Climate week is the reason tourism ministers from around the world together with activists on climate change and sustainable initiatives are in New York at this time, together representing multiple industries and government sectors.
To help SMEs avoid one thousand dollars or higher hotel rates during ongoing United Nations events in New York, WTN went to Zoom and got a relevant global panel of presenters from Australia, Thailand, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States together to discuss climate change, security, response and the threat of wildfires during a packed 2 hours and 45-minute member discussion.
WTN recognizes the Importance of Climate Week
To recognize the importance of Climate Week in New York, the World Tourism Network will be announcing at its upcoming TIME 2023 Summit in Bali, Indonesia on September 29/30 the integration of the International Climate & Tourism Partners (ICTP) into its young organization championing small and medium Size Businesses in travel and tourism.
The World Tourism Network’s headquarters is in the US Pacific Island State of Hawaii. The Island of Maui was recently in the global spotlight when out-of-control wildfires destroyed the historic tourism town of Lahaina.
Maui Fires and Bushfires in Australia were on the WTN Agenda
The discussion today also focused on bushfires frequent in Australia.
World Tourism Network members from 133 countries were invited to participate in this Zoom discussion free of charge.
World Tourism Network Panelists included:
- Juergen Steinmetz (Chair) (USA): Chairman of the World Tourism Network and Publisher of eTurboNews. Juergen is a global leader in the tourism industry media and in building global networks of tourism professionals.
- Dr. David Beirman (Australia) University of Technology Sydney. David has been a prominent researcher in tourism risk, crisis, and recovery management for over 30 years and has been directly involved in destination recovery projects (including bushfires) worldwide.
- Dr. Peter Tarlow (USA): President of World Tourism Network and CEO of Tourism & More. A top global tourism security expert who has trained thousands of police in over 30 counties through his TOPPS (Tourism Oriented Police Protection Service) program.
- Dr. Eran Ketter (Israel)Lecturer in Tourism at the Kinneret College of Hospitality and Tourism. Eran is one of the world’s leading authorities on tourism Marketing, destination branding, and Image.
- Dr. Bert Van Walbeek, UK-based and renowned “Master of Disaster” and former head of the Thailand Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. Author of PATA’s first crisis management guidebook.
- Richard Gordon MBE Director of the world-renowned UK-based University of Bournemouth Centre for Disaster Management advising governments and Tourism businesses worldwide on disaster management
- Lt. Col. Bill Foos (USA) Former US Army Officer and a security consultant to businesses.
- Charles Guddeni (USA): US Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Coordinator for Washington DC.
- Dr. Ancy Gamage (Australia) Senior Lecturer Management (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) Ancy specializes in the human resource dimension of tourism resilience and bushfire risk management response.
- Professor Jeff Wilks, Griffith University(Australia) Jeff is a world-renowned specialist in tourism risk management focussing on risk readiness and links between tourism and emergency management
- Emeritus Professor Bruce Prideaux Central Queensland University(Australia)is a world-renowned authority on tourism crisis management and the link between climate change and natural disasters.
- Masato Takamatsu (Japan) CEO of Tourism Resilience Japan. Masato is Japan’s leading expert on crisis preparedness. His programs link tourism enterprises, emergency management, and government agencies to prepare for, respond to, and recover from Natural disasters.
- Peter Semone (Thailand) Chairman of Pacific Asia Travel Association. Peter leads PATA and has championed and been an active player in PATA’s more than 30 years of commitment to tourism risk, crisis, and recovery management throughout the Asia Pacific region.
- Prof. Lloyd Waller, Executive Director of Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre, Jamaica
- Pankaj Pradhananga (Nepal) Director of Four Seasons Travel, and Chapter President of the WTN Nepal Chapter, Kathmandu Nepal. Pankaj is a pioneer and global leader in accessible tourism services for people with disabilities and has factored in their special needs in preparing for and responding to natural disasters.
The world of tourism will hear a lot more about climate change this week from New York.
Most noticeable with Hon. Minister Edmund Bartlett and Professor Lloyd Waller, who are leading the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Center in Jamaica, and Gloria Guevara, leading a global Saudi Arabian initiative by the Hon. Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb on climate change and sustainable tourism, this year’s climate week is not only relevant but timely for travel and tourism worldwide.
Climate Week New York
Climate Week NYC is the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together some 400 events and activities across the City of New York – in person, hybrid, and online. Each year, business leaders, political change makers, local decision-makers, and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the world, gather to drive the transition, speed up progress, and champion change that is already happening.
Climate Week NYC is hosted by Climate Group, an international non-profit whose purpose is to drive climate action, fast. Climate Group hosts the official program during the week that brings together the most senior international figures from business, government, civil society, and the climate sector.
This year Climate Week NYC started September 17 and will be ongoing until September 24. Climate Week takes place every year in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly and is run in coordination with the United Nations and the City of New York.
SOURCE: Climate Week by World Tourism Network is not in New York
