Travel

World Record Set at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok

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World Record Set at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok - TRAVELINDEXBangkok, Thailand, November 30, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / Fewer people have traveled to every country in the world than have ventured into Outer Space. The Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok marked a historic milestone, bringing together 250 avid travelers. Among them, an unprecedented 31 individuals who had accomplished the remarkable feat of visiting all 193 UN-recognized countries. This gathering set a new world record as the largest documented assembly of travelers who have completed this extraordinary quest.

This group was joined by Harry Mitsidis and Slawek Mutari, two of the four known individuals who have been to every country in the world TWICE.  Other 193ers who attended the Extraordinary Travel Festival included (from left to right in the photo); David Langan (Ireland), Jim Loudin (USA), Luisa Yu (USA),  Randy “The Sultan” Williams, (USA & Slowjamastan), Thomas Casswell (Sweden), Anders Larsson (Sweden), Christer Danielsson (Sweden), Jian Kang (China/Sweden), Chris Sutherland (New Zealand), Boris Kester (Netherlands), Stefan Krasowski (USA), Slawek Mutari (Poland/Kenya), Bengt Hildebrand (Sweden), Konstantin Liorek (Ukraine), Matt McCaughey (USA), Charles Veley (USA), Per Besson (USA), Evelthon Vassiliou (Cyprus), Christian Fleischer (USA), Hayley Kennedy (UK), Harry Mitsidis (UK/Greece), Lucy Shoe (USA), David Yang (USA), Flavio Ferrari Zumbini (Italy), Phillips Connor (Singapore), and Damian Stack (Ireland).

Also attending the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok (but missing in the photo) was Thor “Once Upon A Saga” Pedersen (Denmark), Maurizio Giuliano (Italy), Joel Oleson (USA), and Joao Paulo Peixoto (Portugal).

In addition to their extensive travel experiences, the participants of ETF brought diverse backgrounds to the event. Over 55% had visited more than 100 countries, showcasing their extraordinary dedication to exploration. Representing six continents and spanning ages from 22 to 80, this group highlighted the universal and timeless appeal of global travel.

Award-winning travel photographer, podcaster, blogger, and filmmaker Ric Gazarian praised the Extraordinary Travel Festival (ETF) and its host city, Bangkok, Thailand, as a resounding success. From November 15 to 17, 2024, Bangkok hosted the second ETF, bringing together the world’s most passionate and accomplished travelers for three days of sharing experiences, insights, and strategies. The event celebrated the spirit of adventure and exploration, featuring speakers and attendees, 31 of them who have visited all 193 sovereign countries—a feat achieved by fewer than 400 people worldwide.

“This travel festival offers the opportunity to connect and promote your destination or brand to the world’s most accomplished and expert travelers from around the globe,” Gazarian added.  Tourism boards, consumer travel brands and tour providers wishing to make connections or facilitate bookings with this extraordinary group of travelers are also welcome to inquire about sponsorship opportunities.

For questions, please visit www.extraordinarytravelfest.com

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Joyned Appoints Antonella Vecchio to Spearhead Strategic Partnerships in Europe

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Joyned Appoints Antonella Vecchio to Spearhead Strategic Partnerships in Europe - TRAVELINDEXAward-winning social revenue pioneer Joyned has announced the appointment of industry expert Antonella Vecchio to spearhead its strategic partnerships in Europe. Antonella will also serve as Advisor to the Founders – CEO Michael Levinson and CBO Jonathan Abraham. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in travel and hospitality, Antonella’s appointment offers Joyned the resources needed to scale its innovative social revenue platform through further business development.

Joyned enables users on vendor websites to invite friends and family to discuss and make plans in a private and secure online space. Elevating the social experience for users, it simultaneously equips vendors with previously unavailable insight into the decision-making process based on group dynamics, conversations, and intent.

Antonella Vecchio has excelled in various leadership roles, including as Vice President, Board Member, and Managing Director. Her extensive experience spans multiple industries, most notably technology, retail, travel, and tourism, showcasing her versatility and influence across several key sectors.

Commenting on her appointment to Joyned, Antonella said: “I’m delighted to come on board and provide business development expertise during Joyned’s next phase of growth. Having already overseen, guided, and directed the design and implementation of a number of business development projects, I’m confident that Joyned’s social revenue platform will continue to attract vendors given the results that have already been seen by its clients.” 

Antonella has a proven track record in e-commerce, B2B, SaaS technology, and digital transformation, having held key roles at Sabre Corporation and Alitalia Airlines, where she spearheaded significant business transformations. As the founder of High Flyer Consulting, Antonella continues to drive innovation and growth. An advocate for diversity and inclusion, Antonella has served as a founding member of CHIEF UK and has actively participated in related initiatives, in addition to her membership of Women in Leadership and the Institute of Directors UK.

Commenting on the appointment, Joyned CEO and Co-Founder Michael Levinson, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Antonella to the Joyned team. Antonella’s expertise and passion for the travel industry align perfectly with our vision for growth and we are highly confident that the support she will provide will  further accelerate our expansion and help us deliver exceptional value for forward-thinking travel and hospitality vendors.”

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Joyned and Volunteer World Announce Partnership

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Joyned and Volunteer World Announce Partnership - TRAVELNEWSHUB.comAward-winning social revenue innovator Joyned has announced a new agreement with Volunteer World, the leading comparison platform for volunteer programs abroad. The partnership enables those seeking a meaningful travel experience to discuss and plan volunteering trips directly on the Volunteer World website, making the process seamless and collaborative.

Joyned’s AI-based social revenue platform allows people to invite friends and family to discuss and make plans in a private and secure online space directly on the vendor’s site. Elevating the social experience for users, it simultaneously equips vendors with previously unavailable insights into the decision-making process based on group dynamics, conversations, and intent.

With around 1.6 million people worldwide going abroad to volunteer each year, there’s a real need to provide volunteers with a seamless user experience during their search. Pascal Christiaens, CEO of Volunteer World, said the decision to partner with Joyned was a strategic move to amplify the collaborative experience for users, as well as to increase revenue and competitiveness.

“We designed Volunteer World to connect people with the social projects they’ve been dreaming of. We see great value in implementing new and advanced social features for our users, who can now use Joyned to plan their volunteering journeys with friends and family members. As volunteers search and compare opportunities based on their preferences, the data-driven insights we gain at the same time are invaluable for providing them with the best-optimized options,” Christiaens added.

Commenting on the partnership, Michael Levinson, C0-Founder of Joyned, said: “We’re very excited to announce our new partnership with Volunteer World, making international volunteering accessible everywhere from Peru to South Africa. We’re truly honored to be supporting their team in enhancing users’ experience while fulfilling their desire for meaningful travel and worldwide volunteering.”

Sites like Volunteer World can typically achieve 5x their conversion rates and 6x their Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) thanks to Joyned. By leveraging secure and encrypted data-driven insights on sentiment analysis, price perception, and buying intent, they can further enrich their offering with tailored offers and personalized deals. Combined with an improved, more social, and collaborative user experience, this provides them with a competitive edge that would not be possible otherwise.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Maximizing Impact of Social Revenue for Online Travel Vendors

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Award-winning social revenue innovator, Joyned, has today announced the launch of its traveler AI Planner, the latest addition to its platform. It harnesses developments in artificial intelligence and big data to provide travel and hospitality vendors with the ability to deliver a personalized experience to maximize satisfaction and revenue.

Whether it’s travel routes to Paris, the weather in Rome, or an itinerary for Berlin, the AI Planner provides on the spot information to users’ most common booking questions. Perfectly complementing the travel vendor’s existing offering, Joyned’s AI Planner is the ultimate white label solution for vendors seeking to enhance their customers’ trip planning process and overall experience.

This offering is the latest addition to Joyned’s social revenue technology, which enables prospects to communicate, discuss, decide and book together – straight from the vendor’s website. With research suggesting that around 89% of travel carts browsed on mobile are abandoned, Joyned’s social revenue technology fosters better on-site collaboration, appealing to groups who benefit from accessing the same information to book travel together, as well as solo travelers who rely on trusted advice and guidance when planning a trip alone.

“Travel vendors are constantly seeking new ways to increase revenue while improving customer loyalty, retention and booking value. Joyned is already enabling vendors to increase travel site conversations by up to 4x their baseline. The AI planner is the only solution that actively assists high-intent prospects to complete a purchase by reducing their need to seek external information, substantially increasing booking value,” says Michael Levinson, Co-Founder and CPO of Joyned.

“For travel vendors, this improves overall customer experience, and allows them to gain visibility into conversations that would otherwise be unavailable as they traditionally take place away from the website (for example on instant messaging apps or social networks). Using these insights, vendors can better tailor their packages and deals to current customer demands, leading to a significant increase in revenue,” he adds.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Travel Booking Innovator Joyned Secures $8 Million in Series A Funding Round

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TRAVELNEWSHUB.comJoyned, an award-winning travel tech startup with an innovative social revenue technology platform, has just announced the completion of an $8 million Series A funding round. The funds raised will fuel Joyned’s mission to become a global growth engine for travel and hospitality brands.

The round was led by Reach Markets, an Australian private equity and financial services company. Sentor Investments, a private investment firm based in Australia, Velocity Ventures, a Singaporean investment fund focused on investing in innovative solutions in the tourism and hospitality sectors, and Lucerne Investment Partners, an Australian private investment group also participated.

Joyned enables end-users to discuss and book trips together directly on the website, making travel booking seamless and collaborative. This can be done anonymously, without registration, from a secure, private online space. The solution provides a cross-website, live experience for customers, at the same time empowering travel sites to own their shoppers’ natural social engagements and significantly increasing their conversion rates.

Joyned’s AI-based social revenue platform identifies critical data such as price perception and sentiment analysis, giving travel sites access to a comprehensive overview of the customer booking journey, which then allows them to offer users personally tailored deals.

With clients reporting increases across a wide range of metrics (KPIs), such as conversion rates, average transaction size, organic traffic, and more, Joyned generates remarkable improvements in the business performance of travel sites. By using its social revenue platform, the average booking value of users grows by an impressive 25%, and the conversion rate increases fourfold.

Commenting on the funding round, Joyned CEO, Jonathan Abraham, said: “The platform we have developed addresses the travelers’ need to experience the holiday booking process together. We are the first to bridge the gap between users’ desire for shared experiences and the possibility of doing so. Together with our partners, we are making a significant difference to the global hospitality industry, which is expected to roll over $4.6 trillion by the end of the year. The power of our solution is evidenced by the agreements we have signed with the world’s leading travel brands and the impact the solution has had on their businesses. We are proud of the support we received from leading funds joining our journey.”

Jonathan Cocks, Partner, Velocity Ventures added: “Joyned’s innovative approach to collaborative travel booking experiences and its ability to drive engagement and conversions make it a standout player in the market. This investment will help catalyse Joyned’s expansion efforts and create lasting value for both customers and stakeholders.”

Joyned has made significant strides in its global expansion with commercial agreements with dozens of international travel brands, including a strategic commercial agreement with Amadeus, the world’s leading travel technology provider, OYO Vacation Homes, one of Europe’s leading holiday home rental companies, and TravelUp, the UK’s leading travel arrangements company. The capital raised will be used for product development, consolidating growth in international markets as well as business development and driving sales and growth processes in new verticals.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Pattern Insurance Revolutionizing Cancellation Flexibility for Non-Refundable Bookings

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Pattern Insurance Revolutionizing Cancellation Flexibility for Non-Refundable Bookings - TRAVELNEWSHUB.comPattern, a leading InsurTech innovator specializing in customized embedded insurance and non-insurance products, is thrilled to announce the launch of its groundbreaking service, FlexIt.

Designed to provide unmatched cancellation flexibility for non-refundable bookings, FlexIt empowers travel, booking, and registration retailers to offer their customers an immediate, no-questions-asked cancellation option. According to Expedia’s most recent Path to Purchase report, 28% of travelers look for travel brands that offer flexible cancellation policies or refundable rates. Pattern’s platform is meeting that need with FlexIt.

FlexIt seamlessly integrates into the booking pathway of Online Travel Agencies, event booking companies, and any business dealing with non-refundable reservations, effectively transforming them into refundable bookings. This new service redefines customer experience by eliminating the need for complex claim forms or restrictive reasons for cancellations.

Joyce Segall, Global Head of Insurance Innovation and Strategy at Pattern, states, “Today’s consumers are looking for maximum flexibility around refundability with the ability to cancel without the hassle of filling out claim forms or deciphering a list of covered reasons. FlexIt allows consumers to book with confidence knowing they can cancel their booking for any reason, no questions asked.”

FlexIt’s coverage extends across all regions where Pattern operates, ensuring a global reach. Existing Pattern customers can seamlessly access FlexIt through Pattern’s embedded protections platform. Additionally, the service is available as a standalone offer for prospective online retailers seeking cancellation flexibility or as part of a more comprehensive protection offering.

Ido Hertz, Head of Product Management, explains, “Trip cancellation products like CFAR have always come with their fair share of limitations and are not widely available with every purchase, which has been confusing and frustrating to many of our customers. This is not your standard CFAR insurance. We’ve reimagined this product based on market needs. It is easily configured and embedded in every business, booking and customer journey in minutes, and using machine learning, it addresses every flexibility need, with a personalized cancellation service.”

Pattern Insurance invites businesses to explore FlexIt and revolutionize their booking processes by providing customers with unprecedented cancellation flexibility.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Joyned Appoints Omri Lachman as Managing Director of Growth

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Award-winning Jerusalem-based startup Joyned has today announced the appointment of Omri Lachman as its Managing Director of Growth.

A serial tech entrepreneur and executive with over 15 years of experience in launching and scaling disruptive tech ventures, Omri will lead Joyned into its next phase of growth and further extend its disruptive collaborative booking technology within the travel sector. Lachman’s expertise focuses on business development, strategy development, sales and marketing. He also has hands-on experience in working alongside both consumer (B2C) and business (B2B) audiences.

Lachman has previously served as CEO and co-founder of wireless charging technology startup Humavox, and was co-founder of gamified sports talent discovery platform LEAP. He serves on advisory boards of several Israel-based companies and has served as board member at Joyned since May 2021. 

As part of several leadership teams, Omri has nurtured early stage tech ventures to enable successful public offerings and has also successfully facilitated M&A transactions. His expertise spans across a variety of technological features, namely: semantic search engines, computer vision and image analysis, voice recognition, telecom, cyber security, sports and gaming, wireless electricity, blockchain and Web3. 

Commenting on Lachman’s appointment, Joyned CEO and co-founder Jonathan Abraham, said: “We’re really excited to have Omri join the team as our Managing Director of Growth. We’ve been very impressed with his contributions as a board member and he’s already provided invaluable expertise used in our business modeling, product-elements, business and go-to-market strategies. It felt like a natural progression to boost and enhance his position as we at Joyned are also looking to enhance our impressive growth further.”

Joyned is a SaaS solution for travel websites that enables friends and family to book together, increasing revenue in the process. Founded in 2017 by CEO Jonathan Abraham and CPO Michael Levinson, Joyned has rapidly expanded over the past year and its Gross Booking Value increased by more than ten times between Q2 2022 and Q1 2023. Joyned’s client base now includes travel industry giants Amadeus, RIU Hotels and OYO Vacation Homes. 

Omri Lachman said: “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to become even more involved in the growth and expansion phase of such an innovative company. Over my entrepreneurial journey, I have devoted most attention to companies and entrepreneurs which make their presence known within the market and are changing people’s lives for the better by doing so. Joyned is one of those companies. I look forward to working closer than ever with the team to continue Joyned’s position as the go-to solution and provider of this booking technology within the travel industry.”  

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Joyned appoints Sergio Vargas Johansson as Managing Director of Travel

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Joyned appoints Sergio Vargas Johansson as Managing Director of Travel - TRAVELNEWSHUB.comAward-winning Jerusalem-based startup Joyned has today announced the appointment of Sergio Vargas Johansson as its Managing Director of Travel. 

Vargas Johansson will be responsible for the company’s commercial strategy, market expansion and business development within the travel sector. With a wealth of travel and technology experience, he has worked at Amadeus for over 20 years, most recently as VP of Online Travel Companies in EMEA. 

Founded in 2017 by CEO Jonathan Abraham and CPO Michael Levinson, Joyned is a SaaS solution for travel websites that enables friends and family to book together, while increasing revenue for the site. Following a period of significant growth within the company, Vargas Johansson’s appointment signals an exciting new chapter in Joyned’s offering to the travel sector. His expertise will enable Joyned to reshape the travel tech sphere, driven by values that fuel collaboration, empowerment, and growth.

Commenting on Vargas Johansson’s appointment, Joyned CEO and co-founder Jonathan Abraham, said: “We’re delighted to have Sergio join us as our Managing Director of Travel. We’ve witnessed tremendous growth over the past year and we are also signing more agreements with international tourism brands than ever before. Sergio knows exactly what makes the travel tech market tick so his input will be invaluable in making Joyned the de facto social booking tool within the travel sector.”   

Vargas Johansson said: “I’m very pleased to be joining one of the most innovative and best performing travel tech providers in the industry. Joyned’s social booking technology is so compelling and I’ve been monitoring their exemplary progress for some time now. It’s a real privilege to work alongside them to further expand their customer base which will reshape the travel sector.” 

Sergio Vargas Johansson brings a multicultural approach to Joyned having lived in countries across four continents. 

“As Managing Director of Travel, I am committed to expanding Joyned’s key markets within and across much of the Americas, EMEA, Asia Pacific and beyond. We have big plans for Joyned and I’m ready to realize their vision of being the default social commerce solution for OTAs,” he adds. 

The recent appointment comes at a time of buoyancy within the company which also recently appointed a new VP of Marketing, Michael Avni, in addition to six other team members joining in the past quarter alone.    

With a growing team of 25, Joyned aims to implement its Joyned Booking solution across dozens more global tourism brands. Current partners which utilize the Joyned Booking travel add-on include travel technology giant Amadeus, leading destination management company NexusTours, hotel giant RIU Hotels and European vacation home rental company OYO Vacation Homes.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

New Staybridge Suites Hotels in Bangkok Offer Top Value Long Stays

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New Staybridge Suites Hotels in Bangkok Offer Top Value Long Stays - TRAVELINDEX - VISITTHAILAND.netBangkok, Thailand, July 26, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The two Staybridge Suites properties in Bangkok have announced great value limited period promotional offers for stays longer than seven or 15 days

Stay Longer and Save More in Staybridge Suites Bangkok Thonglor
With the Staybridge Suites Bangkok Thonglor “Stay Longer & Save More” package, guests staying a minimum of seven nights can enjoy a special rate of THB2,500++ (THB2962/US$86 including taxes).

The package includes a 28 sqm (300 sq ft) Studio Deluxe Suite – additional room sizes are available – Wi-Fi, daily breakfast for two, premium bedding and access to facilities such as Japanese onsen, sauna, fitness and sky pool. Guests can join The Social, an evening gathering, hosted by the hotel every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The promotion is on offer now for stays up to December 31, 2023, including public holidays in Thailand and Christmas. Guests earn IHG One Rewards nights and points with each stay.

The trendy Thonglor area of Bangkok is characterised by boutique stores, community malls and numerous bustling venues from local street food, fine dining restaurants and hip cafes to glamorous clubs and nightspots. The BTS Thonglor skytrain station is a 10-minute walk away.

For more information or to book call +66 2 059 8999.

Save 20% with Staybridge Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit’s “Extended Stay Promotion”
Bangkok’s newest hotel opening, the Staybridge Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit, is offering 20% off with its “Extended Stay Promotion,” for guests staying 15 nights or more.

Rates include daily breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, suite room with full kitchenette, fitness, swimming pool and Japanese onsen, The Den co-working space and complementary social networking hour hosted by the hotel every Monday to Wednesday.

With the 20% discount, rates start from THB2720++ (THB3222/US$93 including taxes) for a 28 sqm (300 sq ft) Studio Suite. Additional suite sizes are available.

The 20% discount rate can be booked until October 31, 2023 for stays anytime.

Located in Sukhumvit 24, the property is ideally located for quick access to Phrom Phong BTS Station, the Emquartier and Emporium malls, Samitivej Hospital, many overseas embassies, plus varied dining and nightlife options.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

New Summit to Galvanise Policies on Culture and Heritage in Tourism

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New Summit to Galvanise Policies on Culture and Heritage in Tourism - TRAVELINDEXEarly bird registrations are only available to 7 July for the new annual global leadership summit on culture and heritage in tourism

A dynamic new leadership summit will grapple with major challenges and opportunities of culture and heritage in tourism. Event organiser, the World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage, invites stakeholders to make their voices heard at the new annual summit, the first of which takes place in Valencia, Spain, 24-25 September.

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 when anyone in the delegation can contribute.

The World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage (WTACH) will present the Summit with host organisation Visit Valencia in the heart of Valencia, Spain – 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.

A sample of the stellar line-up of international guest speakers already confirmed includes:

Rajan Data – BBC, London as Key Moderator, Dawn Drew – Summit MC, Global Tourism Destination Specialist – New York; Anne Grady – Senior Advisor to the European Parliament – Brussels; Imad Barrakad, Chairman SMIT (Morocco Agency for Tourism Development) – Rabat, Morocco; Bruce Poon Tip – Founder G Adventures, Toronto, Karl Burrows – Head of Maori Tourism Development – Tourism New Zealand – Auckland; Debbie Flynn – Managing Partner and Global Practice Leader – Finn Partners – London; Emma Nardi – President, International Council of Museums (ICOM) – Rome; Judy Kepher-Gona, Founder, Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda – Nairobi; Scott Wayne – President – SWA Development – Sustainable Destinations – Washington DC; Nada Hosking – National Geographic Explorer & Social Impact Leader – Austin, Texas; Miguel Angel Perez – Brands & Markets Director, Visit Valencia, 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 25 September, there will be optional training on the morning of the 26th for culture and heritage tourism practitioners. Spaces are limited to 25.

An early bird registration for the event is only available until 7 July. Visit https://wtachgls.com.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News