New leaders’ summit on culture & heritage in tourism
A dynamic new leadership summit will grapple with the major challenges and opportunities of culture and heritage in tourism.
Event organiser, the World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage (WTACH), a “Good Tourism” Insight Partner, invites stakeholders to make their voices heard at the inaugural WTACH Global Leaders Summit which will take place in Valencia, Spain, September 24 – 25, 2023.
A list of respected high-level speakers from national government organisations, lending institutions, heritage organisations, tourism departments, local communities, academia, and private sector representatives will convene for a day and a half in Valencia.
They will focus on creating viable businesses and building better livelihoods for people living in heritage communities connected to tourism.
The aim of the summit is to better conserve and promote responsible cultural and heritage tourism around the world, and for tourism to be the protector of the world’s culture and heritage.
Key sessions include the case for investment in heritage destinations, balancing tourism growth with heritage conservation, the latest global trends in cultural and heritage in tourism, better capacity building, training, and education.
There will be a session in which anyone in the delegation can contribute.
WTACH is working with Visit Valencia to host the summit in the heart of Valencia, ‘Europe’s Green Capital 2024’.
“We believe that focused efforts can improve the lives and wellbeing of local communities and custodians through better implementation of best practices,” said Nigel Fell, CEO of WTACH.
The international speakers already confirmed include:
- Key Moderator: Rajan Data, BBC
- Summit MC: Dawn Drew, Global Tourism Destination Specialist
- Anne Grady, Senior Advisor to the European Parliament
- Imad Barrakad, Chairman, Morocco Agency for Tourism Development
- Bruce Poon Tip, Founder, G Adventures
- Karl Burrows, Head of Maori Tourism Development, Tourism New Zealand
- Debbie Flynn, Managing Partner and Global Practice Leader, Finn Partners
- Emma Nardi, President, International Council of Museums (ICOM)
- Judy Kepher-Gona, Founder, Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda
- Scott Wayne, President, SWA Development – Sustainable Destinations
- Nada Hosking, National Geographic Explorer & Social Impact Leader
- Miguel Angel Perez, Brands & Markets Director, Visit Valencia
WTACH Chairman Chris Flynn said the Global Leadership Summit programme has been designed to attract representatives from governments, tourism boards, leading private sector decision makers, tour operators, corporate sponsors, community representatives, NGOs, media, and others.
“With the summit theme ‘Celebrating our Past – Securing our Future,’ our programme encourages attendees to contribute to new directions, priorities, and attitudes towards culture and heritage in tourism,” said Flynn.
While the summit formally concludes on the evening of September 25, there will be optional training on the morning of the 26th for culture and heritage tourism practitioners. Spaces are limited to 25.
About World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage
WTACH seeks to establish clear goals, objectives and strategies for the protection of cultural heritage through responsible and sustainable tourism practices. Working in collaboration with public, private and specialist academic sector organisations, WTACH determines best practice ethical principles and standards in line with the most robust global research available. WTACH was established in 2018 by Chris Flynn, formerly Director – Pacific, at the Pacific Asia Travel Association. WTACH is based in New South Wales, Australia. Visit WTACH.org. Email: info@WTACH.org
