Confirmed Speakers

Sunday, 3 June 2007

                              Arrival and Registration

Monday, 4 June 2007

09.00 - 09.30

Registration

09.30 - 10.30

Opening Ceremony

Opening Remarks by H.E. Mr. Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of UNWTO

Opening Speech by Y.A.B. Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd. Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia

10.30 - 11.00

Coffee/Tea Break at Shangri-la Hotel

11.00 - 12.30

Keynote Speeches

“Global Trends in the Travel and Tourism Industry”

by Mr. Geoffrey Lipman, Assistant Secretary General, UNWTO

“A Vision for the Tourist Board of the Future”

by Mr. Christopher Rodrigues, CBE, Chairman, Visit Britain

“A Vision for Air Transportation in the Future”

by Mr. Peter de Jong, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association

12.30 - 14.00

Lunch at Shangri-la Hotel

14.00 - 15.30

SESSION 1 - Propelling Sustainable Growth Through Tourism

Introduction by Moderator

Dr Victor Wee, Secretary-General, Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia

Growing Importance of Tourism in National Economies

Mr. Wayne Calder General Manager, Business Development Group, Tourism Division, Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, Australia on behalf of H.E. Ms. Fran Bailey, Minister for Small Business and Tourism, Australia

Tourism as a Creative Solution for Environmental Protection

Mr Moeketsi Mosola Chief Executive Officer, South African Tourism, South Africa

Tourism Strategies to Benefit the Poor

Mr Tim Barlett, Consultant, UNWTO, Spain

Sustainable Practices in Developing the Tourism Industry

Intervention

Climate Variability and Change: WMO's initiatives in providing climate services for the tourism sector

Dr Burhani Nyenzi, Director, World Climate Programme Department,

World Meteorological Organisation

15.30 - 16.00

Coffee/Tea Break at Shangri-La Hotel

16.00 - 17.00

Panel Discussion / Q & A

20.00 - 22.30

Welcome Dinner hosted by Minister of Tourism, Malaysia at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Tuesday: 5 June 2007

9.30 - 11.00

SESSION 2 - Succeeding in Global Tourism (Lessons in Marketing)

Introduction by Moderator -

Moderated by H.E. Dato' K. Govindan, Head of Secretariat, National Economic Action Council, Prime Minister's Department, Malaysia

Mr Thies Rheinsberg, Corporate Development Director, TUI AG, Germany

Travel and Tour Operators - Creative Use of Online and Offline Marketing

Mr. Reas M Kondraschow, Executive Vice President, International Development, Wyndham Hotel Group International

Hotel - Managing Brands, Standing-Out and Becoming a Global Player

Mr. Abdul Hameed Zakariyya, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Maldives

Niche Market - Exploiting Your Strength and Specialty to Your Advantage

Mr Anthony Wong, Third Vice-President, ICCA’s International Board of Directors, International Congress and Convention Association, Netherlands

MICE -Tapping the MICE Market for Higher Tourist Yield

11.00 - 11.30

Coffee / Tea Break

11.30 - 12.30

Panel discussion / Q & A

12.30 - 14.00

Lunch

14.00 - 15.30

SESSION 3 - Success in Product Development and Diversification

Moderated by Mr Walter Jamieson, Dean, University of Hawaii, USA

Dr Frederic Dimanche, Director, Centre for Tourism Mgt, CERAM Sophia Antipolis, France

Hosting Signature Events for Anchoring Destinations

Prof. Dr. Amran Hamzah, Head, Tourism Planning Research Group (TPRG), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Rural Homestay to Enhance Tourist Experience

Ms King-chi Au, Commissioner for Tourism, Economic Development and Labour Bureau, Hong Kong SAR

Creating a Shopping Paradise

Mr Jeff Jarvis, Program  Director, Graduate Tourism Program, Monash University, Australia

Backpackers - The Potential Often Overlooked

15.30 - 16.00

Coffee/Tea Break

16.00 - 17.00

Panel Discussion/ Q & A

Wednesday, 6 June 2007

9.30 - 11.00

SESSION 4 - Successful Partnership - Strategies for Collaboration

Moderated by Mr Tim Barlett, Consultant, UNWTO, Spain

Mr Lee Choong Yan, President & Chief Operating Officer, Resorts World Berhad, Genting Highlands Group

How Tourism Enterpreneurs from Developing Countries Can Succeed Globally

Mr Tony Fernandez, CEO, AirAsia, Malaysia

The Rise of Low Cost Carriers in Transforming International Travel

Mr. James C. Ram President Indusa Global

E-Tourism Business-Innovative Approaches for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises

Oliver Bell, Regional Technology Officer Microsoft Asia Pacific

The Impact of Technology on Tourism

11.00 - 11.30

Coffee / Tea Break

11.30 - 12.30

Panel discussion / Q & A

12.30 - 12.45

Conclusion

12.45 - 13.30

Closing Ceremony

Closing Remarks

Afternoon

Technical Tours

Petronas Twin Towers - One of the tallest buildings in the world.

Eye on Malaysia - A Visit Malaysia Year project - Observation Wheel overlooking the city

Banghuris Homestay - A successful rural tourism project in Selangor

Panchitan Homestay - Another successful rural tourism project in Negeri Sembilan

Kuala Lumpur City Tour - Visit to old and new sectors of the City.