The MasterCard Forum on The Future of Travel and Tourism in Asia Pacific to be held in August

MasterCard International and Universitas 21 Global are to hold the MasterCard Forum on “The Future of Travel and Tourism in Asia/Pacific” in Hong Kong and Singapore on August 23 and 24, respectively. Highly regarded speakers will share predictive market intelligence and insights on emerging trends that are expected to shape the travel and tourism industry in Asia Pacific in the coming years.

In the last few years, a flood of global events has impacted the travel, tourism and hospitality industries across Asia Pacific. Simultaneously, these industries also experienced a renaissance brought about by technology, new services, changing market conditions and innovative business practices, perpetuating a more competitive environment. To assist industry chiefs in navigating the paradigm shift, the forum will provide intelligence on:

• Key emerging trends in Asia Pacific and the impact of the new competitive environment
• Global overview of the tourism industry – insights and best practices
• Asia Pacific demographic shifts and profile of the future Asian travelers.

Speakers at the forum will include:

• Dr Michael Goldberg, Chief Academic Officer, Universitas 21 Global 
• Prof Christine Ennew, Dean, Faculty of Law and Social Science, Prof of Marketing, Nottingham University Business School
• Dr Clint Laurent, CEO, Asian Demographics
• Dr Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, economic advisor, Asia Pacific, MasterCard International.

“Amid the current global environment, the travel and tourism industries are changing rapidly. MasterCard is highly conscious of the challenges that confront the industry. This forum will deliver high quality information which will help industry chiefs in strategic planning and make sound business decisions,” said Dr Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, economic advisor, Asia Pacific, MasterCard International. 

“We are seeing a revival of the tourism industry in the region, which saw international visitor arrivals reach nearly 240 million last year, a remarkable 23 percent increase over 2003. The chase for the tourist dollar has intensified across the region. It is against this backdrop that Universitas 21 Global has partnered with the University of Nottingham to cater to this critical demand for managerial expertise in tourism and travel applications through the launch of a combined program with The University of Nottingham. This program will lead to an award of Universitas 21 Global Executive Diploma in Business Administration as well as a Master of Science in Tourism and Travel Management from the University of Nottingham. We are honored to have the opportunity to introduce our new program at this forum,” said Dr. Michael Goldberg, Chief Academic Officer, Universitas 21 Global.

Conducted completely online, the combined program between Universitas 21 Global’s and the University of Nottingham not only caters to the region’s growing demand for managerial expertise in tourism and travel, but also provides a tremendous amount of flexibility for executives who are unable to take up traditional university programmes due to work and travel commitments.

The forum with be held from 9am to 11:30am at the Conrad Hotel in Hong Kong and the Grand Hyatt in Singapore.

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