On 913 September 2019, St Petersburg
will host the 23rd session of the World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly, the biggest event for the global
tourism industry. Over 1,500 delegates from 158 countries will gather
together at the Assembly venues to discuss solutions to global issues faced by
the tourism sector. The event is organised by the Federal Agency for Tourism of
the Russian Federation in cooperation with the Government of
St Petersburg, with Roscongress acting as the operator.
The business programme comprises 16 events
in different formats: meetings, debates, plenary sessions, presentations, and discussions. The agenda is focused on the topical issues
concerning the organisations operation, as well as the challenges faced by the
UNWTO and tourism industry players. The event activities will take place across
three venues: ExpoForum, the Tauride Palace, and the Presidential Library.
Working sessions and meetings on UNWTOs performance, in particular discussing its reform and current
financial situation, will be held as part of the Assembly. UNWTOs
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili will present the report on current
trends in international tourism while the World Committee on Tourism Ethics and
the Credentials Committee will also present their respective reports. Important
discussions will also include the adoption of the UNWTO Framework Convention on
Tourism Ethics, as well as the approval of themes of the World Tourism Day for
2020 and designation of the host country for 2021. The place and dates of the
24th session of the General Assembly will be determined and
announced on 12 September.
The High-level Forum on Medical and Health
Tourism in the Tauride Palace will be the key event of the Assembly. Head of
the Federal Tourism Agency (Russian Federation) Zarina Doguzova, Chairman of
the Medical Tourism Association (USA) Jonathan Edelheit, and former football
player, founder of Bionox Group and UNWTO Ambassador for Sustainable Tourism
Fernando Hierro will perform their reports. Debates following the reports will
involve ministers and leading experts from countries looking to promote medical
and health tourism.
The official opening
ceremony of the 23rd session of the UNWTO
General Assembly will be held on September 11 at ExpoForum.
On 12 September, the delegates of the UNWTO
session will discuss two topics on the global tourism agenda. ExpoForum halls
will host Ministerial Debates on education and employment in tourism, featuring
the introduction on UNWTO Year of Education by Zurab Pololikashvili, who will
also report on the ongoing initiatives and their first results. The afternoon
will be devoted to the High-level Summit on Innovation and Sustainable
Development in Tourism featuring over 30 speakers. Heads of technology and
tourism companies will discuss, among other things, the role of innovation in
accessible and inclusive tourism, the role of artificial intelligence in
addressing the challenges of global warming, etc. A special focus will be on
start-ups and the development of technology platforms.
Over 800 delegates have already confirmed their participation in
the 23rd session of the UNWTO General
Assembly. The event will boost Russias profile as a global tourist
destination, with major industry players from across the world getting a first-hand insight into the countrys tourism
potential. For the days of the event, the UNWTO host city, St Petersburg,
will become the worlds tourist capital and the place to discuss global
approaches to the development of the tourism industry.
For more details on the 23rd session
of the UNWTO General Assembly, please visit the events official website at
http://lmd.unwto.org/event/general-assembly-twenty-third-session.
The
registration application is available at http://unwto.roscongress.org/ru/registration/media.
Both Russian and foreign media members can apply
for accreditation.