The 23rd World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit has opened today at the Kigali Convention Centre with an official opening by President Paul Kagame.
The Summit, which takes place November 1–3, has gathered industry experts and leaders, including Fawaz Farooqui, the managing director of Cruise Saudi Arabia, and Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the World Tourism Network, to coordinate efforts in support of the industry’s recovery towards a more secure, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.
“Our industry has proven to be incredibly resilient. Although the travel and tourism industry is recovering, sustainability must remain at its core,” Simpson said.
“I take great pride in highlighting the entire tourism community in this truly amazing region, as this is our first World Global Summit in Africa,” she continued.
In partnership with the Sustainable Tourism Global Centre (STGC), a branch of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, WTTC recently unveiled the most recent Environmental Impact Research data (ESR) that is set to change the industry.
According to the WTTC statement, the environmental insights contained in the ESR data are the most extensive in the history of travel and tourism. The information covers water use, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the sector’s supply chain on a national and worldwide level.
The statement further noted that, in 2019, Travel and Tourism accounted for 8.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 10.6% of total energy consumption, and 0.9% of freshwater usage, with the data covering 185 countries and set to be updated annually.
The WTTC Global Summit in Kigali, Africa, will feature prominent speakers including football legend Didier Drogba, economist Justin Urquhart-Stewart, and Rwanda Development Board CEO Francis Gatare, among others.
