A new travel industry forum focused on the topic of sustainable travel will take place in-person for the first time in Portugal on September 16-17.
The first World for Travel Evora Forum was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, with a virtual event held in its place, meaning the 2021 edition will be the first to be held with an audience present.
More than 140 speakers have been confirmed for a series of workshops and presentations, including the Portuguese and French secretaries of state for tourism Rita Marques and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne; UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili, and explorer and adventurer Mike Horn.
The in-person attendance will be capped at 350 delegates, but the event will also be streamed for free to a virtual audience.
The conference has been created to bring together the public and private sectors to develop a more sustainable and responsible travel and tourism industry. Specialist speakers will include experts in economics, the environment, city planning, cultural heritage, climatology, food development, aviation and cruise.
It will be run by France’s largest travel media group Eventiz, in partnership with the Global Travel & Tourism Resilience Council, with the support of Visit Portugal, the UNWTO and the WTTC.
Marques said: “The very fact that this summit gathers over 140 high-level speakers is not only testament to the resilience of our industry but also to the commitment and dedication of its leaders to tackle the issues we face without delay.
“We look forward to welcoming our industry community to Évora and to what we believe will be a ground-breaking event.”
Taleb Rifai, co-chair of the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council, said: “Sustainability is about sustaining life on earth for future generations, no more, no less. We strive to preserve our environment for future generations to live with a good quality of life, therefore, we must address social, economic and political sustainability as well.
“These models matter as much as the environmental policies in order to sustain a universal quality of life. Sustainability is not only about conservation or preservation. The challenge is one of innovation and management, both are intrinsic to moving forward, to progress with purpose, and grow in a truly sustainable way.”
Christian Delom, secretary general of A World for Travel, added: “Never has the travel industry been under so much pressure, from the environment, climate, technology, social responsibility, safety and health risks, all at the same time.
“This event will lead the revolution for the mandatory transformation of the industry for the good of humanity.”