One Voice: To Recovery & Beyond Virtual Event

In the span of a few months in the first part of 2020, the world shifted. COVID-19 altered our way of life dramatically, and the Travel & Tourism sector has certainly not been immune. Seemingly overnight, hundreds of countries suspended flights or halted international travel, with quarantines being imposed around the world. Many businesses were forced to close on a temporary basis, often escalating into permanent closures. At the peak of the crisis, a shocking one million Travel & Tourism jobs were lost daily, with our forecasts suggesting that by the end of 2020, 174 million jobs will have been destroyed and $4.7 trillion in Travel & Tourism GDP globally.

In light of the devastating impact of COVID-19 on Travel & Tourism globally, there is an urgent need to come together to recover the hundreds of millions of jobs lost, and livelihoods impacted. While the road ahead may appear uncertain; we anticipate that the challenges along the way can and will be converted into opportunities by the Travel & Tourism sector.
Split across three sessions, we will be discussing:

What must we do to move forward towards recovery?
As the Travel & Tourism sector charts a way forward, how can we learn from the past as we rebuild together in an even more sustainable and responsible way?
How do we resume international travel as swiftly as possible while co-existing with this virus until a vaccine becomes available?

Session 1: The Path Forward for Travel & Tourism
COVID-19 has been devastating for the Travel & Tourism sector, which came to a virtual standstill. From developing health protocols to advocating swift and reliable testing, the public and private sectors have joined forces to manage this crisis and enable the sector’s swift recovery. As we look to ahead, what is the path forward for Travel & Tourism?

Speakers:
Gloria Guevara, President & Chief Executive Officer, WTTC
Christoph Wolff, Head of Mobility Industries, World Economic Forum
Fang Liu, Secretary General, ICAO
Luis Araujo, President, ETC
Roger Dow, President & Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Travel Association
Moderated by: Richard Quest, International Business Correspondent, CNN International

Session 2: Breaking Down Travel Barriers for a Swift Recovery
Since the escalation of COVID-19 to a pandemic, countries around the world have implemented lockdowns and border closures, affecting over half of the world’s population. Travel restrictions and quarantines have been devastating for the sector, requiring the sector to find solutions to remove these barriers, including the creation of air corridors and the development of high-accuracy, affordable and rapid testing. How do we resume international travel as swiftly as possible while co-existing with this virus until a vaccine becomes available?

Speakers:
J.D. O’Hara, Chief Executive Officer, Internova Travel Group
Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Airports International
Cindy Friedman, Chief of the Travellers' Health Branch, US Centres for Disease Control Prevention (CDC)
Thomas Reynaert, Managing Director, Airlines for Europe (A4E)
Moderated by: Ros Atkins, Presenter, BBC World News

Session 3: The Lasting Social Impact of Travel & Tourism
Travel & Tourism has historically been one of the fastest growing sectors in the global economy, accounting for 330 million jobs and 10.3% of global GDP in 2019. It is a driver of growth, job creation and prosperity for those benefiting directly, and also indirectly from the sector. How has Travel & Tourism had a positive social impact, and what more can the sector do to make a lasting difference on the destinations and local communities in which it operates?

Speakers:
Brett Tollman, Chief Executive Officer, The Travel Corporation
Douglas Sabo, Chief Sustainability Officer, Visa Inc
Kate Mikesell, Vice President, Global Corporate Responsibility, Hilton & President, Hilton Effect Foundation
Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority
Moderated by: Ros Atkins, Presenter, BBC World News

This session is sponsored by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.


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