The 23rd World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit has kicked off at Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali.
President Kagame officially opened the summit (November 1-3) attended by hundreds of delegates. Rwanda becomes the first country in Africa to host this prestigious summit.
The 23rd World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit 2023 has brought together industry leaders and experts, including managing director Fawaz Farooqui, to align efforts to support the industry’s recovery towards a safer, more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.
Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the World Tourism Network is also taking part in the summit.
“Our sector has shown its true resilience. The travel and tourism sector is recovering, but sustainability needs to be at its centre,” Simpson said.
“This marks our first ever World Global Summit in Africa, and I take immense pride in shining the spotlight on the whole tourism community in this absolutely remarkable region,” she added.
Francis Gatare, the CEO of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) told the summit, “We are delighted to be the first host of this incredible summit on the African continent. For us, that means that this is an African summit because today we are celebrating a milestone that has taken 23 years to happen.”
Latest Sector Sustainability Figures
WTTC has recently introduced the latest Environmental Impact Research data (ESR) that is set to reshape the industry, in collaboration with the Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC), a division of the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia.
This groundbreaking initiative was initiated during last year’s WTTC Global Summit in Riyadh.
The ESR data represents the most comprehensive environmental insights in the history of Travel & Tourism.
It includes greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and water usage across the sector’s supply chain, both domestically and internationally.
The data reveals that in 2019, Travel & Tourism accounted for 8.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 10.6% of total global energy consumption, and 0.9% of freshwater usage.
This data, which encompasses 185 countries worldwide, will be updated annually with the latest statistics.
This initiative builds upon WTTC’s renowned Economic Impact Research and introduces customised factsheet for individual countries and major global regions.
Additionally, a dedicated micro-site enables users to delve into the data in detail.
As the host of the inaugural WTTC Global Summit in Africa, Kigali’s event boasts an impressive lineup of speakers and delegates.
Football legend Didier Drogba, renowned global economist Justin Urquhart-Stewart, and Francis Gatare, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, are among the notable figures in attendance.
Several Heads of State from the region are also participating.
