Egyptian tourism minister Rania Al Mashat will be among the speakers at the sixth World Tourism Forum in Lucerne in May.
Al Mashat, an economist, was appointed minister of tourism in January last year, becoming the first woman to take the role.
She will join speakers including Switzerland’s minister of economic affairs, Guy Parmelin, Accor Hotels chief digital and diversity officer Maud Bailly, The Travel Corporation chief executive Brett Tollman and Indian Hotels chief executive Puneet Chhatwal.
They will be joined by academics including Cornell University professor Kate Walsh and University of St Gallen professor Karolin Frankenberger.
The World Tourism Forum Lucerne brings together travel, tourism and hospitality business leaders with academics and founders of start-up businesses. It is held in Lucerne every two years but with meetings year-round.
WTFL president and chief executive Martin Barth said: “Innovation needs to be managed actively to face the ongoing disruption in the tourism, travel and hospitality industry.
“That is why we bring together established businesses, academics and start-ups.
The forum will be in Lucerne on May 2-3, with discussion on the theme: ‘Human capital in an age of disruption – talent, innovation and diversity’.