Hosted by

RTA-Algarve Tourist Board

Icep Portugal

LUSOTUR S.A.

Sponsored by

Outstanding list of speakers confirmed for Third Global & Travel
Tourism Summit

London, UK - The Third Global Travel & Tourism Summit on 'Building New Tourism' is shaping up to be a major event in the industry calendar this year. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has kindly agreed to give the keynote address at the event, scheduled to take place from May 15-16, 2003 in Vilamoura, Portugal.

Armstrong will head up an impressive list of CEOs and chairmen from leading Travel & Tourism companies around the world, who will present papers and participate in panel discussions about key issues facing the industry at this critical time of economic and political uncertainty.

Building confidence in the face of terrorism, managing risk in an uncertain world, understanding shifting customer behaviour, and finding new ways of doing business - these are some of the many topics to be debated as industry leaders join forces to address some of the issues facing the industry today. Delegates from both industry and the public sector will also have the opportunity of contributing to the discussions from the floor, as well as networking with industry leaders and WTTC Members during the social events.

"Our Third Global Travel & Tourism Summit takes place at a very opportune time for the industry and governments," said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) President, in announcing the first line-up of confirmed speakers. "The overwhelming response we have received to date reflects the strong support from industry leaders and WTTC Members and non-members alike. Such support highlights the global economic importance of Travel & Tourism, an industry which represents more than US$4 billion of economic activity worldwide and 198 million jobs.

"It is critical that we join forces," said Baumgarten, "to develop new strategies for doing business in this uncertain, insecure world."

The results of the discussions and debates will form the basis of a new Blueprint for Tourism to be published by WTTC after the Summit.

The following highlights some of the confirmed speakers and panel session participants representing almost all sectors of the industry and all major Travel & Tourism destination and source regions of the world:

• Jorge Sampaio, H.E. President of the Portuguese Republic
• Akbar Al-Baker, Chairman, Qatar Airways
• Neil Armstrong, Astronaut
• Phil Bakes, Chairman & CEO, FAR&WIDE Travel Corporation
• Paul Blackney, Worldspan
• Philippe Bourguignon, Former Chairman & CEO, Club Mediterannee
• Ken Chenault, Chairman & CEO, American Express Co.
• Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President, WTTC
• David Clifton, Managing Director, Europe & Asia, Interval International
• Sebastian Escarrer, Vice Chairman, Sol Melia
• Edouard Ettedgui, Managing Director, Mandarin Hotels
• Extraordinary, World Tourism Organisation
• Bernard Frelat, President & CEO, Rail Europe
• Laurence Geller, Chairman & CEO, Strategic Hotel Capital
• Doug Gollan, President, Universal Media
• Mary Gostelow, Journalist
• Peter Greenberg Editor, CNBC
• Xavier de Irala, Chairman & CEO, Iberia
• Peter de Jong, CEO, PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association)
• André Jordan, Chairman, Lusotur S.A.
• Geoffrey Kent, Chairman & CEO, Abercrombie & Kent
• Alex Kyriakidis, Partner, Deloitte & Touche
• Christian Laesser, Senior Researcher, Deputy Director, University of St Gallen
• Ramsey Mankarios, Executive Vice President, Kingdom Holdings Co.
• Paul McManus, President & CEO, The Leading Hotels of the World
• David Mongeau, Vice Chairman, CIBC World Markets
• Paulo Neves, President of the Algarve Tourist Board
• Ron van Pelt, Senior Vice President, WAT&G
• Sir Ian Prosser, Chairman, Six Continents PLC & Chairman WTTC
• Michael Frenzel, Chairman, TUI AG
• Antonio Enriquez Savignac, Honorary Secretary General, World Tourism Organization
• David Scott, Former Astronaut
• David Scowsill, CEO, Opodo
• Michael Skapinker, Management Editor, Financial Times
• Paul Slattery, Director, Otus & Co.
• Julian Sparkes, Global Travel Services Managing Partner, Accenture
• Barry Sternlicht, Chairman & CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts
• Ron Stringfellow, Executive Chairman, Southern Sun
• Jose Tazon, President & CEO, Amadeus
• Trevor de Vries, Deputy Managing Director, Mondial Assistance Group
• Tom Wallace, Editor-in-Chief, Conde Nast Traveler
• Philip Wolfe, CEO, PhoCusWright
• Peter Yesawich, Managing Partner, Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell
• Aris Zarpanely, Vice President UK & Overseas, Siversea Cruises

The Summit is being hosted by the Portuguese Government through Icep (Investment, Trade and Tourism) Portugal, the Algarve Tourism Board and Lusotur SA. Other sponsors include Air Portugal, American Express Company, FAR&WIDE Travel Corporation, Insignia Hotels and Six Continents PLC. Over 100 leading companies from the Travel & Tourism industry have agreed to support this event, which has a dedicated website providing more detailed information, sponsorship opportunities and registration.

For more information contact:

Feolla Chastanet
Director, Communications
World Travel & Tourism Council
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7481 8007
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7481 1008
feollachastanet@wttc.org

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