Tourism Tackles the Big New Issues

In the face of global and national turmoil, the tourism industry will gather in Hobart Tasmania to address the new and pressing challenges the industry must overcome.

The World Tourism Convention will be the first national and international meeting of tourism leaders since the terrorist attacks in the United States and the Ansett turmoil.

The World Tourism Convention is part of World Tourism Convention Week, a week of tourism related conferences which includes the Sustainable Wildlife Tourism Convention, the Australian Tourism Research Institute's Annual Outlook Conference, the World Tourism Convention and the Australian Tourism Awards.

"These are exceptional events in an exceptional time," Chairman of the Convention Steering Committee, John King said.

"This is a unique opportunity for the Australian tourism industry as each convention has assembled world renowned speakers, business leaders, travel trade and tourism operators, researchers and academics to discuss and debate the challenges and opportunities facing world tourism in the 21st century.

"Those challenges now go far beyond anything we could have imagined when we began planning the program.

"We have re-briefed all speakers to ensure they address the new and pressing issues, and the implications of the terrorist attacks and the turmoil in both international and national aviation circles.

One of the featured speakers at the World Tourism Convention, Dr Peter Yesawich will bring particular insights into the travel habits, preferences and intentions of Americans, an important yardstick in the rebirth of tourism around the world.

Others will address our responsibilities as the world's largest industry, and the need to strike a balance between rich and poor nations, preservation and access, authenticity and entertainment and the new issues of personal and national security.

"During a period of heightened global conflict, what better time than now to look at how tourism can be a medium for peace. And who better than His Excellency Mr Akel Biltaji of Jordan, a world advocate of peace through tourism, to address this issue," said Mr King.

The World Tourism Convention is supported by the world's leading tourism organisations, the World Tourism Organisation, the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

The events run from 28 October to 2 November in Hobart.