to meet with key decision-makers, tourism developers, high net worth individuals and hotel promoters in search of new opportunities, as well as consultants and sector specialists from different parts of the world.
The travel and tourism industry has a bright future ahead. The shape and dimension of this industry depends on our vision and actions so it could generate higher returns on investment whilst opening a gateway to new business opportunities for those who dare.
It is therefore a great honor for me to invite you to attend ITIC 2019 ,to held immediately before WTM in London ,so we may all benefit from our collective experience under one roof and thus trigger a new thought leadership for a new economic vision for tourism. Let us join hands together to propel tourism to greater heights for economic wellbeing, social advancement, and innovation.
Beyond its economic importance to societies, our sector is yet fulfilling another noble mission. Tourism is a process of cultural exchange . It is a sector that deals primarily with human beings in search of experience, wellness and prosperity in a spirit of harmonious interactions with peoples of different origins, cultures and lifestyles.
Defining new pathways and investing in tourism is bound to create a new momentum that should help Governments, the business community and host nations at large to reap the benefits of tourism in a responsible, equitable and sustainable manner. It is just a matter of vision peppered with a good dose of audacity. Let us therefore follow our common dreams and see you all soon at ITIC 2019.
Dr. Taleb Rifai
Chairman
ITIC Advisory Board and Former Secretary-General, UNWTO
18 June 2018, London
Over the past decades, the Global Tourism Industry has shown practically uninterrupted growth despite economic uncertainties and even unforeseen market turmoil. This growth has generated far-reaching benefits to several developed and developing economies and societies across the globe. It has enriched countries with investments, foreign exchange earnings, job opportunities enabling social inclusion and regional development. According to the UNWTO, international tourist arrivals stood at 1.3 billion in 2017 and it is forecasted that the movement of people across the globe will reach 1.8 billion by 2030. In 2017, the Travel and Tourism industry generated US$ 1.3 trillion and accounted for 109 million jobs worldwide. From the wider direct and indirect perspectives, the sector contributed US$ 7.6 trillion to the global economy and supported nearly 300 million jobs in 2017. This was equal to 10.2% of the world’s GDP and approximately to 1 out of every 10 jobs.
However, this growth is a double-edged sword – the tourism industry is full of opportunities but also involves adapting to continuously evolving new challenges. With increasing global competition, every destination needs to be constantly learning and reinventing itself in order to maintain its sustainability and dynamism. There is a constant, ongoing need to identify and explore growing outbound tourism markets and tap into emerging opportunities. It is also essential to focus on unique selling points which have enabled destinations to single out by offering unconventional tourism experience. Social media and e-marketing tools have also reshaped the operations of the whole tourism industry.
These factors are the forerunners of massive investment and new business opportunities for developed countries, emerging economies and also for regions that are relatively untapped, like Africa, as well as island destinations which will gain in popularity and will likely be more fashionable in the years to come.
The International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) has been designed to stand out as a sought-after platform to stimulate a new thought process focusing on key global issues impacting positively or negatively on the industry. It may also herald a new vision and new perspectives for tourism as the powerhouse for future economic growth and investment for wealth and job creation through innovation and global value chain. As tourism gathers greater momentum among travellers, ITIC will also address the concerns and challenges facing destinations worldwide – geographic locations, connectivity, capacity building, infrastructure, human capital, resources, safety and security, amongst others. These are areas bearing potentials for investment based on proper planning, development strategies through a blend of global networking and concerted local actions.
The Conference will provide a platform to drive international awareness and investment into the tourism sector and it will also act as a catalyst for inclusive growth. ITIC will therefore add value to the efforts of tourist destinations by assisting in translating their vision, objectives and development strategies into bankable project Initiatives. Delegates will have the opportunity to participate in high level group discussions, networking and PR with policy makers, private sector stakeholders, private equity firms, funding agencies, high-net worth investors, bankers, fund managers, tourism experts, business innovators and influencers, who have the power to channel capital and raise funds by using London as the prime financial hub for investment. One of the key factors will be to explore investment opportunities in green tourism projects in Africa with the aim of reducing emissions and building a climate-resilient future, while at the same time minimizing negative impacts on the local environment. Investors across the world are becoming more concerned about these issues asking for more transparency before investing their money in projects.
ITIC will give visibility to leading industry entities and emerging destinations in their policy orientation by pairing specific tourism strategies with investment solutions, thus acting as a catalyst and an engine for inclusive growth and sustainable economic development.