The Middle East Tourism Investment Summit
Invest – Rebuild – Restart
10:30 – 10:45 GST Morning Conversation
Speakers:
- Rajan Datar, Presenter & Broadcaster, BBC
- Dr. Taleb Rifai Chairman of ITIC & Former Secretary-General UNWTO
- Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, ATM, Reed Exhibitions
- Ibrahim Ayoub, Group CEO & MD ITIC and Invest Tourism Ltd
10:45 – 11:15 GST Economic Outlook
An overview of the Middle East changing economic landscape
Eddie Taylor, Editorial Director, Arabian Busines in conversation with:
- Dr. Taleb Rifai Chairman of ITIC & Former Secretary-General UNWTO
- Nicolas Mayer, Global Tourism Leader, PWC
- Mark Beer, Chairman, The Metis Institute
11:15 – 11:30 GST One-to-one Interview with Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing
Interviewer: Rajan Datar, Presenter and Broadcaster, BBC
11:30 – 12:15 GST Panel Discussion
What the Future of Hotels look like? And What is the New ‘Normal’ for Hotels and Hospitality?
Moderator: Rajan Datar, Presenter & Broadcaster BBC
Speaker:
- Doris Greif, Managing Director & RVP Operations Europe & Middle East Langham Hospitality Group
- Dinky Puri, CEO Eagle Wing Group
- Dimitrios Buhalis, Director eTourism Lab & Deputy Director, International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research,
Bournemouth University Business School, UK - Benjamin Clifford, Founder & CTO, Nevaya
12:15 – 12:30 GST Presentation
A presentation of a successful sustainable tourism development to be presented by Gregory Surabian, Investment Executive Director of The Red Sea Development Company, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Introduction by Paul Hoskins Director ITIC Ltd and Invest Tourism Ltd
12:30 – 13:15 GST Panel Discussion
Promoting gender equality in the Middle East tourism industry
Moderator: Dr. Barkathunnisha Abu Bakar, Founder & Director, Elevated Consultancy & Training, Co-founder, World Women Tourism
Speakers:
- Nikolina Angelkova, former Minister of Tourism Bulgaria
- Sumaira Isaacs, CEO, World Tourism Forum Institute
- Maribel Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
- Catheryn Khoo-Lattimore, Associate Professor, Griffith University, Australia
- Sharihan Al Mashary, General Manager, ITIC – Middle East
13:15 – 14:00 Investment Panel
Changes brought to encourage public-private investment initiatives in sustainable tourism projects in the Middle East
Moderator: Sameer Hashmi, Middle East Correspondent, BBC World News
Speakers:
- H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority
- H.E. Dr. Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim, Former President of Mauritius
- Hammad Al Balawi, General Manager of Investments – Ministry of Tourism, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Salvatore Lavallo, Head of FDI Attraction, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO)
14:00 – 14:20 GST Presentation
China-Middle East Tourism partnership during and post Covid19
Introduction by Rajan Datar, Presenter and Broadcaster, BBC
Presentation by Marcus Lee Chairman of Association of SME Business owners in China
14:20 – 15:50 GST In Conversation with Dimitrios Buhalis, Director eTourism Lab & Deputy Director,
International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research, Bournemouth University Business School, UK
Analysing the impact and challenges of digital transformation in the Travel and Tourism industry
Speakers:
- Mark Abraham, Founder of Shackle – Bringing Data & Revenue Back to Hotels
- Priyanka Kapoor, Group Director – Sales, Marketing, Branding and Communications, Swiss-Belhotel International
- Dr. Sanjay Nadkarni, Director of Research & Innovation, The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management
14:50 – 15:10 GST Capital Raising for Start-ups
Introduction by Paul Hoskins Director ITIC Ltd and Invest Tourism Ltd
Presentation by Darren Dunn, President & Co-Founder Zartico
15:10 – 15:30 GST Closing
Speakers:
- Dr. Taleb Rifai Chairman of ITIC & Former Secretary-General UNWTO
- Gerald Lawless, ITIC Director and WTTC Ambassador
- Paul Hoskins, Director ITIC and Invest Tourism Ltd
- Ibrahim Ayoub, Group CEO & MD ITIC Ltd and Invest Tourism Ltd