Gerald Lawless, chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council and previously executive chairman and CEO of Jumeirah Group, is set to be the keynote speaker at the inaugural Asia Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (AHTIC) in Colombo in November.
The former Jumeirah CEO is also now head of tourism and hospitality with Dubai Holding, Jumeirah’s parent company.
One of Lawless’ key messages is focused on the value of tourism as a force for good in the world economy.
He has said that a worldwide trusted-traveller or e-visa programme – supported by high-level security and international data sharing – would further boost tourism, which already accounts for 10% of the global workforce, while enhancing security.
He has also predicted that handled the right way, tourism could account for a hugely increased percentage of GDP in many emerging markets in Asia.
Sustainability – environmental, but also social and economic – is another of Lawless’ messages. “We ignore sustainability at our peril,” he noted.
Lawless’ keynote address, ‘Building a Tourism Destination’, will be delivered at AHTIC in the Hilton Colombo, with the event set to take place between November 27–29.
Jonathan Worsley, chairman of Bench Events, which is organising AHTIC, concluded: “Sri Lanka is on a mission to rebuild its tourism industry after decades of civil war. I am sure that everyone in the audience will be fascinated to hear, in detail, the secrets of Dubai’s success and to hear Gerald’s thoughts on how similar success can be achieved in Sri Lanka and elsewhere in the region.”
