GLOBAL TOURISM FORUM

Date: March. 26, 2022

Venue: Rixos Premium Dubai JBR

Address: Jbr - The Walk - Al Mamsha St - Jumeirah Beach Residence - Dubai UAE

Topic: Dubai Blockchain For Travel

EVENT REPORT

Overview

Building on our recent announcement of the landmark partnership between Ariva and WTFI and GTF, we are pleased to announce our first joint event:

The Global Tourism Forum, or GTF is, World Tourism Forum Institute’s premier flagship, an international collaboration platform focused on addressing the challenges for the travel industry. Through this event we at WTFI want to be at the forefront of this revolution, presenting new options to a new generation of travelers, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, with an alternative way to purchase travel and all opportunities with blockchain revolution.

Today’s Digital nomads are moving to crypto where they can earn high yield passive income easily and securely. Nearly 35 million people worldwide consider themselves digital nomads and around 16% of them possess crypto assets. With more people holding cryptocurrencies and more businesses, destinations bracing and accepting it for real-world things, travel is naturally a desirable experience to use crypto.

The tourism sector expects blockchain to reshape the industry and has started using the technology behind the crypto fever, to change the way their data is stored, used, and secured. Blockchain is proving exactly that potential in and changing the travel industry’s status quo by playing a major role in keeping the network secure, protected, and trusted.

To highlight this advantage during the event, which will be a ‘signature bridge event” between the cryptocurrency world and the travel and tourism industry, several high profile speakers, influencers will be attending from both the ecosystems. In addition, the sale of tickets priced with symbolic figures will be opened for sale with cryptocurrency using Ariva.Finance payment getaway on Ariva, GTF and WTFI websites for guests who want to participate in the forum apart from the invitees.

2022 Agenda

GLOBAL TOURISM FORUM (GTF)

 Message From General Secretary – Taleb Rifai.

« Any partnership, big or small, will work best when there is a shared goal. That is why at WTFI partnerships matter! »

The Global Tourism Forum, or GTF for short, is an international collaboration platform focused on addressing the challenges for the travel industry. Combining the joint efforts of government agencies, industry stakeholders and academia, GTF strives to achieve sustainable development models for emerging travel markets, as well as devising strategies to ensure tourism growth.

Highlights of the Event

H.E. François Hollande (Former President of France)

– The latest development of blockchain and its capacity to build tourism is really important. We need new horrizons opened by technologies like blockchain and crypto currencies

– More accurate data created by blockchain and crypto currency payment technologies will help governments and private sectors to shape their investment plans and services on tourism effectively.

– Crypto currencies make us hoped to exchange easily with lower fees, without restrictions and complexity of procedures on exchanging.

– Crypto currencies will allow us to create a payment system that secure more than anything we are currently using. I think this system will evolve worldwide.

– It’s all governments and head of states’ responsibility to make travel easier to access for everyone. They need to develop all the conditions to facilitate not only subjects such as health, transportation and security but also new technologies like blockchain and crypto currencies. Because these technologies can give us some elements that allow us lower fees and more security to further support movement of travel.

Kaiser Naseem (International Development Banker)

– Potential in terms of being able to leverage and improve every service and financial products are delivered by blockchain. Based on that blockchain the concept of decentralized finance is the one I think is the most exciting.

DR. Michael Gebert (Chairman of European Blockchain Association)

– We need to understand blockchain in order to use it. If you compare blockchain to do use of money, nobody understands how money is working at the moment. You use it for granted and you rely on trust. So the common issue in between blockchain and money is trust and i think if you go back to that level of experience, the trust is needed to do thing interact successfully ended or simulated.

Importance of tourism industry from block chain side is, tourism means lots of data and If data is in place the trust is in place. If the trust is settled then it is ground from there to build up relation and businesses.

José Ramón Bauzá (Member of European Parliament)

– As EU with its all members we should take our competitive position on blockchain. Blockchain is an opportunity. If you don’t see it you loose your time. EU and its all members should take their competitive place on blockchain and crypto currencies against other regions. The leader of EU should be advised well on this developments.

– Blockchain is related with almost everything that we see everyday about tourism. Can you imagine that when we’re on a flight it can happen to us to loose our luggage… Thanks to blockchain, it can be avoided. Blockchain can help us in every single chain of tourism industry.

Ismail Ertug (Member of European Parliament)

– As Eu we’re economically the strongest region. But sometimes we loose speed and loose some competition against other regions. My wish is to set the golden standard for regulations on these new technologies should be coming and driven by EU.

There is a competition but in the end we are only one planet. We have to work together with all other regions to make our life better in the future.

Haitham Mattar(“Managing Director MEA & South West Asia IHG Hotels & Resorts)

– There is no hotel operator is really meeting speed of expectations of any owner, colleague or guest is looking for. We’re using artificial intelligence for our reservations. It allows our guests to make bookings and have confirmations faster.

– I dream about hotels without receptionists. The AI helps self-check-in and save guest’s time. In today’s world even 5 minutes waiting time in a line is very long time. We use technology to follow and apply new developments in our business.

Program

25 March:

ARRIVALS & SET UP

26 March:

Main Program

 

09:30 – 09:40

OPENING REMARKS

– Anita Mendiratta (Master of Ceremony, Special Advisor for SG UNWTO)
– Sumaira Isaacs ( CEO of WTFI)

09:40 – 09:50

NEW ECOSYSTEM FOR TOURISM WITH BLOCKCHAIN

– Taleb Rifai (SG of WTFI, Former SG UNWTO)

09:50 – 10:15

THE SUCCESS STORY FROM ARIVA

– Ana-Claudia Tapardel (Chief Communication Officer of Ariva)

10:15 – 11:00 KEYNOTE SPEECH & INTERVIEW
THE IMPACT OF CRYPTOCURRENCY ON TOURISM INDUSTRY

– Bulut Bağcı (President of WTFI)(Moderator)
– H.E. François Hollande (Former President of France)

11:00 – 11:05 SPECIAL VIDEO:
MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CREATIVE ECONOMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
– H.E. Dr. Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno
11:05 – 11:35 SESSION 1:
DEMYSTIFYING THE BEST CRYPTOCURRENCY EXCHANGES

– Kaiser Naseem (International Development Banker)(Moderator)
– Allen Wei (CEO of LBank)
– Shantnoo Saxsena (COO of LBank)

11:35 – 11:55 SESSION 2:
THE VALUE OF ECO-TOURISM AND THE INPUT OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

– Dr. Valasia Iakovoglu (Director of Ecotourism Sector of UNESCO Chair Con-E-Ect) (Moderator)
– H.E. Mr. Niels Olsen (Minister of Tourism of Ecuador)

11:55-12:10 KEYNOTE:
MAKING BLOCKCHAİN REAL FOR CUSTOMER LOYALTY REWARDS PROGRAMS(SPECIAL CASE STUDY ON REAL ESTATE)
(Crowd Funding Real Estate and Fractional Ownership)

– James Wrenn (Associate Director – Colliers Hotels MENA Region)

12:10 – 13:00 LUNCH ( Stand up)
13:00- 13:40 SESSION 3:
EU BLOCKCHAIN ECOSYSTEM – SHAPING EUROPE’S DIGITAL FUTURE

– Hoda Barakat (International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property in the UAE (AIPPI- UAE)) (Moderator)
– Ismail ErtuG( MEP) – EU Blockchain Ecosystem
– José Ramón Bauzá (MEP)
– Jason Luo(Co-Founder & CEO of BitForex)
– Dr. Michael Gebert (Chairman, European Blockchain Association)

13:40 – 14:00 SESSION 4:
DIGITALISATION IN TRAVEL MARKET

– Sumaira Isaacs ( CEO of WTFI) (Moderator)
– Haitham Mattar(“Managing Director MEA & South West Asia IHG Hotels & Resorts)

14:00 – 14:30 SESSION 5:
BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY A BRIDGE TO ” SMART TOURISM”

– Neslihan Gündeş (Executive Director, WTFI) (Moderator)
– Angela Gerekou (President, Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO)) (online)
– Nithee Seeprae (Deputy Governor for Digitalisation, Research and Development, Tourism Authority of Thailand – TAT)
– Sumaira Isaacs (CEO, WTFI)

14:30 – 15:10 SESSION 6:
EXPLAINED: BLOCKCHAIN EVOLUTION AND ITS DISRUPTIVE POWER

– Sameer Sortur(SQUARECIRCLE GLOBAL / Founder and Chief Executive Officer (Moderator) & Q&A
– Meike Krautsheid(CCO & Lead Blockchain Consultant, SmartLedger)
– Markose Chenthitta(Business Development & Partnerships @FMFW.io )
– Christian Gleich(Chief Strategy Officer & Futurist of OneBigWave)

15:10 – 15:25 COFFEE BREAK
15:25 – 15:55 SESSION 7:
CRYPTO-SUITES: SYSTEMS, STRUCTURES, SCHEME

– Martin WIDENKA (Co-Founder of MMBR, Ex-Thomas Cook)(Moderator)
– Mohamed Riadh LARBI (Team Lead Content Marketing B&B Hotels Germany & Travel Content Creator)
– Samson HABTOM (Coffee Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of Bunca Barista)

15:55 – 16:25 SESSION 8:
CRYPTOCURRENCIES – THE ULTIMATE WEAPON OF MASS DISRUPTION OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

– Mr. Tariq Qureishy ( CEO & Founder Xponential Group)( Moderator)
– Max Rangeley (ReboundTAG / CEO)

16:25 – 16:40 COFFEE BREAK
16:40 – 17:20 SESSION 9:
NEW TOURISM” ESSENTIAL READINESS FOR BLOCKCHAIN

– Anita Mendiratta (Special Advisor for SG UNWTO) (Moderator)
– Anju Gomes (Regional Director of Middle East, the International Congress and Convention Association – ICCA)
– Anastasia Kiritsi (University Lecturer at Arden university Germany & UK)
– Alushca Ritchie (World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) )

17:20 – 17:50 SESSION 10:
HOW CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY ARE CHANGING EACH OTHER

– Ana-Claudia Tapardel (Chief Communication Officer of Ariva) -(Moderator)
– Ritesh Mohan (Head – Global Inside Sales @ Emeritus)
– Kishore Dharmarajan (CEO of BurjMeta.com & SeoSouq.com)

17:50 – 18:10

CLOSING REMARKS

– Sumaira Isaacs ( CEO of WTFI)

27 MARCH:

DEPARTURES

Speakers

WHO HAD ATTENDED?

  • Politicians and Ex-Politicians,
  • World Tourist Industry Leaders,
  • Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Entrepreneurs
  • Cryptocurrency stock exchanges
  • Digital innovators
  • Representers of EU Parliament (PM’s)
  • Economic development Corporates, Global Investment Groups and Banks
  • Investment Consultants, Legislators
  • C-Level Executives
  • Governmental Authorities
  • Travel Strategists and Travel Technologists-people who shape the most significant number of groups, who establish and identify the future of travel
  • Online Travel Agencies
  • Tourism & Travel Associations

FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE

Former President of France

TALEB RIFAI

Secretary General of WTFI & Former Secretary General  of UWTO

DR. MICHAEL GEBERT

Chairman of European Blockchain Association

ANITA MENDIRATTA

Special Advisor for Secretary General of UNWTO

ISMAIL ERTUG

Member of the European Parliament

HAITHAM MATTAR

Managing Director MEA & South West Asia IHG Hotels & Resorts

JOSE RAMON BAUZA

Member of European Parliament

KISHORE DHARMARAJAN

CEO of Burjmeta.com & Seosouq.com

SANDIAGA SALAHUDDIN UNO

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia

ANGELA GEREKOU

President of Greek National Tourism Organization

CHRISTIAN GLEICH

Chief Strategy Officer & Futurist of ONEBIGWAVE

TARIQ QUREISHY

CEO of MAD & XPONENTIAL GROUP

NITHEE SEEPRAE

Deputy Governor for
Digitalisation, Research and Development, Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT)

MAX RANGELEY

CEO of Reboundtag

ANJU GOMES

Regional Director of Middle East, ICCA

Prof. ANASTASIA KIRITSI

University Lecturer at Arden university Germany & UK

MARKOSE CHENTHITTA

Business Development & Partnerships Head of FMFW.io.  Podcast Host of The Cryptocosm & FINfluentia

MEIKE KRAUTSCHEID

CCO & Lead Blockchain Consultant, SmartLedger

ALLEN WEI

CEO of LBank

MARTIN WIDENKA

Co-Founder of MMBR, Ex-Thomas Cook

JASON LUO

Co-Founder & CEO of BitForex

ALUSHCA RITCHIE

World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA), President

SAMSON HABTOM

Coffee Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of Bunca Barista

MOHAMED RIADH LARBI

Team Lead Content Marketing B&B Hotels Germany & Travel Content Creator

SAMEER SORTUR

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SQUARECIRCLE GLOBAL

SHANTNU SAXENA

COO of LBank

JAMES WRENN

Coliers Group

Partners

Sessions

Supporting Media

Organizers

Venue

Rixos Premium Dubai JBR