MANILA, Philippines — Leaders of the world tourism body on Friday praised the Philippines after it successfully hosted the three-day World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit.
This was the first time the Philippines hosted the global tourism conference, which was staged at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City from April 20 to 22.
The WTTC said it recorded 1,200 in-person attendees composed of delegates from across the world, government representatives and members of the press. There were also 10,000 who attended the international conference via the virtual platform.
This exceeded the earlier estimated number of in-person attendees pegged at around 600 only.
Julia Simpson, president and CEO of WTTC particularly praised the Philippines for embodying the theme of the 21st edition of global summit which is “Rediscover Travel.” She thanked the country for its contribution to the tourism and travel sector.
“I’m not often stumped for words, but I am now. Wow! What an amazing summit. We really have rediscovered travel,” Simpson said.
Simpson added that the warm hospitality of the Filipinos was among the personal highlights of the event for her.
“That warmth, that passion, that generosity, that smile. I haven’t walked out one corridor without people saying to me ‘Good morning!’. It’s incredible. You live it. It’s not a show – it really is in your DNA,” she said.
The WTTC also said that the summit is a “testament that the country’s tourism is well on its feet.”
In his closing address, fellow WTTC leader, Chairman Arnold Donald shared the same sentiment as Simpson as he also commended the country’s hosting of the summit, touted as the “most influential travel and tourism event.”
“This has been a wonderful global summit and, to echo your brand campaign, we certainly had lots of fun in the Philippines. This is an experience all the delegates of the Summit can definitely attest to,” Donald said.
Gloria Guevara, the special advisor of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism and former president and CEO of WTTC, also praised the Philippines saying it “has exceeded all of our expectations.”
“Thanks to the leadership of Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat before and during the pandemic, the Philippines has been successfully repositioned as a top destination and she delivered an impactful Summit. The Filipino hospitality has also made it memorable,” Guevara said.
Historic hosting
Puyat then thanked everyone who became a part of the historic hosting.
“In connection to the spirit of unity and coming together, I wish to thank those among you who wholeheartedly supported this summit. Without our partners and sponsors, this summit would not have been possible. Thank you all for your generosity, encouragement, and support,” she said.
The tourism chief said that throughout the tourism event, the industry leaders and decision-makers have collectively exerted effort to formulate solutions and share best practices.
This was also mentioned by President Rodrigo Duterte in his keynote speech where he expressed hopes that the global gathering would spur discussions to address the concerns of the sector on post-pandemic travel.
President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his keynote speech at the 21st WTTC Global Summit virtually. | via @rosette_adel pic.twitter.com/mWLjaXHYW2
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“We covered much ground over this three-day gathering, as we set to redefine our industry and encourage the rediscovery of travel amidst these challenging times. Our shared hopes and dreams for the future are reflected in the policies we have developed, and the measures we have put in place to plan and realize this sector’s full and complete recovery,” Puyat said.
“We have likewise put much effort into discerning the most effective combination between the enforcement of health and safety guidelines and personal convenience – the delicate balancing act of implementing measures to ensure everyone’s safety without placing unreasonable burdens on the traveling public,” she added.
The tourism chief is hopeful that the sector would continue to spread the advocacy of reshaping travel and tourism guided by strategic and evidence-based planning. She said the industry must maintain its competitiveness and move forward with the emerging trends in the sector at present and in the next years.
Meanwhile, during the closing day of the global summit, the WTTC announced that the next host of the international event is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The 22nd edition of the global summit is slated from November 30 to December 2 this year.
Source: philstar GLOBAL