On 23 and 24 April 2015, top tourism industry specialists and speakers from more than 60 countries assembled in Switzerland for the 4th World Tourism Forum Lucerne.
The World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL) took place for the fourth time in the central Swiss city on 23 and 24 April 2015 under the slogan “Talents, Innovation & Sustainable Development – Walk the Talk”. Held every two years, the event is again expected to attract more than 400 decision-makers from the tourism industry and related sectors of economics, politics, finance and science. They will meet at Lucerne’s KKL Culture & Convention Centre to debate challenges and changes in global tourism and travel.
The World Tourism Forum Lucerne focuses strongly on the future generation of decision-makers. Participating managers are therefore encouraged to invite their top up-and-coming young talents to the two-day event. The most qualified students from the Forum’s international partner-universities are also being invited to attend and three will receive the Young Talent Award. In addition, the Start-Up Innovation Award will be presented to three enterprises selected from the international companies invited to participate.
WTFL Think Tank participants debated key concerns facing the future of global travel and tourism, after which selected topics will be discussed within the wider interactive framework of the Forum. The line-up of eminent international speakers included Her Majesty Queen Mother Sangay Choden Wangchuck of Bhutan, Ms Amel Karboul (Tunisia’s first female Minister of Tourism), Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann, Dr Michael Frenzel (Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council), Paul Griffiths (CEO Dubai International Airport), Samih Sawiris (Chairman and CEO Orascom Development) and the American economic and social theorist Jeremy Rifkin.
Martin Barth, General Manager of the World Tourism Forum Lucerne, emphasised the increasing international orientation of the forum: “Since its founding we have developed into a platform embracing also other exclusive events within Switzerland and abroad. As part of a strategic partnership with Shanghai, for example, we will be staging a forum in China’s largest city in 2016”.
Queen Mother Sangay Choden founded Bhutan’s Textile Museum in 2005 in her efforts to promote traditional Bhutanese crafts.
World Tourism Forum Lucerne
The World Tourism Forum Lucerne is an interdisciplinary professional platform which offers decision makers in business, politics, science and finance an overview of current topics and trends in the global tourism industry. It is the only international platform enabling leading decision makers and emerging young talents in the industry to interact as part of a next generation programme. The World Tourism Forum Lucerne is supported by an international Advisory Board under the chairmanship of Reto Wittwer.
For more information
World Tourism Forum Lucerne: http://wtflucerne.
Bhutan Textile Museum: www.bhutan-textiles-project.html
